CDC Data Indicates Slight Fall in US Adult Obesity Rate, But Higher Than in 2013

The data also shows that severe obesity was increasing in the United States, and the prevalence was higher among women than men.

File photo of an obese person. Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images

The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults slightly dropped last year, but it remained a major health issue, with the rate still higher than in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Published Sept. 24, data from the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which involved a 5,929 sample size, showed obesity prevalence among U.S. adults aged 20 and older was 40.3 percent during the 2021–2023 period.