Number of states with high rates of adult obesity more than doubles

New CDC data show that 19 states and 2 territories have at least 35% of residents with adult obesity. That figure is more than two times the number of states with high adult obesity prevalence recorded in 2018.

CDC noted the 2021 Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps draw attention to disparities in obesity across states and across racial and ethnic populations.

“This report illustrates the urgent need for making obesity prevention and treatment accessible to all Americans in every state and every community,” said CDC Acting Principal Deputy Director Debra Houry, MD, MPH. “When we provide stigma-free support to adults living with obesity, we can help save lives and reduce severe outcomes of disease.”

The 19 states and 2 territories are: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.