US Obesity Rate to Reach 50% by 2035: A Growing Crisis
- On Wednesday, a new study published in JAMA by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle projected that by 2035, nearly half of all American adults, about...
- The projections show a striking increase in the prevalence of obesity over the past few decades in the U.S.In 1990, only 19.3% of U.S.
- The study highlights significant disparities across states, ages, and racial and ethnic groups.
On Wednesday, a new study published in JAMA by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle projected that by 2035, nearly half of all American adults, about 126 million individuals, will be living with obesity. The study draws on data from more than 11 million participants via the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and from the independent Gallup Daily survey.
The projections show a striking increase in the prevalence of obesity over the past few decades in the U.S.In 1990, only 19.3% of U.S. adults were obese, according to the study. That figure more than doubled to 42.5% by 2022, and is forecast to reach 46.9% by 2035.
The study highlights significant disparities across states, ages, and racial and ethnic groups. While every state is expected to see increases, the sharpest rises are projected for Midwestern and Southern states.