Obesity Rates Continue to Trend Up in U.S.

Over 4 out of every 10 American adults are obese, according to a new government study by the CDC. 1 out of every 10, the study says, is severely obese.

The findings come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention annual health survey from 2017-2018, where over 5,000 U.S. adults measured their height and weight. For 2017-2018, the survey recorded a record 42 percent of people within the obesity threshold, with over 9 percent within the severely obese threshold. These numbers are up 2 percent and 8 percent, respectively, from the health survey of 2015-2016.

Obesity rates in the country have been steadily climbing for the past two decades. In 1999-2000, the same health survey found an obesity rate around 30 percent – much lower than the 42 percent recorded in 2017-2018 and easily statistically significant.

Rates of obesity for kids and teens have yet to be released by the CDC for kids and teens, however 2015-2016 saw an obesity rate of 18.5 percent for kids and teens and a severely obese rate of 6 percent – also pointing to an upward trend over the last two decades.