Obesity Statistics 2026: Rates by State, Age and Activity Level

Obesity affected 40.3% of U.S. adults age 20 and older in the latest measured national estimate, based on August 2021 through August 2023 examinations. NCHS Data Brief 508 reports that severe obesity affected 9.4% of adults in the same period. These are survey estimates from those years, not measurements collected in 2026.

This guide separates measured national estimates from self-reported state data and physical activity surveys. It covers state differences, adult and childhood age groups, and long-term trends while keeping each figure’s population, data year, and measurement method visible.

Key Obesity Statistics at a Glance

How to Read These Obesity Statistics

The dates matter. A report released in 2026 may analyze data gathered years earlier. Throughout this page, each percentage appears with its dataset year so older figures are not presented as new 2026 findings.

The method matters just as much. Directly measured height and weight usually produce different prevalence estimates than self-reported values. People may report height or weight inaccurately, and the surveys cover different ages and geographies. That makes side-by-side context necessary.

Prevalence is the share of a defined population that meets a stated threshold during a stated period. It is an estimate built from a sample, not a head count of every person in the country. Survey weights help the sample represent the broader population, and confidence intervals show how much statistical uncertainty surrounds an estimate. NCHS Data Brief 508 explains the survey’s weighting and estimation methods.

According to NCHS Data Brief 508 , NCHS Data Brief 555 and CDC’s BRFSS survey overview, each dataset has a lane. NHANES offers measured national estimates but is not designed to rank all states. BRFSS obesity data supply state detail but depend on self-reported height and weight. NHIS gives a timely national look at leisure-time activity across BMI groups, with both measures based on interview responses.

Dataset	Data period	Population and geography	Height and weight	Best use and source
NHANES adults	Aug. 2021-Aug. 2023	Ages 20+, U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population	Measured in standardized exams	National prevalence | NCHS Data Brief 508
NHANES youth	Aug. 2021-Aug. 2023	Ages 2-19, U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population	Measured in standardized exams	Youth prevalence | NCHS Health E-Stat 112
BRFSS	2025	Ages 18+, states, DC, and participating territories	Self-reported by telephone survey	State comparisons | CDC’s 2025 BRFSS maps; CDC’s BRFSS survey overview
NHIS	2024	Ages 18+, U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population	Self-reported in household interviews	Activity attainment by BMI category | NCHS Data Brief 555

Adult and Childhood Obesity Use Different Definitions

According to NCHS Data Brief 508, for adults, obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30.0 or higher. Severe obesity is a BMI of 40.0 or higher. NHANES calculates BMI from measured height and weight during a standardized examination.

According to NCHS Health E-Stat 112, for children and adolescents, BMI changes with age and sex, so adult cutoffs do not apply. Pediatric obesity is BMI at or above the sex-specific 95th percentile on CDC growth charts. Severe obesity is BMI at or above 120% of that 95th percentile.

According to CDC’s BMI overview, BMI is a screening measure, not a diagnosis of a person's health. It does not directly measure body fat or fitness, and it should be interpreted alongside other health information.

Measured and Self-Reported Estimates Are Not Interchangeable

According to NCHS Data Brief 508 and CDC’s BRFSS survey overview, NHANES obesity data use physical examinations and support national estimates. BRFSS is an ongoing state-based telephone survey and supports state comparisons, but its height and weight data are self-reported.

According to NCHS Data Brief 555, NHIS is a nationally representative household interview survey. Its 2024 activity analysis uses self-reported leisure-time activity and respondent-reported height and weight. Those values help describe patterns in the population. They should not be treated as direct measurements.

National Adult and Childhood Obesity Estimates

According to NCHS Data Brief 508, the U.S. adult obesity rate depends on method and population. The newest measured national estimate was 40.3% among U.S. adults age 20 and older in the civilian, noninstitutionalized population during August 2021 through August 2023. The age-adjusted estimate matched that figure at 40.3%.

According to NCHS Data Brief 508, the unadjusted prevalence was 39.2% among men and 41.3% among women. Severe obesity affected 9.4% of adults, including 6.7% of men and 12.1% of women. These figures describe the population. They do not predict any one person's health or ability.

According to NCHS Health E-Stat 112, the newest measured youth estimate covers ages 2 through 19 in the same national population. Obesity prevalence was 21.1%, severe obesity was 7.0%, and overweight prevalence was 15.1% in August 2021 through August 2023.

Adult Obesity Rates by State in 2025

According to CDC’s 2025 BRFSS maps, the obesity statistics by state in this review come from the 2025 BRFSS map, the newest state-level source included here. It covers adults age 18 and older and calculates BMI from self-reported height and weight. The confidence intervals show sampling uncertainty around each estimate.

According to CDC’s 2025 BRFSS maps, every available state or territory estimate was at least 25%, except the District of Columbia at 24.2%. No state or territory with sufficient data reached 40%. The Midwest had the highest regional estimate at 35.5%, followed by the South at 34.8%, the West at 30.7%, and the Northeast at 29.6%.

According to CDC’s 2025 BRFSS maps, CDC grouped the available state estimates into three bands. Seven states were between 25% and less than 30%, 19 were between 30% and less than 35%, and 21 states were between 35% and less than 40%. Guam and Puerto Rico fell in the 35% to less than 40% band.

Those bands are more useful than a rigid ranking. The estimate for each place comes with a confidence interval, and many intervals overlap. Readers should focus on the broad pattern and the stated uncertainty instead of treating a small gap as a decisive difference between two states.

States With the Highest and Lowest Available Rates

According to CDC’s 2025 BRFSS maps, alabama had the highest available state estimate at 39.7%, followed by North Dakota at 39.1%, Kentucky at 38.8%, and Oklahoma at 38.1%. Colorado had the lowest available state estimate at 25.7%, followed by Hawaii at 26.4%, Massachusetts and New Jersey at 27.0%, and New York at 28.5%.

According to CDC’s 2025 BRFSS maps, california, Mississippi, and Nevada had insufficient data for an overall 2025 state estimate. Their cells remain unfilled. A missing estimate does not mean the prevalence was zero.

Full State Table

According to CDC’s 2025 BRFSS maps, the table includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Every figure comes from the 2025 BRFSS map and reflects self-reported height and weight.

According to CDC’s 2025 BRFSS maps, the state table leaves out U.S. territories so the comparison stays focused on the 50 states and the District of Columbia. CDC reported Guam at 39.6% with a 95% confidence interval of 31.0% to 48.9%, and Puerto Rico at 35.9% with an interval of 33.3% to 38.7%. The U.S. Virgin Islands had insufficient overall data.

The wider interval around Guam's estimate signals more sampling uncertainty than a narrow interval would. That does not make the estimate unusable. It means readers should keep the interval visible and avoid treating the point estimate as exact. The same principle applies to every state row below.

Obesity Rates by Age

According to NCHS Data Brief 508 and NCHS Health E-Stat 112, measured August 2021 through August 2023 NHANES data show the highest adult obesity prevalence among ages 40 through 59 at 46.4%. Among youth, the highest estimate was 22.9% for ages 12 through 19. Adult estimates use a BMI cutoff of 30.0 or higher. Youth estimates use age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles.

Adult Obesity by Age

According to NCHS Data Brief 508, among adults age 20 and older, measured obesity prevalence was lowest among ages 20 through 39 at 35.5%. It was 46.4% among ages 40 through 59 and 38.9% among adults age 60 and older.

According to NCHS Data Brief 508, severe obesity followed a different pattern. The measured prevalence was 9.5% among ages 20 through 39, 12.0% among ages 40 through 59, and 6.6% among adults age 60 and older.

Child and Adolescent Obesity by Age

According to NCHS Health E-Stat 112, current childhood obesity statistics show measured prevalence of 14.9% among ages 2 through 5. It rose to 22.1% for ages 6 through 11 and 22.9% for ages 12 through 19.

According to NCHS Health E-Stat 112, the source estimated obesity prevalence at 23.0% among boys and 19.1% among girls. These are national survey estimates based on a sample, not a count of every child in the country.

Obesity and Physical Activity

The 2024 National Health Interview Survey shows how aerobic activity guideline attainment varies across BMI categories. This measures activity within each BMI group, not obesity prevalence within each activity group. NCHS Data Brief 555 keeps those populations and denominators distinct.

2024 NHIS Activity Attainment by BMI Category

According to NCHS Data Brief 555, in 2024, 47.2% of U.S. adults age 18 and older met federal aerobic activity guidelines during leisure time. The guidelines call for at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent mix each week.

According to NCHS Data Brief 555, the share meeting the guideline was 54.8% among adults in the healthy-weight category, 49.8% among adults in the overweight category, 44.3% among adults in the underweight category, and 38.0% among adults with obesity. BMI and activity were both self-reported in household interviews.

According to NCHS Data Brief 555, age was related to activity attainment in the same survey. The share meeting the guideline was 54.0% among ages 18 through 34, 49.8% among ages 35 through 49, 44.6% among ages 50 through 64, and 38.4% among adults age 65 and older.

How U.S. Obesity Rates Have Changed

According to NCHS Health E-Stat 111, long-term NHANES data provide obesity and severe obesity statistics across measured survey cycles. The age-adjusted prevalence of adult obesity rose from 30.5% in 1999 through 2000 to 40.3% in August 2021 through August 2023. Severe obesity rose from 4.7% to 9.7% over the same span.

According to NCHS Health E-Stat 111, the path was not a straight line. Adult obesity reached 42.4% in 2017 through 2018, then measured 40.3% in the latest cycle. The latest value should not be described as proof of a sustained decline.

According to NCHS Health E-Stat 112, measured youth obesity rose over the longer period. Among ages 2 through 19, prevalence increased from 13.9% in 1999 through 2000 to 21.1% in August 2021 through August 2023. Severe obesity increased from 3.6% to 7.0%.

What These Statistics Can and Cannot Tell Us

These surveys are designed to estimate population patterns. They can show differences across states, ages, BMI categories, and activity groups. They cannot diagnose an individual or explain a person's body size from one factor.

State rankings need extra care. Confidence intervals overlap for many states, and BRFSS data are self-reported. A one-point difference does not automatically mean one state's true prevalence is higher. Survey design, response patterns, and population composition can affect the estimate. CDC’s 2025 BRFSS maps provide the confidence intervals.

According to CDC’s physical activity guidance, the activity findings are observational. They support an association between activity and BMI category, but they do not establish cause and effect. Physical activity can support strength, sleep, and daily function across body sizes. It should not be framed as a guaranteed route to weight change.

Building a Supportive Movement Routine

Population statistics are context, not a verdict. If you want to move more, start with a form of activity that feels realistic for your current ability, access, and schedule. Choose a repeatable routine instead of one so demanding that it is hard to sustain.

TRX offers guides to functional fitness exercises, beginner core exercises, and beginner HIIT workouts. Use each guide as a starting point, then adjust exercises to your current ability.

For equipment, explore TRX® Suspension Trainers™ or broader training equipment based on the space and movement options you prefer.

TRX maintains a research library for training-specific studies. That library is separate from the population surveillance sources used on this page and is not evidence that TRX products prevent, treat, or cure obesity or guarantee weight loss.

Talk with a qualified healthcare professional before changing your activity routine if you have pain, symptoms, an injury, a medical condition, or questions about what is appropriate for you.