Obesity rates among adults in the United States have recently stopped climbing, data from the CDC shows, illustrating a significant shift from the almost entirely consistent pattern of growing rates over the last 20 years.
In 2023, just over 40% of adults were considered obese, based on the data collected, which still demonstrates a pretty substantial ratio for associated health risks of obesity. However, this is still a decline from the country’s recorded peak of almost 45% of adults being obese in 2018, which has consistently decreased, according to the data.
While the shift appears to be too small to draw widespread conclusions about weight loss and obesity, it may be a reflection of the growing use of drugs such as Ozempic, which is designed for people with weight issues or diabetes, but has been widely commodified for its relatively fast weight loss effects among people without clinical reasons for using it.
Despite the effectiveness of new weight loss drugs, their success in lowering obesity rates across the country will be contingent on who actually has access to them, as these drugs have been consistently inaccessible due to their popularity and smaller supply. These conditions also create prohibitive prices for many insurers, businesses, and government payers.
The data also shows that severe obesity rates are still rising, reaching a rate of nearly 10% of U.S. adults, according to recent CDC data.
These numbers indicate that more likely still needs to be done to tackle these multi-faceted and expansive health issues in the country.
