Obesity Statistics 2026

During August 2021–August 2023, the prevalence of obesity in adults was 40.3%, with no significant differences between men and women.

The prevalence of severe obesity in adults was 9.4% and was higher in women than men for each age group.

The prevalence of obesity in adults ages 40–59 was 46.4%, which was higher than the prevalence in adults ages 20–39 (35.5%) and 60 and older (38.9%).

From 2013–2014 through August 2021–August 2023, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity did not change significantly, while severe obesity prevalence increased from 7.7% to 9.7%.

After peaking at a record high of 39.9% in 2022, the U.S. adult obesity rate has gradually declined to 37.0% in 2025.

This is a statistically meaningful decrease representing an estimated 7.6 million fewer obese adults compared with three years ago.

The rate among men has dropped 2.3 percentage points to 35.2% in 2025, while women's rate has dropped 3.5 points to 38.8%.

New data found that 21 states had adult obesity rates at or above 35 percent in 2025 —compared to 19 states in 2024 and 23 states in 2023.

Differences in the adult obesity rates between states remain considerable, with a low of 25.7 percent in Colorado and 26.4 percent in Hawaii — as well as 24.2 percent in the District of Columbia — to a high of 39.7 percent in Alabama, 39.1 percent in North Dakota, and 38.8 percent in Kentucky.

Differences in the adult obesity rates between states remain considerable, with a low of 25.7 percent in Colorado and 26.4 percent in Hawaii — as well as 24.2 percent in the District of Columbia — to a high of 39.7 percent in Alabama, 39.1 percent in North Dakota, and 38.8 percent in Kentucky.

West Virginia went from 41.4 percent in 2024 to 37.4 percent in 2025.

Louisiana went from 39.2 percent in 2024 to 35.6 percent in 2025.

Obesity affects some groups more than others Race and Ethnicity In 2017–March 2020, non-Hispanic Black adults had the highest obesity prevalence (49.9%) followed by Hispanic (45.6%), non-Hispanic White (41.4%), and non-Hispanic Asian (16.1%) adults.

In August 2021–August 2023, an estimated 21.1% of U.S. children and adolescents ages 2–19 years had obesity, including 7.0% with severe obesity and another 15.1% who were overweight.

In August 2021–August 2023, an estimated 21.1% of U.S. children and adolescents ages 2–19 years had obesity, including 7.0% with severe obesity and another 15.1% who were overweight.

Obesity surpassed underweight as the more prevalent form of malnutrition this year, affecting 1 in 10 – or 188 million – school-aged children and adolescents, and placing them at risk of life-threatening disease, UNICEF warned in a new report today.

Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children draws on data from over 190 countries and finds the prevalence of underweight among children aged 5-19 has declined since 2000, from nearly 13 per cent to 9.2 per cent, while obesity rates have increased from 3 per cent to 9.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, many high-income countries continue to have high levels of obesity, for example 27 per cent of 5 to 19-year-olds in Chile are living with obesity, 21 per cent in the United States, and 21 per cent in the United Arab Emirates.

According to the findings, several Pacific Island countries have the highest prevalence of obesity globally, including 38 per cent of 5 to 19-year-olds in Niue, 37 per cent in Cook Islands, and 33 per cent in Nauru.

It is estimated that approximately 177 million children and adolescents 5-19 years were living with obesity in 2025, rising to 228 million by 2040.

In 2025, an estimated 419 million children and adolescents 5-19 years were living with overweight and obesity.

This Atlas estimates that in 14 countries more than 25% of children and adolescents 5-19 years lived with obesity in 2025.

In 2024, 400 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years were overweight, including 170 million who were living with obesity.

In 2024, 35 million children under the age of 5 were overweight.

In 2024, 45% of adults 18 years and over (2.6 billion) were overweight.

Of these, 940 million were living with obesity (16% of all adults).

Prevalence of overweight varied by region, from 32% in the WHO South-East Asia Region and the African Region to 68% in the Region of the Americas.

The World Obesity Federation’s 2025 Atlas, published on World Obesity Day, (4 March), projects that the total number of adults living with obesity will increase by more than 115% between 2010 and 2030, from 524 million to 1.13 billion.

Massive global failures in the response to the growing obesity crisis over the past three decades contributed to a startling increase in the number of adults (aged 25 and older) and children and adolescents (aged 5-24 years) with overweight and obesity worldwide, rising from 731 million and 198 million respectively in 1990, to 2.11 billion and 493 million in 2021.

Without urgent policy reform and action, around 60% of adults (3.8 billion) and a third (31%) of all children and adolescents (746 million) are forecast to be living with either overweight or obesity by 2050.

This change was driven by the increase in the proportion of adults categorised as obese, which increased from 27.5% to 31.7% over the same period.

Obesity accounts for nearly $173 billion in medical expenditures in 2019 dollars.

In 2019 dollars, annual medical costs for adults with obesity were $1,861 higher per person than adults with healthy weight.

For example, 58% of U.S. adults with obesity have high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease.

Also, approximately 23% of U.S. adults with obesity have diabetes.

Meanwhile, diagnoses of diabetes — a lifetime disease that can be managed but not cured — have now reached an all-time high of 13.8%.

If nothing is done, the global costs of overweight and obesity are predicted to reach US$ 3 trillion per year by 2030 and more than US$ 18 trillion by 2060 (4) .

In 2025, there was estimated to be 98 million additional cases of MASLD, 47 million additional cases of high triglycerides, 14 million additional cases of hyperglycaemia and 34 million additional cases of hypertension due to high BMI in children 5-19 years.

The percentage of adults who report taking this class of medicine specifically for weight loss has increased to 12.4%, compared with 5.8% in February 2024 when Gallup first measured it.

Usage among women (15.2%) continues to outpace men (9.7%), but both groups have more than doubled their use in the past year.

Overall, nearly one in five (18%) adults now say they have ever used GLP-1 agonist drugs either to lose weight or treat a chronic condition, including 12% who say they are currently using them (an increase of 6 percentage points from May 2024).

Across age groups, current GLP-1 use is highest among those who are between the ages of 50 and 64 (22%), with smaller shares of those ages 18-29 (4%), 30-49 (11%), or over age 65 (9%) saying they are currently using these drugs.

Just over half (56%) of GLP-1 users – including 55% of those with health insurance – say it was difficult to afford these drugs, including one in four who say it was “very difficult.”

About one in seven adults who have ever used GLP-1 medications say they are no longer using these drugs because of the cost (14%), similar to the share who report no longer taking the medications because of side effects (13%).

Most adults who have taken GLP-1 drugs say they got them from their primary care doctor or specialist (76%), while about one in six (17%) say they got them from an online provider or website, and one in ten (9%) report getting them from a medical spa or aesthetic medical center.

Sales within Obesity and Diabetes care increased by 7% in Danish kroner to DKK 289.5 billion (10% at CER), mainly driven by Obesity care growth of 26% in Danish kroner (31% at CER) and GLP-1 diabetes sales growing 2% in Danish kroner (6% at CER).

Wegovy ® pill was launched on 5 January 2026, and as of 23 January, total weekly prescriptions amounted to around 50,000.

Revenue in Q3 2026 increased 39% to $24.4 billion driven primarily by Mounjaro and Zepbound.

For Q3 2026, worldwide Mounjaro revenue increased 65% to $10.7 billion.

For Q3 2026, U.S. Zepbound revenue increased 48% to $5.3 billion, primarily driven by strong demand, partially offset by lower realized prices.

The number of metabolic and bariatric surgery procedures in the United States dropped below 200,000 in 2024 for the first time since 2020, a more than 20% decline from the prior year, according to new

In contrast, GLP-1 use increased from 0.03% to 5.3% in the span of seven years.

According to ASMBS, less than 1% of people eligible for metabolic and bariatric surgery currently get it in any given year.