For the first time in more than a decade, the number of U.S. states with obesity rates of 35% or higher has dropped, offering an encouraging sign that America’s epidemic of excess weight might be improving.

According to a new report released Thursday, 19 states had obesity rates of 35% or more in 2024, down from 23 states the previous year. This analysis was based on the latest data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and was reviewed by the nonprofit group Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).

Last year, the CDC reported that the overall obesity rate in the U.S. remains high but is holding steady, affecting about 40% of the population. While the recent decline is positive, Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO of TFAH, cautions that “it’s too soon to call it a trend.”

Gracia also warned that recent federal funding cuts, staff layoffs, and the elimination of programs addressing chronic disease put this potential progress at risk.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in an email that the administration is “encouraged by the new data showing progress in the fight against obesity.”

“We are restructuring public health programs to eliminate waste, reduce bureaucracy, and redirect resources toward real prevention,” said spokesman Andrew Nixon.

### Data Details

The latest report analyzed data from the CDC’s 2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which collects health behavior and chronic condition information annually through telephone surveys across U.S. states and territories.

Key findings include:
– 19 states reported adult obesity rates of 35% or higher.
– 22 states had rates between 30% and 35%.
– Nine states had obesity rates below 30%.
– The lowest adult obesity rate was in Colorado at 25%.
– The highest was in West Virginia, exceeding 40%.

Between 2023 and 2024, no state experienced statistically significant changes in obesity rates. This contrasts with the previous five years when 18 states saw significant increases.

Before 2013, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%. By 2019, twelve states reached that threshold, and the number continued to climb until this recent decline.

### Understanding Obesity

Obesity in adults is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. BMI is a calculation based on an individual’s height and weight.

Obesity is a chronic disease linked to numerous serious health problems, including diabetes, stroke, cancer, and heart disease.

### Possible Factors Behind the Improvement

It is not yet clear what is driving the apparent improvements in obesity rates. Aviva Musicus, science director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, suggested that wider use of medications such as Wegovy and Zepbound—which target appetite and slow digestion—could be starting to impact reported data.

Musicus also pointed to increased support for nutrition assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic as another possible factor.

The report highlights a broad range of federal, state, and local efforts aimed at improving nutrition and increasing physical activity.

Solveig Cunningham, a global health expert specializing in obesity at Emory University, said the findings suggest some interventions may actually be successful.

“That would suggest that there are possibly ways in which we could prevent obesity at the population level, which would be a really, really big deal,” said Cunningham, who was not involved in the research.

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*The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.*
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