10 states with the lowest obesity rates in 2025

The recently released State of Obesity 2025: Better Policies for a Healthier America report from Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) shows small but measurable progress in the nation’s obesity trends.

Drawing on 2024 findings from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC’s) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), TFAH reports that 19 states had adult obesity rates at or above 35%, down from 23 states the prior year. It is the first recorded decrease in the number of states above that threshold since the dataset was created.

Still, the organization cautions that “this progress is limited and at risk” due in part to recent federal actions to reduce or eliminate funding for key public health and nutrition programs.

The proposed cuts would affect the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, which supports state and local initiatives to prevent obesity, diabetes and related conditions.

“Structural barriers to healthy eating and physical activity need continued policy attention and investment,” said J. Nadine Gracia, M.D., MSCE, President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health. “It is vital that government and other sectors invest in – not cut – proven programs that support good nutrition and physical activity and ensure they reach all communities.”

About 4 in 10 U.S. adults now have obesity. According to 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data cited in the report, Black Americans had the highest rate of obesity (49.9%), followed by Hispanic (45.6%), White (41.4%) and Asian (16.1%) adults.

People in rural communities and those with lower income or education levels are more likely to have obesity, reflecting structural and economic barriers to healthy food and safe places for physical activity.

Childhood obesity rates remain concerning: just over 21% of children and adolescents aged 2–19 have obesity, according to the 2021–2023 NHANES. Rates have more than tripled since the mid-1970s, with Black and Latino youth disproportionately affected.

TFAH’s policy recommendations include:

• Retaining and strengthening the CDC’s chronic-disease-prevention programs.
• Reversing proposed cuts to nutrition-assistance programs such as SNAP and WIC, while improving the nutritional quality of available foods.
• Implementing front-of-package nutrition labels to help consumers make healthier choices.
• Preserving access to care for obesity prevention and treatment by maintaining Medicaid and marketplace subsidies.
• Addressing structural drivers of disparities, including affordability of healthy foods and access to safe spaces for exercise.

The report also highlights growing concern about ultra-processed foods and their role in obesity, calling for more research and policy attention to labeling, marketing and availability.

While the number of states with the highest obesity levels has declined for the first time, TFAH warns that the improvement could be temporary without sustained investment in prevention, health equity and community resources.

Note: The BRFSS report notes a lack of data for Tennessee, so it is excluded from these rankings.