In the last decade, age-adjusted prevalence of severe obesity increased from 7.7% to 9.7%.

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Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey provided new estimates of adult obesity and severe obesity.

Recently, the CDC published data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, providing prevalence estimates of adult obesity and severe obesity from August 2021 to August 2023 by age and sex. The report also detailed obesity prevalence by education level, with trends in the prevalence of adult obesity and severe obesity from the previous 10 years included.

Over this time period, the prevalence of obesity among adults was 40.3%, with 39.2% prevalence in men and 41.3% prevalence in women. Meanwhile, the prevalence of obesity in adults ages 40 to 59 was 46.4%, higher than the prevalence in adults ages 20 to 39, which was 35.5%. Adults 60 and older had an obesity prevalence of 38.9%.

The prevalence of obesity was lower in adults with a bachelor’s degree or more, ranked at 31.6%, compared to adults with less education. However, the difference in obesity prevalence between adults with a high school diploma or less and those with some college education was not significant.

The data also showed that the prevalence of severe obesity in adults was 9.4% during August 2021 to August 2023 but was higher in adults ages 20 to 39 at 9.5% and adults ages 40 to 59 at 12%. The lowest prevalence was in adults age 60 and older, marked at 6.6%.

Additionally, obesity prevalence in men was lower than in women, with men at 6.7% and women at 12.1%. Among the men studied, the prevalence was highest in those ages 40 to 69, while the prevalence was higher in women ages 20 to 39 and 40 to 59.

In terms of age, from 2013 to 2014 through August 2021 through August 2023, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in adults did not change drastically, but the age-adjusted prevalence of severe obesity increased from 7.7% to 9.7%.

In the U.S., the prevalence of obesity in adults remains above the Healthy People 2030 goal of 36%, but from 2013 to 2014 through August 2021 to August 2023, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in adults also did not change significantly.