The CDC recently released a report detailing 2023 statistics regarding adult obesity within the 50 US states.
According to 2023 CDC data, in nearly half of all US states, obesity is prevalent in over 35% of all adults in each respective population. Indeed, over 1 in 3 adults in 23 US states, along with Puerto Rico and Guam, are considered obese. The 23 states included Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
“This new data highlight the need for obesity prevention and treatment options, which start with building healthier communities where people of all ages have safe places for physical activity, and where health care and healthy food options are accessible and affordable for all,” said Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, director of CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.1 “Obesity prevention at young ages is critical, because we know that children with obesity often become adults with obesity. This is one of the reasons why we prioritize state and community investments in effective child care and family healthy weight programs.”
Incorporate these strategies into your pharmacy practice to improve patient outcomes.
Although the report focused on adult obesity statistics, CDC representatives were sure to mention the long-term impact of childhood obesity and how it affects adolescents as they begin to enter adulthood. While managing obesity in adolescence is quite different than doing so in adulthood, it’s a much more important time to focus on the issue and its ability to cause comorbidities later in life.
However, regarding the main focus of the CDC’s report on nationwide obesity, researchers detailed recent adult obesity data and offered their advice on what states and individuals can do to combat the growing issue within the US. They also provided a breakdown of how obesity in the US affects specific patient populations.
According to World Health Organization data, in 2022, 43% of all adults were considered obese. | image credit: Nuchylee / stock.adobe.com
“Obesity impacts some groups more than others. There are notable differences by race and ethnicity,” they continued.1
The CDC stratified its data by 5 separate races, with all but 1 facing an unhealthy prevalence of obesity among at least 35% of each population in the country. There were 38 states where obesity was prevalent among at least 35% of the Black adult population, 34 states among the Hispanic adult population, 30 states among the American Indian or Alaska Native adult population, and 16 states among the White adult population.
In the Asian adult population across the US, however, obesity was not significantly prevalent, or above 35% of the population, in any of the states included in the CDC’s data.
“This new data highlight the need for obesity prevention and treatment options, which start with building healthier communities where people of all ages have safe places for physical activity, and where health care and healthy food options are accessible and affordable for all,” said Hacker.1
Hacker continued by discussing the importance of managing obesity at a young age, highlighting that specific populations need specialized care to manage their obesity amidst various social and cultural factors.
Indeed, obesity is increasingly affecting both younger and older populations, with it more than doubling for adults from 1990 until now and quadrupling for children 5 to 19 years old. Furthermore, according to World Health Organization data, in 2022, 43% of all adults worldwide were considered obese.2
However, amidst September’s focus on Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in the US, health care experts are shining a spotlight on adolescents who are overweight and how they can work with their families to manage weight-loss into adulthood.
“The rise in childhood obesity has a significant impact on the likelihood of developing severe obesity in adulthood. This, in turn, increases the chances of experiencing chronic diseases and disabilities later in life,” wrote authors of a study published in Cureus.3
Health organizations and health care industry experts nationwide are doing what they can to assist children and their families looking to make a change in their health. However, when it comes to health care and healthy food access, not all communities are able to reap the same benefits. Ultimately, before the country—or even the world—sees a significant decrease in obesity rates, it will have to implore organizations and governments to assist in increasing access to better resources for obesity management.
“CDC partners with communities, states, and tribes to help improve health and reduce obesity among populations with the highest risk, or burden, of chronic diseases across the country. CDC invests in programs like SPAN, HOP, and REACH to help increase access to healthy food options, establish safe and accessible places for physical activity, and promote stigma-free obesity prevention and treatment programs,” they concluded.1
READ MORE: Obesity Management Resource Center
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