MONDAY, March 2, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of obesity and severe obesity markedly increased among adults and children in the United States from the 1970s and 1980s until now, according to two reports published in the February Health E-Stats, a publication of the National Center for Health Statistics.
Cheryl D. Fryar, M.S.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues present historical trends in overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among adults using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The researchers found that the age-adjusted prevalence of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older with obesity was 40.3 percent in August 2021 to August 2023, including 9.7 percent with severe obesity; the prevalence of overweight was 31.7 percent. For those aged 20 years and older, the prevalence of obesity increased from 22.9 to 40.3 percent from 1988-1994 to August 2021-August 2023, while the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 2.8 to 9.7 percent.
Adi Noiman, Ph.D., also from the National Center for Health Statistics, and colleagues present corresponding historical trends in overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among children and adolescents. The researchers note that an estimated 21.1 percent of U.S. children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years had obesity in August 2021 to August 2023, including 7.0 percent with severe obesity; 15.1 percent had overweight. From 1971-1974 to August 2021-August 2023, the prevalence of obesity increased from 5.2 to 21.1 percent, and the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 1.0 to 7.0 percent; increases were seen in children aged 2 to 5, 6 to 11, and 12 to 19 years.