The 2025 State of Obesity report, released by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), tracks U.S. obesity rates by state, age, race, and gender, offering policy recommendations to address the nation’s obesity crisis. Analyzing 2024 data, the report revealed a first-time decline in the number of states with adult obesity rates at or above 35 percent. Nineteen states now meet this threshold, down from 23 states the previous year.
Despite this modest progress, experts warn that gains are fragile and may be reversed due to recent federal budget cuts, reductions in public health staffing, and the elimination of programs supporting chronic disease prevention and nutrition access.
National Obesity Trends Remain Alarming
Data analyzed by TFAH from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the 2021–2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicate that the overall obesity rate in the U.S. remains critically high, with 4 in 10 adults affected. While growth in adult obesity has slowed in some states, the national prevalence continues to pose significant health challenges.
The report notes that Black and Latino adults experience disproportionately high obesity rates, at 49.9 percent and 45.6 percent respectively, while rural populations also face elevated rates compared to urban residents. Socioeconomic factors, including education and household income, are strongly linked to obesity, reflecting the role of affordability and access to healthy foods.
Geographic and Demographic Disparities
West Virginia (41.4%), Mississippi (40.4%), and Louisiana (39.2%) recorded the highest adult obesity rates in 2024, while Colorado (25.0%), Hawaii (27.0%), and Massachusetts (27.0%) alongside Washington, D.C. (25.5%) reported the lowest. Among children and adolescents aged 2 to 19, obesity affects more than 21 percent nationally, with rates tripling since the mid-1970s. Black and Latino youth are disproportionately affected compared to their white and Asian peers.
Health and Economic Implications
Obesity contributes to a wide range of chronic physical and mental health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and increased mortality. Beyond health, obesity drives higher healthcare costs and reduced workforce productivity. Experts emphasize that structural and community-level factors—such as food access, safe physical activity spaces, education, employment, and financial security—shape daily lifestyle choices and weight outcomes.
Policy Recommendations to Combat Obesity
The report urges the federal government, states, and local authorities to adopt a series of measures to combat obesity, including:
Maintaining and strengthening the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Reversing cuts to nutrition support programs like SNAP and WIC, while improving the nutritional quality of available foods.
Implementing front-of-package nutrition labeling through the FDA.
Ensuring healthcare access for obesity prevention and treatment, including Medicaid and marketplace support.
Expanding opportunities for physical activity and active transportation in communities.
Targeting obesity prevention programs to high-risk populations and addressing upstream determinants of health disparities.
Regulating industry marketing and pricing strategies to limit unhealthy food promotion to children.
The report also highlights emerging research on ultra-processed foods and their contribution to the obesity epidemic, underlining the need for evidence-based interventions and comprehensive national strategies.
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