For the first time in more than a decade, the number of US states with obesity rates of 35% or more has declined, an encouraging sign that the overweight epidemic in the United States may be improving.
But reducing the number of federal employees and reducing programs dedicated to combating chronic diseases may threaten this progress, according to a new report issued Thursday.
According to an analysis of the latest data collected by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity rates in 19 states reached 35% or more in 2024, a decrease from 23 states the previous year.
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was analyzed by the non-profit organization Trust for America’s Health.
The group’s analysis follows a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year that concluded that the overall rate of obesity in the United States is high but stable, affecting about 40% of the population.
Although the decline is positive, “it is too early to describe it as continuing,” according to Dr. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO of Trust for Americas Health.
With recent cuts in federal funding, layoffs, and program cancellations, “this potential progress is also at risk,” Gracia said.
A spokesman for the US Department of Health and Human Services said – in an email – that the administration is “optimistic about the new data that shows progress in the fight against obesity.”