January 29, 2026 – More than 107 million adults in the US were living with obesity in 2022, an increase of roughly 72 million adults since 1990. By 2035, that number is projected to reach 126 million people—almost half (47%) of American adults. New research published in JAMA used Global Burden of Disease study forecasting methods and nationally representative health surveys to understand how obesity has changed in the US.
Women—especially non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women—face the highest burdens. In 2022, the highest burden levels were seen among non-Hispanic Black women (56.9%) and Hispanic women (49.4%). Among men, the highest levels were in non-Hispanic Black men (40.4%) and Hispanic men (42.6%).
Key findings:
- State-level variation is wide and it’s growing. By 2035, many Midwestern and Southern states are expected to continue experiencing the steepest increases.
- Young women (especially those aged 30 to 34) are seeing the steepest rises in obesity.
- Disparities by state remain pronounced. In both 1990 and 2022, gaps in obesity levels between racial and ethnic groups within the same state were larger for women than men.
READ THE RESEARCH: https://www.healthdata.org/research-analysis/library/us-state-level-prevalence-adult-obesity-race-and-ethnicity-1990-2022-and