Find the latest data and trends on childhood obesity and adult obesity from major surveys that track rates at the national and state level, including the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the National Survey of Children’s Health, the WIC Participant and Program Characteristics, and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
DATA Interactive
National Obesity Monitor
Explore the latest national obesity rates and trends over time for children and adults, including by age group, sex, race and ethnicity. This interactive features data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which is conducted every two years.
Childhood Obesity Data by Age Group
Youth Ages 10 to 17
Updated: October 2020
The 2018-19 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) found obesity rates for youth ages 10 to 17 ranged from a low of 9.6% in Utah to a high of 23.8% in Kentucky.
WIC Preschoolers
UPDATED: November 2019
The national obesity rate among 2- to 4-year-olds enrolled in WIC declined from 15.9% in 2010 to 13.9% in 2016. Obesity rates dropped in 41 states and territories during this time period.
High Schoolers
UPDATED: September 2020
The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) shows that 15.5% of U.S. high school students had obesity. An additional 16.1% of high schoolers were overweight.
State-by-State Reach of Child Nutrition Policies
Several federal policies aim to make healthy foods accessible and affordable to children and adults nationwide, and states play a big role in how these policies are implemented. Visit this new interactive to explore state-by-state data about child food insecurity, and how federal nutrition programs can support better child nutrition. Access data by state or by policy.
Updated: September 2020
High Schooler Nutrition Habits
In recent years, there has been a decline in daily soda consumption among high school students, according to the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System released by the CDC. The most recent data reveal that among U.S. high school students, 15.1% drank soda at least once a day in 2019, down from 20.4% in 2015 and 27% in 2013.
Updated September 2020
High Schooler Physical Activity Habits
High school students are watching less television and spending more recreational time on computers. The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System report released by the CDC finds that 23.2%, were physically active for at least 60 minutes on a daily basis. The percentage of students meeting recommendations for physical activity declined significantly from 2011 to 2019.
Fast Facts
41
Forty one states and territories reported a significant drop in obesity among 2- to 4-year-old WIC participants from 2010 to 2016.
4x
Since 1980, obesity rates
among teens ages 12 to 19 quadrupled,
from 5% to 20.6%
$14B
In the U.S., childhood obesity alone is estimated to cost $14 billion annually in direct health expenses.
Adult Obesity in the United States
Adult obesity rates now exceed 35% in 12 states, 30% in 35 states and 25% in 48 states. Mississippi has the highest adult obesity rate at 40.8%, and Colorado and DC have the lowest at 23.8%. Between 2018 and 2019, the adult obesity rate increased in Michigan and Pennsylvania, decreased in Florida, and remained stable in the rest of states and D.C.
Related Adult Data
Diabetes
UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 2020
West Virginia has the highest rate of adult diabetes, 15.7%. Diabetes rates lowered significantly in three states between 2018 and 2019.
Physical Inactivity
UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 2020
Mississippi has the highest rate of physical inactivity among adults, 37.7%. The percentage of adults who are physically inactive significantly increased in 23 states from 2018-2019.
Hypertension
UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 2020
Nine of the 10 states with the highest rates of hypertension are in the South. West Virginia has the highest rate at 43.8%.