1

 www http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr

 www http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns

 www http://www.cdc.gov/obesity

Persons who are obese have 

medical costs that are $1,429 

$

higher than those of normal 

weight.

Zero

No state has an obesity rate less 

than 15%, the national goal.

Adult Obesity 72M+ Obesity Rises Among Adults More than 72 million U.S. adults 

are obese.

1,429

Obesity is common, serious, and costly. In 2009, 

about 2.4 million more adults were obese than 

in 2007. This epidemic has affected every part 

of the United States. In every state, more than 

15% of adults are obese, and in nine states, over 

30% of adults are obese. The medical care costs 

of obesity in the United States are staggering. 

Recent estimates of the annual medical costs are 

as high as $147 billion . More efforts are needed, 

and new federal initiatives are helping to change 

our communities into places that strongly support healthy eating and active living. 

Want to learn more? Visit—

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 

Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity

August 2010
Problem

2

Obesity

Obesity is a national epidemic, 

causing higher medical costs 

and a lower quality of life.

1. Obesity is a national epidemic, causing higher medical costs and a lower 

quality of life.

◊ Obesity means having excess body fat. Obesity 

is defined by body mass index, or BMI, which 

is calculated from your height and weight. 

◊ BMI greater than or equal to 30 means you 

are obese. 

◊ Non-Hispanic black women and Hispanics 

have the highest rates of obesity (41.9% and 

30.7%).

◊ Obesity is a contributing cause of many other 

health problems, including heart disease, 

stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer. 

These are some of the leading causes of death 

in the U.S. Obesity can cause sleep apnea and 

breathing problems and make activity more 

difficult. Obesity can also cause problems 

during pregnancy or make it more difficult 

for a woman to become pregnant. 

◊ Obese persons require more costly medical 

care. This places a huge financial burden 

on our medical care system.

2. Why is this epidemic happening?

◊ Weight gain occurs when people eat too 

much food and get too little physical activity.

◊ Societal and community changes have accompanied the rise in obesity.

◊ People eat differently:

● Some Americans have less access 

to stores and markets that provide 

healthy, affordable food such as fruits 

and vegetables, especially in rural, 

minority and lower-income neighborhoods. Restaurants, snack shops, and 

vending machines provide food that 

is often higher in calories and fat than 

food made at home.

● There is too much sugar in our diet. Six 

out of 10 adults drink at least 1 sugary 

drink per day.

● It is often easier and cheaper to get less 

healthy foods and beverages.

● Foods high in sugar, fat, and salt are 

frequently advertised and marketed.

◊ Many communities are built in ways that 

make it difficult or unsafe to be physically 

active:

● Access to parks and recreation centers 

may be difficult or lacking and public 

transportation may not available.

● Safe routes for walking or biking to 

school, work, or play may not exist.

● Too few students get quality, daily 

physical education in school.
Sleep apnea

Medical Complications of Obesity 

Lung disease

Liver disease

Gallstones

Women 

Arthritis

Gout

Stroke

Pancreatitis

Inflamed veins,

often with blood clots

Asthma

Pulmonary blood clots

Fatty liver

Cirrhosis

Heart disease

Abnormal lipid profile

High blood pressure

Cancer

Breast

Uterus

Colon

Esophagus

Pancreas

Kidney

Prostate

Abnormal periods

Infertility

Diabetes

3

153

159

164

169

175

180

186

191

197

203

209

215

221

227

234

240

246

5'0"

5'1"

5'2"

5'3"

5'4"

5'5"

5'6"

5'7"

5'8"

5'9"

5'10"

5'11"

6'0"

6'1"

6'2"

6'3"

6'4"

If you are this tall:

You are obese

if you weigh more than.. (lbs)

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

California Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Georgia

Illinois Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

New

Hampshire

New York

North Carolina

North

Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South

Carolina

South

Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West

Virginia

Wisconsin Idaho

Montana

Nevada

New Mexico

Wyoming

Hawaii

Alaska

Prevalence of obesity among adults —

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System,

United States, 2009

Less than 

20%

20%–29.9% Greater than or 

Equal to 30%

Washington DC

U.S. State Info

Medical Complications of Obesity Obesity Table

SOURCE: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Table Calculate Your Body Mass Index Web Site.http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.htm

The number of people who are 

obese varies from state to state. 

For example, 18.6% of Colorado 

residents are obese, compared 

with 34.4% of Mississippi residents. In 2009, 9 states had 

obesity rates of 30% or more 

compared with no states in 2000. 

SOURCE:

Adapted from Yale University 

Rudd Center for Food Policy 

and Obesity
4

 www http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr

For more information, please contact 

Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

TTY: 1-888-232-6348

E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Web: www.cdc.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333

Publication date: 08/03/2010

*Communities Putting Prevention to Work is a new program 

included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 

2009. It also addresses decreasing tobacco use. See http://

www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/recovery/community.htm

What Can Be Done

Obesity is a complex problem that requires action at many levels, 

for both adults as well as children. 

The U.S. Government can

◊ Promote change

● First Lady Michelle Obama recently launched 

the Let’s Move! program which seeks to eliminate childhood obesity within a generation. 

The campaign’s main points of action are:

• Empowering parents and caregivers.

• Providing healthy food in schools.

• Improving access to healthy, affordable 

foods.

• Increasing physical activity.

 See http://www.letsmove.gov/

◊ Recommend actions

● In May 2010, The Childhood Obesity Task 

Force, appointed by President Obama, released 70 recommended actions to prevent and 

control childhood obesity.

See http://www.letsmove.gov/obesitytaskforce.php

● A new CDC program, Communities Putting 

Prevention to Work,* is designed to improve 

nutrition and physical activity and prevent 

and control obesity by changing policies and 

environments. CDC recently provided $139 

million to 50 states and $373 million to 30 

communities and tribes to fund programs to 

reverse the obesity epidemic.

States can

◊ Provide supermarkets and farmers’ markets 

with incentives to establish their businesses in 

low-income areas and to offer healthy foods. 

◊ Expand programs that bring local fruits and vegetables to schools, businesses, and communities. 

◊ Support hospital programs that encourage 

breastfeeding.

◊ Adopt policies that promote bicycling and public transportation.

Communities can

◊ Create and maintain safe neighborhoods for 

physical activity and improve access to parks and 

playgrounds.

◊ Advocate for quality physical education in 

schools and childcare facilities.

◊ Encourage breastfeeding through peer-to- peer 

support programs.

◊ Support programs that bring local fruits and vegetables to schools, businesses, and communities.

All people can

◊ Eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer 

foods high in fat and sugar. 

See http://www.mypyramid.gov/

◊ Drink more water instead of sugary drinks.

◊ Limit TV watching in kids to less than 2 hours 

a day and don’t put one in their room at all.

◊ Support breastfeeding.

◊ Promote policies and programs at school, at 

work, and in the community that make the 

healthy choice the easy choice.

◊ Try going for a 10-minute brisk walk, 3 times 

a day, 5 days a week.

See http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html.