37 Obesity Statistics and Facts to Raise Global Awareness

Obesity is a global health problem, but it is also considered as a political issue, a social burden, a longevity factor, and an element that influences the economy. These obesity statistics will unveil some aspects of it that you’ve never encountered before. 

It’s not about how a person looks, but rather the unhealthy practices that and make one obese and the impact that it can have on the overall well-being. 

The following statistics and facts will inform you and give you insight into the obesity epidemic that affects so many people in America and the world. 

They have been divided into global facts, statistics relevant to the United States, the cost of obesity, obesity in children, and the supplements that can help people who are suffering from obesity. 

The Top 10 Obesity Facts and Statistics

Before we dive into the obesity statistics and facts, let’s check out some top fascinating information:

• The ethnic group with the highest rate of obesity is non-Hispanic blacks, with a prevalence of 49.6%
• 28% of adults in England are obese, 36% overweight 
• 2020 statistics show obese people stood 46% more chances of contracting coronavirus 
• Annually, 4.7 million premature deaths are caused by obesity
• The American state with the lowest rate of obesity is Colorado, with an obesity rate as low as 23%
• The obesity rate in America from 2017–2018 was 42.4%, which is almost half of the total population  
• The cost of medical assistance for obesity as a nation was $147 billion in 2008 
• 9.9% of UK children aged 4 to 5 are obese, 13.1% overweight 
• In the UK, 43% of fathers and 48% of mothers think their obese/overweight children had normal weight
• Obese people often need to take vitamin E

Global Obesity Facts

Although formally prevalent across high-income countries, obesity has grown to become a serious concern even among low-income earners. 

These global obesity stats take you through some interesting figures from around the world.

1. An adult person with a Body Mass Index (MBI) of 30 or more is considered to be obese. 

(CDC)

A person with a BMI of 25–30 is overweight, someone who has a BMI of 18.5–25 is of a healthy weight, and a person with a BMI of less than 18.5 is considered underweight. 

2. The ethnic group with the highest rate of obesity is non-Hispanic blacks, with a prevalence of 49.6%. 

(CDC)

These obesity statistics inform us that after non-Hispanic blacks come Hispanics, with a prevalence of 44.8%. Then are non-Hispanic whites, with a prevalence of 42.2%, followed by non-Hispanic Asians, with a prevalence of 17.4%. 

3. People with a college degree are less likely to be obese than people who have a lower level of education. 

(CDC)

This pattern was relatively the same among all different ethnicities. An exception seems to be non-Hispanic black men, where those with a degree were more likely to be obese. 

For non-Hispanic Asian people and Hispanic males, there didn’t appear to be a difference in obesity levels and education levels. 

4. Obesity facts state that many health risks come with obesity, including strokes and heart disease.    

(OnHealth)

Also on the list of health risks for those who are obese are high blood pressure, cancer, gallbladder issues, diabetes, gout, osteoarthritis, and trouble with breathing (including long-term issues such as sleep apnea). 

5. According to the World Health Organization, 650 million adults were obese in 2016. 

(World Health Organization)

In that same year, over 1.9 billion adults around the world were considered to be overweight. 

6. In 2016, the global rate of obesity was three times what it was in 1975, which is a scary insight into obesity rates in America by year. 

(World Health Organization)

That means that as a species, our obesity rate is increasing drastically over time. We have to look at what circumstances are causing this obesity epidemic around the world. 

7. The main cause of this obesity problem is that people are consuming more calories than they are losing through things like exercise. 

(World Health Organization)

This is due to people consuming more food that has a high percentage of fat and sugars, but they aren’t exercising as much. When you look at obesity in America in 2018 and onwards, this is because of the way we stay still during work, travel, and the fact that more and more people are living in cities. 

8. If people want to attempt to reduce the obesity problem, they need to consume less fat and sugar. 

(World Health Organization)

This would be in conjunction with increasing their consumption of whole grain, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. 

9. The recommended amount of exercise for all adults is 2.5 hours during the space of a week for adults. 

(World Health Organization)

Childhood obesity facts show that children need a lot more exercise and should be moving for at least one hour during the day to keep them fit and healthy. 

10. The most obese nation in the world is Nauru. 

(World Population Review)

The rest of the top 10 most obese countries in the world are Tonga, Samoa, Kuwait, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Kiribati, Palau, Micronesia, and Tuvalu. 

11. The country with the lowest rate of obesity is Vietnam, with a 0.5% obesity rate. 

(Central Intelligence Agency)

The rest of the 10 countries with the lowest obesity rate are Laos, Madagascar, Indonesia, China, Japan, South Korea, Eritrea, the Philippines, and Singapore. 

12. As much as 28% of adult English people are obese, while 36% are overweight.

(NHS Digital UK)

The Health Survey for England revealed their obesity statistics in 2019 that found their adult males stand a higher chance of becoming obese or overweight than their female counterparts. 

These results show that the chances are 68.2% for men and 60.4% for women.

Older adults between 45 and 74 years old are more susceptible to obesity or being overweight, meaning that about 3 in every 4 people in this age stratum are overweight.

Moreover, statistics show that people in most deprived regions are 9% more susceptible to becoming endangered with weight than those in the least deprived regions. 

13. Obesity stats reports that 30% of people aged between 45 and 54 years undergo bariatric (weight loss) surgery.

(Health Express)

US adults between 45 to 54 years have the most obesity-related hospital admissions. 

These obesity stats show that 22% of adults between 35 and 44 undergo surgery for weight loss concerns. 

Young adults between 16 and 24 accounted for only 4%, while adults 75 years and over were only 2% of the total hospital admissions for bariatric surgery. 

Although United States obesity statistics say men are most vulnerable to being overweight, women account for most hospital admissions. 

This may be because women don’t lose weight as quickly as men do.

14. The 2020 health statistics show that obese people stood 46% more chances of contracting coronavirus.

(Wiley Online Library, Nature)

Overweight people may become more prone to the coronavirus and may suffer more severe complications, often including death, according to these stats.

Specifically, obese individuals were over 113% more likely to be hospitalized and have 48% higher chances of death.

Additionally, obesity statistics for 2020 reveal that severely obese people are twice as likely to die from coronavirus than normal weight people. 

Another interesting fact is that available vaccines are more effective for non-obese people than their overweight counterparts.

15. Annually, 4.7 million premature deaths are caused by obesity.

(Our World In Data)

These data show that obesity is one of the biggest global health concerns in high and low-income-earning countries. 

The figure is twice the number of people that died by road accidents and about five times the cases of death caused by HIV/AIDS in the same year.

Obesity Statistics in America

According to the official US obesity stats, over 12.7 million American children between the age of  2 and 19 are obese. 

However, there’s been a relieving drop in obesity rates among preschool kids lately. Read on and discover other startling obesity facts.

16. The prevalence of obesity among adults in the United States was 42.4% between 2017–2018. 

(CDC)

Obesity statistics in the USA reports that those who were severely obese accounted for a percentage of 9.2. 

More women than men were considered to be severely obese during this time period. 

17. For age groups, the prevalence of obesity is 40% for young adults between the ages of 20–39. 

(CDC)

There is a prevalence of 44.8% for middle-aged people in the years of age between 40–59, which is shown by US obesity statistics. And, finally, those aged above 60 have an obesity prevalence of 42.8%. 

18. Recent studies have shown that in America, over one out of three adults is obese. 

(Medical News Today)

Globally, that number is around 13% of the earth’s population, which translates to about every one in 10 people. 

19. The figures show that more women are obese than men. 

(Medical News Today)

Of men aged between 20–39, 34.8% of them are obese. That number for women in the same age group is 36.5%. 

Of men aged between 40–59, 40.8% are obese. That number for women in the same age group is 44.7%. 

20. Adult and childhood obesity rates by state show that the American states with the highest rates of obesity are Mississippi and West Virginia, both with an obesity rate of 39.5%.

(Medical News Today)

In third place is Arkansas, with an obesity rate of 37.1%; in fourth place is Louisiana, with an obesity rate of 36.8%, and fifth place is Kentucky with an obesity rate of 36.6%. 

21. The American state with the lowest rate of obesity is Colorado, with an obesity rate as low as 23%. 

(Medical News Today)

In second place is the District of Columbia, in third place Hawaii, and in fourth and fifth place are New Jersey and Massachusetts. 

The Cost of Obesity in America: Statistics and Facts

Obesity is expensive. As the obesity rates burgeon, so do the associated costs. Annually, obese people pay about $1,500 out-of-pocket costs for health-related issues. Below are other economic implications of obesity in America.

22. People who are obese have an increased medical cost of $1,429 above what people who aren’t obese pay. 

(Medical News Today)

This is all related to the health risks and problems that come with being obese. 

23. The cost of medical assistance for obesity as a nation was $147 billion in 2008. 

(Medical News Today)

This number was worked out by the Centers for Disease Control for the United States as a country in 2008. 

Childhood Obesity Statistics

Logically, parents should get the most blame for the high obesity cases in children. But statistics say most parents of obese children do not even think their kids are overweight. Funny, right? Here are more facts about childhood obesity we found.

24. There were 40 million children younger than five years old who were considered to be obese in 2018. 

(World Health Organization)

This is a high number of young children who are obese before they are even at an age where they can make their own health choices and food decisions. 

25. Obesity among children is a massive problem in developing countries, which is where you will find the highest childhood obesity statistics as of 2019. 

(World Health Organization)

The rate of obesity in developing countries has been on an increase of over 30% compared to countries that are considered to be developed. 

26. Obesity rates among children in the United States is a problem. 

(Medical News Today)

Of those children aged between two and five years old, 9.4% are obese, and 1.7% are seriously obese. Of those children between the age of six and 11, 19.6% are obese, and 4.3% are seriously obese. Of preteens and teenagers aged from 12 years old to 19 years old, 20.6% are obese, and 9.1% are seriously obese. 

27. Many risk factors can lead to childhood obesity, including diet and lack of exercise. 

(Mayo Clinic)

The other risk factors are family genetics, socioeconomic factors, and psychological factors. Children aren’t generally in charge of their diet or their exercise, so it is up to the parents to look out for their child’s health. 

28. Many health complications can arise from being obese as a child. 

(Mayo Clinic)

These include Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, sleep disorders, asthma, liver scarring and damage, and fractures in the bone from supporting an extreme weight. 

29. Psychological and social problems are also linked to childhood obesity. 

(Mayo Clinic)

These psychological and social problems in children with obesity include depression, behavior issues, learning problems, and self-esteem issues. 

30. In 2016, there were 41 million overweight and obese children under the age of five globally. 

(World Health Organization)

In 1990, this number was 32 million obese children throughout the whole world. That’s a large increase of 9 million obese children in the world over a span of 16 years. 

31. In Africa, the number of children younger than 5 increased by 24% between 2000 and 2019.

(World Health Organisation)

Until lately, obesity had been a primary concern among low-income countries. But the recent world obesity ranking for 2020 shows otherwise. 

A nine-year review (from 2000 to 2019) showed a remarkable rise in obese and overweight people across medium and low-income countries, particularly in urban settlements.

One in every two obese children is Asian. 

32. Around 9.9% of UK children aged 4 to 5 are obese while 13.1% are overweight.

(National Child Measurement Programme) 

Children of age between 10 and 11 years are in 14.1% cases overweight and in 21% obese. In the same study, while 634 kids had ‘normal’ weight, the underweight children were 14.

Childhood obesity statistics for 2019 report that 99 of every 1000 kids between the age of 4 and 5 were obese, and 131 were overweight. Furthermore, the results reveal that 761 children had normal weight while only 9 were underweight.

Kids from highly deprived areas stand higher risks of obesity. 

Children between the 4 and 5 years age bracket, living in the least deprived regions have obesity in 6.7% cases, in contrast to 13% cases recorded in the most deprived regions.

According to obesity statistics in 2019, young ones of ages 10 to 11 living in the least deprived regions recorded 13.9% obesity cases, compared to 27.2% of those staying in highly deprived areas.

33. In the UK, 43% of fathers and 48% of mothers think their obese/overweight children have normal weight. 

(Health Express)

Many parents are ignorant of their children’s obesity. Obesity stats show that most parents thought their children had the correct weight. 

Understandably, since weight gain comes in gradually and over time, it’s hard to tell when your children cross the normal benchmark.

However, experts perceive that certain dietary patterns in children are primarily caused by the parents and may develop into a lifetime concern.

Global childhood obesity statistics for 2020 place body image as a typical issue across the UK, particularly among kids. 

This concern influences their confidence throughout their lifetime. Among 15-year-olds, while 6% thought they had the normal weight, 34% agreed they were too fat. 

The media seems to be the single most significant contributor to the pressure obese teens get to maintain a correct weight. Social medial may also be a key contributor

Supplements to Help with Obesity: Stats and Facts

Reports say that 67% of obese Americans and 45% of their overweight counterparts actively make good efforts to burn off some pounds. 

While healthy eating patterns and other lifestyle modifications are the most natural recommendations, most people turn to supplements for quicker results. 

Up to $2.1 billion of Americans’ annual income goes into dietary supplement pills for weight loss. Let’s dive further for more stats on obesity supplements.

34. Obese people often need to take vitamin E. 

(Science Daily)

Their bodies require more vitamin E than people of a healthy weight because of oxidative stress, as reported  by obesity statistics. 

They may need to take a supplement because their bodies may actually have problems with using vitamin E effectively. 

35. There are natural fat burners that you can find in food and add to your daily diet to help you lose weight. 

(Medical News Today)

These include protein, polyphenols (chemicals found frequently in fruits and vegetables), caffeine, probiotics, green tea, and fruit. If people were more mindful of including these in their diets, we wouldn’t be looking at such high obesity statistics for 2019 and beyond. 

36. There are three categories of fat burning pills: stimulant pills, dietary supplements, and approved weight-loss drugs. 

(Medical News Today)

Stimulant pills have caffeine in them as well as other stimulants that help improve the rate of your metabolism. Dietary supplements contain ingredients that boost weight loss. Weight loss drugs that have been approved by the FDA include Orlistat, Contrave, Lorcaserin, Liraglutide, and Qsymia. 

37. Vitamins that help with weight loss are B vitamins, vitamin D, iron, magnesium, and green tea extract. 

(Healthline)

Supplements that haven’t proven to aid weight loss include synephrine, conjugated linoleic acid, chromium picolinate, Garcinia cambogia, carnitine, forskolin, and fucoxanthin. 

FAQ

What percentage of US adults are obese? 

The National Center for Health Statistics reported that around 31.8% of Americans were overweight, and 39.8% of adults over the age of 20 were considered to be obese between 2015–2016. Of these people who were considered to be obese, 7.6% were considered to be extremely obese. There is clearly a problem with obesity in the United States and throughout the world. We need to find ways to reduce this obesity epidemic in the coming years. 

What causes obesity, and how can statistics help?

The general causes of obesity are overeating foods that have a high-calorie count without using up any of those calories through exercise. It is recommended that those who are suffering from obesity cut down their portions and take a look at the ingredients of the food they are eating, cutting out sugars and other high-calorie ingredients. The average adult also needs around 150 minutes of exercise every week. For a child, it is suggested that they exercise for around an hour every day. 

What state has the most obesity? 

Two American states take the top place for being the most obese states in the country. They are Mississippi and West Virginia. They each have an obesity rate of around 39.5%. Following Mississippi and West Virginia are Arkansas (with an obesity rate of 37.1%), Louisiana (with an obesity rate of 36.8%), and Kentucky (with an obesity rate of 36.6%). This is a pretty high rate and is concerning. These states need to reduce obesity by encouraging healthy eating and regular exercise among their constituents. 

Where does America rank in obesity? 

America ranks 12th in the world for obesity. While it is not in the top 10 countries for having a high obesity rate, it does come close. It is clear that the United States has an obesity epidemic that needs to be dealt with. The health of the nation relies on people being more aware of the food they choose to consume, and being encouraged to exercise regularly. 

Conclusion

The United States and many other countries throughout the world have a big problem with obesity. This becomes clear when we look at the above obesity statistics. People need to be more conscientious about the food and ingredients that they consume. They also need to be more mindful about getting enough exercise. 

People who are suffering from obesity should also consider supplements that will help speed up the weight-loss process. This is one of the ways to stop obesity and prevent the health risks that come along with it.  

Sources 

• CDC
• CDC
• CDC
• Central Intelligence Agency
• Health Express
• Healthline
• Mayo Clinic
• Mayo Clinic
• Medical News Today
• Medical News Today
• Medical News Today
• Medical News Today
• Medical News Today
• Medical News Today
• Medical News Today
• National Child Measurement Programme
• Nature
• NHS Digital UK
• OnHealth
• Our World In Data
• Science Daily
• Wiley Online Library 
• World Health Organization
• World Health Organization
• World Population Review