Obesity Rate Dips in 2023: A Closer Look

For the first time in over a decade, the obesity rate among U. S. adults took a slight dip in 2023. This news comes from a recent study published in JAMA Health Forum. The study showed that the nationwide obesity rate dropped from 46 percent in 2022 to 45. 6 percent last year. This drop was particularly noticeable in the South, especially among women aged 66 to 75. The study's lead author, Benjamin Rader, a computational epidemiologist, highlighted that while the overall trend was positive, not all regions followed suit. He also noted significant declines among Black Americans but increases in obesity among Asian Americans. The study, which covered over 16. 7 million adults between 2013 and 2023, used body mass index (BMI) data from health records.Experts have long recognized that BMI isn’t perfect for measuring body structure variations, but it remains the best tool for population-level fat assessment. This latest study aligns with a recent CDC report, which noted that obesity rates in the U. S. weren’t growing, standing at around 40. 3 percent. Just last month, another study found that nearly three-quarters of Americans are either obese or overweight, with a significant increase among those aged 5 to 24. These findings underscore the complexity of addressing obesity in the U. S.