Trends
Overweight and Obesity Trends Among Adults
U.S. Obesity Trends 1985–2007
The prevalence of obesity is explained in a slide presentation
format. You may view the slides online or download them as a Microsoft
PowerPoint Document (PPT).
CDC
Study Finds No Increase in Obesity Among Adults; But Levels Still High,
2005–2006
After a quarter century of increases, obesity prevalence has not measurably
increased in the past few years but levels are still high — at 34 percent
of U.S. adults aged 20 and over.
NHANES Data on the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among
Adults: United States, 2003–2004
Since the mid-seventies, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has
increased sharply for both adults and children. Data from two NHANES
surveys show that among adults aged 20–74 years the prevalence of
obesity increased from 15.0% (in the 1976–1980 survey) to 32.9% (in the
2003–2004 survey).
Overweight Trends Among Children and Adolescents
High
Body Mass Index for Age Among U.S. Children and Adolescents, 2003–2006*
This Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) article reports the
prevalence of high body mass index (BMI) for age among children and
adolescents showed no significant changes between 2003–2004 and 2005–2006
and no significant trends between 1999 and 2006. Rates of overweight and
obesity remain high with 31.9% of children and adolescents aged 2 through 19
years at or above the 85th percentile of the 2000 BMI-for-age growth charts.
Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents: United States,
2003–2004
Overweight is a serious health concern for children and adolescents.
Data from two NHANES surveys (1976–1980 and 2003–2004) show that the
prevalence of overweight is increasing: for children aged 2–5 years,
prevalence increased from 5.0% to 13.9%; for those aged 6–11 years,
prevalence increased from 6.5% to 18.8%; and for those aged 12–19 years,
prevalence increased from 5.0% to 17.4%.
Related Resources
CDC's Cancer
Atlas
If you're interested in worldwide obesity statistics, CDC's Cancer
Atlas tracks some data in their Risk Factors section.
National Diabetes Surveillance System
BRFSS, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.
* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.
Page last updated: July 18, 2008
Content Source: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion