Obesity rates may have risen over past decade

A study has examined the prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in the United States.

In a study published as a research letter in JAMA, investigators used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to analyze the rates of obesity among 41,449 individuals between 2013 and 2023.

The investigators found that the rate of obesity among children increased by nearly 0.5 percentage points per year between 2021 and 2023, whereas the rate of severe obesity remained consistent among children. The increase in obesity was most common among male participants and those aged 2 to 5 years.

Although the rate of obesity remained stable among adult participants, the rate of severe obesity increased by nearly 0.25 percentage points annually. Notably, female participants and those aged 40 to 59 years demonstrated the greatest increases in the rates of obesity.

Read more: JAMA

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