WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - According to new data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, severe obesity among adults in the U.S. is becoming a growing concern.
From August 2021 to August 2023, the rate of severe obesity rose to 9.7 percent, up from 7.7 percent between 2013 and 2014.
The survey defined the chronic condition based on body mass index and tracked data over the span of several years.
The prevalence of severe obesity was higher among women at 12.7 percent compared to 6.7 percent for men.
It was also the highest among those aged 40 to 59 at 12 percent compared to 9.5 percent for adults aged 20 to 29 and 6.6 percent for individuals aged 60 and above.
On basis of educational level, those with a bachelor's degree or more had the lowest prevalence of obesity at 31.6 percent between August 2021 and August 2023, whereas 44.6 percent of adults with only a high school degree were obese.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that obesity could increase the risk of diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
'In the United States, the prevalence of obesity in adults remains above the Healthy People 2030 goal of 36.0 percent, but from 2013-2014 through August 2021-August 2023, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in adults did not change significantly,' the research noted.
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