The proportion of overweight and obese Americans has tripled since the 1980s, according to official data exposing the country’s obesity crisis.
In the late 1980s, no more than 15 percent of the adult population was considered overweight or obese.
But now US health officials say the rates have risen to “epidemic” proportions, with obesity rates rising to 42 percent nationally.
Experts say the shift has been caused by people eating more ultra-processed foods, which are high in fats, sugars and salts but low in essential nutrients.
Americans have also begun more sedentary lifestyles and office jobs, while many in rural communities now live in food deserts.
The map above shows how obesity rates have increased from 1987 to 2021 across the country. Initially, less than 15 percent of adults were obese, but now it’s 42 percent
The above map shows obesity rates in the US in 1987 by state. It shows that no state had a rate higher than 15 percent
By 2003, however, the picture had shifted, with most states having obesity rates above 20 percent
The obesity crisis in America was declared an epidemic in 1999 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It is tracked through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which tracks trends at the national level.
Each year, a group of 400,000 Americans are polled about their weight and height by the survey.
Their answers are then converted into body mass index (BMI), which calculates obesity rates by state and for the entire country.
In 1987, no state had an obesity rate greater than 15 percent, while most had rates less than 10 percent.
But by 2003, rates had risen, with nearly half of the states having obesity rates of 20 to 24 percent. None were below 10 percent.
This sudden shift was likely related to changing American diets, experts warned.
Obesity rates began to rise in the 1980s, which is around the same time ultra-processed foods — including pizza, ice cream, and sugar-sweetened drinks — became a larger part of Americans’ diets.
These foods are high in fats, sugars and salts, but low in essential micro and macro nutrients for the body – which would encourage people to eat more.
According to official data, by 2021, about 42 percent of Americans will be overweight or obese.
According to the state, there were two — Kentucky and West Virginia — where rates were above 40 percent, while 17 had numbers between 35 and 40 percent.
To top it off, the CDC’s maps have now added a category for states where one in two people are overweight or obese, perhaps in preparation for ever-expanding waistlines.
Researchers from Athabasca University in Canada, who analyzed US obesity rates in 2022said it was the main driving force behind America’s expanding waistlines.
They cited separate research showing that the amount of sugar per day in the average American diet increased by 36.7 grams between 1978 and 1997.
“There is strong evidence that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages leads to higher energy intake and increased weight gain,” they said.
‘We also see a similar pattern with other ultra-processed foods.
“Factors that likely contributed to the increased intake of ultra-processed foods include the relatively low price and increased popularity of fast-food restaurants.”
There has also been a decline in physical activity since the 1960s and 1970s, with more and more Americans holding office jobs.
But the Athabasca University scientists insisted this played only a “minor role” in the obesity epidemic.
And this map shows the situation in 2010, with more and more states with obesity rates above 25 percent
This map shows overall obesity rates by state as of 2021, the latest year with available data
The map above shows the prevalence of obesity by state in the US in 2021. It was highest in Kentucky and West Virginia, but lowest in Hawaii and Colorado. Washington DC, which is not yet a state, had the lowest rate
The chart above shows the rate of diabetes as a percentage of the population, an important risk factor for people with diabetes. It shows that the number of diagnosed diabetes cases has risen since the early 2000s, along with obesity
An urban-rural divide has also emerged, with higher rates in rural areas where there is less access to healthy food.
The CDC’s acting deputy director, Debra Houry, said last year that the data “illustrates the urgent need to make obesity prevention and treatment accessible to all Americans in every state and every community.”
Being obese leads to excess fat cells accumulating around vital organs – impairing their function – while the extra weight can lead to joint and limb stress.
Fat cells also leak hormones into the body, causing a person to struggle to regulate their appetite and have more inflammation.
Scientists have already linked obesity to a number of conditions, including heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and even Alzheimer’s disease.
The National Institutes of Health says obesity is the second leading cause of death in the US, behind only smoking.
Each year, approximately 280,000 Americans die directly from obesity.
President Joe Biden has already unveiled plans to crack down on the nation’s waistlines, including introducing nutrition labeling on the front of food products to highlight snacks that contain too much fat, sugars and salt.
The criteria for foods that are ‘healthy’ have also been tightened under stricter rules.