Obesity Rates in the United States

Overall, the NHANES crude results from the 2013-2014 survey indicated that 38 percent of American adults were obese (BMI >30) — 35 percent for men, and 41 percent for women. When they examined the prevalence of class 3 obesity (BMI > 40), they found an overall prevalence of 8 percent: 6 percent for men and 10 percent for women. For both genders, the prevalence varied by race/Hispanic origin, with black women having the highest prevalence of both obesity and class 3 obesity compared to non-Hispanic whites, followed by Hispanic women.

An examination of trends across NHANES surveys between 2005 and 2014 revealed little change in obesity and class 3 obesity for men, but a significant increase in both for women during that decade.