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Leland data report · 2026 edition

Obesity in America 2026

State-by-state adult obesity rates from the CDC's newest data, alongside what the largest GLP-1 trials show about treatment.

See every stateCite this report
47
states with a 2025 CDC estimate
21
states where 35% to 40% of adults have obesity
None
states at 40% or higher
Key findings

What the data shows

39.7%

Alabama has the highest rate

Followed by North Dakota (39.1%) and Kentucky (38.8%).
CDC BRFSS, 2025
36%

Higher in middle age

Adults 40 to 59 are about 36% more likely to have obesity than adults 18 to 39.
CDC BRFSS, 2025
38.1%

Without a high school diploma

Compared with 27.8% of college graduates.
CDC BRFSS, 2025
20.2%

Average loss on tirzepatide

Versus 13.7% on semaglutide in the first head-to-head trial, over 72 weeks.
SURMOUNT-5, NEJM 2025

Adult obesity by region

The Midwest and South have the highest rates. Every state with a 2025 estimate is at 25% or higher.

Regional figures are simple averages of the states shown below, not population-weighted estimates.

Source: CDC BRFSS, 2025

Midwest: 36.0%
South: 36.0%
West: 31.1%
Northeast: 30.2%

What the trials show

TrialMedicationAvg. lossLength
SURMOUNT-1Tirzepatide 15 mg20.9%72 wks
SURMOUNT-5Tirzepatide20.2%72 wks
STEP 1Semaglutide 2.4 mg14.9%68 wks
SURMOUNT-5Semaglutide13.7%72 wks

Average percent of body weight lost. Sources: NEJM 2021, 2022 and 2025.

By age

States where 35% or more of adults in each age group have obesity

18 to 396 states
40 to 5940 states
60 and older11 states

By education

Share of adults with obesity

No high school diploma38.1%
High school diploma35.1%
Some college36.8%
College graduate27.8%
By state

Adult obesity in every state, ranked

  1. 1Alabama39.7%
  2. 2North Dakota39.1%
  3. 3Kentucky38.8%
  4. 4Oklahoma38.1%
  5. 5Tennessee37.9%
  6. 6Indiana37.5%
  7. 7West Virginia37.4%
  8. 8Kansas37.3%
  9. 9Iowa36.9%
  10. 10Arkansas36.7%
  11. 11Missouri36.6%
  12. 11Wisconsin36.6%
  13. 13South Carolina36.5%
  14. 14Delaware36.3%
  15. 15Texas36.1%
  16. 16Nebraska36.0%
  17. 16Ohio36.0%
  18. 18Georgia35.9%
  19. 19Louisiana35.6%
  20. 20New Mexico35.3%
  21. 21Michigan35.1%
  22. 22South Dakota34.3%
  23. 23Virginia34.2%
  24. 24Illinois33.7%
  25. 25North Carolina33.5%
  26. 25Pennsylvania33.5%
  27. 27Maryland33.1%
  28. 27Minnesota33.1%
  29. 29Alaska33.0%
  30. 29Maine33.0%
  31. 31Oregon32.7%
  32. 32Idaho32.6%
  33. 32Wyoming32.6%
  34. 34Arizona32.3%
  35. 35New Hampshire31.6%
  36. 36Rhode Island31.3%
  37. 37Washington31.0%
  38. 38Connecticut30.4%
  39. 39Montana30.3%
  40. 40Florida30.0%
  41. 41Utah29.8%
  42. 42Vermont29.1%
  43. 43New York28.5%
  44. 44Massachusetts27.0%
  45. 44New Jersey27.0%
  46. 46Hawaii26.4%
  47. 47Colorado25.7%

Source: CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2025. California, Mississippi and Nevada had insufficient data for a 2025 estimate.

Methodology

  • State, regional, age and education figures come from the CDC's 2025 Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps, based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), published September 2026.
  • BRFSS is a state-based telephone survey. Obesity means a BMI of 30 or higher, calculated from self-reported height and weight.
  • States are not shown when the CDC reported insufficient data (sample under 50 or high relative standard error).
  • Trial results are the published average percent of body weight lost in STEP 1 (NEJM 2021), SURMOUNT-1 (NEJM 2022) and SURMOUNT-5 (NEJM 2025).

Cite this report

Journalists and researchers may use any chart or figure with a link to this page.

Leland Health. Obesity in America 2026. lelandhealth.com/report. Data: CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2025.
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