Report shows 23 states have reached 35% obesity rate; here’s how Texas fares

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Twenty-three states have adult obesity rates at or above 35%, according to a new analysis from Trust for America's Health, or TFAH .

A decade ago, no state had an obesity rate above the 35% level, the report noted.

The report included TFAH's analysis of the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System , according to TFAH's website.

Obesity and other diet-related diseases are associated with a range of physical and mental health conditions, higher mortality, higher healthcare costs, and productivity losses, TFAH noted.

"We continue to see that obesity is a public health crisis and is a really complex disease, so it's not just based on one individual's behavior, but it's also linked to many socioeconomic and structural factors," said Madison West, a Government Relations Manager with TFAH.

The non-profit analyzed obesity rates by state.

"[In] Texas, this year's current obesity rate is 34.4% which is certainly concerning," said West. "And over a five-year trend, we have seen that it has primarily continued to increase, which is similar with a lot of other states in the country, but certainly a point of concern."

The State of Obesity 2024 report also looked at obesity levels by race, gender, age and offered policy solutions.

"Obesity and food insecurity are deeply linked together," explained West. "By addressing food insecurity, we can do a lot to address this increasing chronic disease within the country."

Currently, four in 10 adults in the U.S. have obesity, and nearly 20% of U.S. kids have obesity, according to the report.

"Food insecurity, poverty and not having safe places to be physically active are major determinants of someone living with obesity. So by doing things like increasing insurance rates and increasing nutrition assistance programs, we can make sure that people have the options and can afford to eat healthier," West said.