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Obesity Rates Climb Despite Weight-Loss Drug Boom
26 Feb
Summary
- Overweight and severely obese rates increased from 2017-2018 to 2021-2023.
- Childhood obesity reached its highest recorded figure between 2021-2023.
- Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic haven't reversed the overall obesity trend.
Obesity and severe obesity rates among American adults have continued to climb between 2017-2018 and 2021-2023, according to a recent CDC report. This trend persists despite the increasing use of weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. Overweight adults now constitute 31.7 percent, a rise from 30.7 percent, while severely obese adults increased from 9.2 percent to 9.7 percent.
The report also highlighted a disturbing rise in childhood obesity, reaching a record high of 21 percent between 2021 and 2023. This increase is notable as the popularity of GLP-1 drugs has doubled in recent years, with one in eight Americans having tried them for various health conditions. Experts are puzzled by these findings, as they expected the drugs to curb the obesity epidemic.
Women have seen a significant increase in severe obesity, rising to 13.2 percent in 2021-2023, while overweight rates also edged up slightly. Conversely, the share of obese adults saw a small decline from 42 percent to 40 percent. For children and teens, obesity rates also increased across different age groups, with severe obesity in children aged two to five rising from 7 to 7.8 percent.
