For the first time in more than a decade, the United States is witnessing a slight but hopeful drop in obesity rates, signaling a potential turning point in the fight against one of the country’s most persistent public health crises. A new study published in the JAMA Health Forum has revealed that the national obesity rate decreased from 46% in 2022 to 45.6% in 2023 — the first recorded decline in over 10 years.
This minor reduction, while modest, is seen as a sign of progress in combating the growing obesity epidemic, which has been a significant contributor to chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. According to John Brownstein, study co-author and ABC News contributor, “What we’re seeing for the first time is that curve bending, showing a sign of hope for something that was really a threat to American public health for so many years.”
The study, which examined the body mass index (BMI) of 16.7 million U.S. adults over a 10-year period, observed a steady increase in average BMI until 2022. In 2023, however, the average BMI slightly decreased from 30.24 to 30.21, bringing a glimmer of optimism to public health experts.
One of the most significant potential contributors to this decline is the growing use of weight loss medications, particularly drugs in the GLP-1 receptor agonist class, such as semaglutide, which is found in popular weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. These medications, which are also used to treat type 2 diabetes, have seen a staggering 700% increase in use for weight loss purposes from 2019 to 2023, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Brownstein and his team noted that regions like the South, where weight loss drugs were dispensed at the highest rates, saw a more significant reduction in obesity. Notably, the population of women and adults aged 66-75, groups historically vulnerable to obesity, also experienced marked declines.
“The growing use of these medications may be playing a role in reversing obesity trends,” said Dr. Brownstein, who is also the chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. However, he cautioned that other factors may also be contributing to this shift.
While medications are likely contributing to the positive trend, researchers also highlighted the potential impact of lifestyle changes following the COVID-19 pandemic. The South, which had the highest rates of weight loss drug prescriptions, also experienced a disproportionately high number of COVID-19-related deaths among people with obesity. As Americans emerge from pandemic isolation, many are returning to more active lifestyles, which may be influencing the decline in obesity rates.
Benjamin Rader, co-author of the study and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, emphasized, “You have this emergence from COVID, where people are potentially starting to be more active again, stopping the sedentary habits that they picked up during the pandemic. All of these forces are at play, and I don’t think we can disentangle them from this data.”
While these findings are encouraging, experts caution that it’s too early to predict if this decline will continue. Dr. Anne Peters, a professor at the Keck School of Medicine, cautioned, “We need to look at this as a positive indicator, but we need to see how it plays out over time. It may mean that people are doing better, and that therapies like weight loss medications are helpful, but we need long-term data.”
Obesity continues to be a critical public health issue. Nearly 60% of U.S. adults with obesity suffer from high blood pressure, and approximately 23% have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those living with obesity are also at higher risk for a wide range of other chronic health conditions.
However, Dr. Peters emphasized that BMI alone is not a comprehensive measure of health. “A person’s weight should be considered alongside other risk factors to get a full picture of their overall health and risk of chronic disease,” she said. “You’ve got to combine weight loss with exercise and a healthier diet. I think we need to change how people eat fundamentally, and that would be much better than just focusing on weight loss alone.”
While the recent data provides hope, public health experts agree that the fight against obesity is far from over. Addressing the obesity epidemic requires a multifaceted approach, including better access to weight loss therapies, lifestyle changes, and broad public health initiatives that encourage healthy eating and physical activity.
As the use of weight loss medications continues to grow and more Americans adopt healthier habits, there is hope that this initial decline in obesity rates may be the first step toward a broader, lasting shift in the nation’s health trajectory.
Read more:
- U.S. Faces Widening Health Gap As Life Expectancy Increases, But Quality Of Life Declines
- 7 Key Reasons Why U.S. Health Care Costs Soar Above Other Nations
- New WHO Findings: Health Spending Deprioritized By Government
