US obesity rates decline for first time in a decade

Editor's Note

An analysis of trends in body mass index (BMI) and obesity among US adults from 2013 to 2023 reveals a slight but significant decline in obesity prevalence in 2023, marking the first decrease after years of steady increases.

The findings are detailed in a December 13 JAMA Health Forum research letter. In addition to pandemic-related behavioral changes, researchers suggest declines in BMI and obesity could reflect increased use of GLP-1 RA weight loss medications, such as semaglutide. However, they emphasize that these findings remain observational and causal links are uncertain. Key takeaways include:

• Mean population BMI rose annually from 2013 (29.65) to 2021 (30.23), plateaued in 2022 (30.24), and slightly decreased in 2023 (30.21).
• Obesity rates followed a similar pattern, peaking at 46.2% in 2021 and declining to 45.6% in 2023.
• The South saw the largest reduction in obesity, particularly among individuals aged 66-75 years and females.
• The highest rates of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) prescriptions were in the South (6%), with lower rates in the Midwest, Northeast, and West.