Obesity - prevalence in selected countries by gender 2022

In 2022, over 33 percent of both men and women in the United States reported themselves as obese (BMI over 30), making it the country with the highest percentage of obese adults on this list. Other selected countries on the list with a high prevalence of obesity among adults included the United Kingdom and Australia. 

Obesity groups in the United States

In 2022, Black adults had the highest overweight and obesity rates of any race or ethnicity in the United States. Asians and Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders had the lowest rates by far, with roughly 14 percent. In 2021, about 30 percent of people aged 65 and older were obese in the United States. This estimate has been steadily increasing since 2013 when roughly 27 percent of elderly Americans were obese.

Leading health problems worldwide

Obesity was considered one of 2023’s biggest health problems: 25 percent of adults worldwide stated that obesity was the biggest health issue for people within their country. Around 44 percent of adults stated that mental health was the most significant problem facing their country that year.