For the first time in over a decade, obesity rates in the United States may be declining— or at least leveling off. A recent study published in JAMA Health Forum found that the national obesity rate ticked down slightly, from 46% in 2022 to 45.6% in 2023.
Women and adults aged 66 to 75 experienced the most significant decreases. Picture: Mizuno K/pexelsIt’s been a year of buzzworthy health trends, and few have dominated the conversation quite like semaglutide, the active ingredient in the weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
For the first time in over a decade, obesity rates in the United States may be declining— or at least levelling off. The study analysed the body mass index of 16.7 million US adults over a decade. While the average BMI rose annually to an all-time high of 30.24 in 2022 — well within the"obese" range — it plateaued and then slightly declined to 30.21 in 2023.
Brownstein believes these medications are playing a role in reversing obesity trends, but he’s cautious about attributing the decline solely to semaglutide. “There are a lot of forces at play,” he noted.is promising, the study’s authors emphasize that other factors may also be contributing to the dip in obesity rates. For one, the pandemic fundamentally altered how people live and move.
Obesity also increases the risk of heart disease, liver disease, and dozens of other chronic health conditions that can shorten lifespan and diminish quality of life.
OBESITY PUBLIC HEALTH WEIGHT LOSS SEMAGLUTIDE TREND
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