Mixed
US obesity prevalence has not levelled off but continues to rise, with a temporary pause in men's rates between 2009-2012 followed by a resumption of increase.
Do not assume the obesity epidemic is over because headlines might suggest rates are stable. The data shows that while there was a brief pause in men's obesity rates around 2009-2012, the overall trend is still increasing, particularly for women. Effective, sustainable, and culturally-tailored interventions are still urgently needed to counteract these rising trends.
OB prevalence had consistently risen since 1999 and considerable differences existed across groups and regions. Among adults, men’s OB (33.7%) and OW (71.6%) levelled off in 2009–2012, resuming the increase to 38.0 and 74.7% in 2015–2016, respectively.
Why this rating
Uses large, nationally representative longitudinal data (NHANES 1999-2016) with robust statistical modeling.
Source
Has the prevalence of overweight, obesity and central obesity levelled off in the United States? Trends, patterns, disparities, and future projections for the obesity epidemic
Youfa Wang et al. · International Journal of Epidemiology · 2019
DOI 10.1093/ije/dyz273
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