This is because healthy weight people live longer statistically and tend to develop chronic diseases that need to be continually treated into old age, whereas obese people tend to die from metabolic diseases at younger ages and avoid some of those protracted medical costs. However, some evidence suggests the lifetime cost of medical treatment for obese individuals is lower than for healthy weight individuals.

Ĭompared to non-obese Americans, between 20, obese Americans incurred an average of $2,505 more in medical expenses annually, and in 2016, the aggregate medical cost due to obesity in the United States of America was $260.6 billion. Children (persons aged 2 to 19 years) with a BMI at or above the 95th percentile of children of the same age and sex are defined as obese, and children with a BMI at or above the 85th percentile but less than the 95th percentile are defined as overweight. Adults with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 have class 1 obesity adults with a BMI of 35 to 39.9 have class 2 obesity adults with a BMI of 40 or greater have class 3 obesity, which is also known as extreme or severe obesity (and was formerly known as morbid obesity). Obesity in adults is divided into three categories.

The CDC defines an adult (a person aged 20 years or greater) with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater as obese and an adult with a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 as overweight. Obesity is common in the United States and is a major health issue associated with numerous diseases, specifically an increased risk of certain types of cancer, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease, as well as significant increases in early mortality and economic costs.

Share of adults that are obese, 1975 to 2016 Overview of obesity in the United States of America

North america is an obese dragon