The U.S. Obesity Rate Now Tops 40%

IT'S BEEN TWO DECADES since federal health officials said the U.S. was experiencing a "growing obesity epidemic" that was putting millions of lives at stake – but the situation has gotten significantly worse since 1999.

At the turn of the century, 30.5% of American adults were obese, meaning they had a body mass index of 30 or higher. That rate largely increased through 2015-2016, helping to fuel related health issues like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers – all of which are among the leading causes of death in the...