Consequences of Obesity

Health risks for adults

Obesity is a complex chronic disease. Too much body fat can cause inflammation and other long-lasting metabolic changes in the body. These changes increase the risk of many serious health problems. Risks increase with the more excess weight a person carries and the longer a person carries that weight.

Studies show that obesity in adulthood increases the risk for the following conditions:

• High blood pressure (hypertension).123
• High cholesterol, high triglycerides, and other abnormal lipids.3
• Type 2 diabetes.^{[13, 10, 14]}
• Heart disease and stroke.^[10]
• Many types of cancer.^{[10, 11, 12]}
• Chronic kidney disease. ^{[16, 15]}
• Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.^{[17, 18]}
• Mental health conditions, such as depression.4
• Joint problems, such as osteoarthritis.5
• Respiratory conditions, such as asthma6 and obstructive sleep apnea.7
• Severe illness from COVID-19^[25]and flu^{[26, 27]}.
• Pregnancy problems, such as gestational diabetes^{[13, 28]}
• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension8, a neurologic condition.
• Weight stigma9 and weight bias internalization.10
• All-cause mortality.11

• Impaired immune function.1213

Health risks for children

Studies show that obesity in childhood and adolescence is associated with the following short- and long-term health risks:

• High blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease14.
• High cholesterol, high triglycerides, and other abnormal lipids.14
• Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes14.
• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)14, now called Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD).
• Mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression.1415
• Respiratory conditions, such as asthma and obstructive sleep apnea.146
• Chronic kidney disease1617.
• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a neurologic condition.18
• Orthopedic conditions that impact joint and bone health.19
• Poor overall health and psychosocial functioning.19
• Weight-based stigma, teasing, and bullying.20
• Obesity in adulthood.21

Economic impact

Obesity care is costly for patients, providers, and the health care system. Costs can be direct or indirect.

For adults, obesity accounted for $173 billion in direct annual medical costs in 2019. Obesity led to $1,861 excess medical costs per person ($3,097 for severe obesity), compared to adults with healthy weight.22

For children and adolescents, obesity accounted for $1.3 billion in direct annual medical costs in 2019. Medical costs for children with obesity were $116 higher per person ($310 for severe obesity) than children with healthy weight.22

Annual nationwide productivity loss due to obesity ranged from $271 to $542 per employee with obesity, with national productivity losses ranging from $13.4 to $26.8 billion in 2016.23

US workers with obesity were absent from their jobs due to injury or illness an average of 3 days more per year than workers with a healthy weight.23

Military readiness

Approximately 1 in 3 people ages 17 to 24 are too heavy to serve in the U.S. military. Among the young adults who meet weight requirements, only 3 in 4 report physical activity levels that prepare them for challenges in basic training. Consequently, only 2 in 5 young adults are both weight-eligible and adequately active for military service.24

Body mass index (BMI) calculators

CDC's Child & Teen BMI Calculator
Calculate BMI, BMI percentile, and the corresponding BMI category for children 2 to 19 years. You can also view BMI percentile plotted on a growth chart and learn what the results mean.

CDC's Adult BMI Calculator
Calculate BMI and the corresponding BMI category for adults 20 and older. BMI calculators are not intended to be substitutes for professional medical advice.