A new report reveals the share of adults in Texas who with obesity continues to rise, extending a 20-year statewide streak while state officials and legislators work to flatten the trend through new laws and continued state programs.
According to the most current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data from 2024, that rate stands at 35.6%, per the report from the nonprofit Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) – 1.2% higher than 2023. This continues a trend in which the share of adults with obesity in Texas has risen steadily from 27% in 2005, according to CDC data.
For Eduardo Sanchez, MD, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association, that rise is cause for growing concern.
“Obesity is associated with increased morbidity, an increased likelihood of certain diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and an increased likelihood of premature death,” said Dr. Sanchez, former Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) commissioner.
Dr. Sanchez says one contributing factor to the continued upward trend in Texas specifically may be the state’s uninsured rate, which is still the highest in the country, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
“The opportunity to determine where individuals with access to health care are on the healthy weight, overweight, and obesity spectrum when they interact with the medical care delivery system is lost for too many of those who do not have health insurance,” he said.
TFAH’s findings build on a CDC report released last year, which showed that while obesity remains widespread in the U.S., the overall rate has steadied, impacting roughly four in 10 Americans. With the U.S. rate plateauing, Dr. Sanchez says Texas could take lessons from other states.
“We should try to figure out why and how [certain state rates] have stabilized and then apply those learnings in states where obesity is on the rise, like Texas,” he said.
For the past two decades, DSHS officials have attempted to address the climbing rates with state programs aimed at healthier living.
For instance, the Obesity Prevention Program, started in 2006, works with state and local partners to educate the public on nutrition, physical activity, early childhood education, and chronic disease. The agency’s Community and Clinical Health Bridge program strives to connect physicians with mechanisms to refer patients to community services like food pantries and parks and recreation centers.
Texas also recently passed two laws to promote better nutrition for the state’s residents and physical activity in schools. The Texas Medical Association provided testimony in support of Senate Bill 379 and Senate Bill 25, which took effect Sept. 1, as part of its overall efforts to promote healthier living and reduce chronic disease.
SB 25 ensures that grade school students have guaranteed access to recess and physical activity – protections that cannot be taken away as punishment. SB 379 prohibits the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to buy sugar-sweetened beverages and candy.
With ultra-processed food still one of the biggest factors driving up obesity rates, according to the National Institutes of Health, “Front-of-package food labels could also include more clear and concise information about their food options. I don’t know if people completely appreciate how many artificial dyes and sweeteners are added to certain foods. With more information, people can, at least, make informed decisions about what they and their families are consuming,” Dr. Sanchez said.