Minnesota obesity rate increases in 2020

Data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday shows the adult obesity rate in 2020 was up slightly in Minnesota.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the state’s obesity rate increased from 30.1% in 2019 to 30.7% last year. MDH said while the increase isn’t significant, it highlights the ongoing public health concerns surrounding obesity rates.

Obese Minnesotans are at an increased risk for severe illness from several serious health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, some cancers and COVID-19. It’s also associated with poor physical and mental well-being, MDH says.

"Obesity and other chronic health challenges have been a priority for many years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made progress more difficult," MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm said, noting the pandemic created high levels of anxiety, stress and feelings of social isolation, which impacts a person’s weight, mental well-being and physical health. "Even as we work hard to address the impacts of the pandemic, we can’t afford to lose sight of the fact that those other health issues have not gone away. We encourage Minnesotans to safely find ways to work toward a healthy weight by being active, choosing healthy foods and connecting with friends, family and health care providers to come up with a plan to make progress toward greater well-being."

The national obesity rate also increased in 2020 to 31.9%, up from 31.4% a year prior.

Officials say the number of states where at least 35% of adults are obese has nearly doubled since 2018.