Adult Obesity

Overall, Iowa’s obesity rate has been significantly higher than the US since 2012. The prevalence of overweight Iowans has closely mirrored that of the US. A state and national comparison is provided to highlight the recent change in Iowa’s obesity ranking.

The CDC considers a person overweight or obese if their weight is higher than what is healthy for their height. A common screening to determine the level of overweight or obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is calculated as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.

A person’s body mass index (BMI) score can be interpreted as follows:

• A BMI of less than 18.5 indicates a person is underweight.
• A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 indicates a person is normal or healthy weight.
• A BMI between 25 and 29.9 indicates a person is overweight.
• A BMI of 30 or higher indicates a person is obese.