Population Health
Adult Obesity - Overall Statistics for Connecticut
Obesity is a serious medical condition that can cause complications such as metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, cancers, and sleep disorders*. The percentage of U.S. adults who are considered obese has increased significantly over the past few decades and is currently around 40%. Obesity is determined by Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference. BMI is a screening and diagnostic tool for weight and is calculated based on a person’s weight and height. The obese range is defined as a BMI of 30.0 or greater. BRFSS data was used to calculate obesity based on respondent’s height and weight.
In the years prior to the CT SIM implementation, approximately one-quarter of respondents were in the obese category with an upward trend from 24.9% (2013) to 25.3% (2015). Since the implementation of CT SIM in 2016, obesity rates continued to increase. The percentage of adult Connecticut residents considered obese in 2018 (27.4%) was above the SIM target of 24.9%.
___________________