Obesity Quick Facts
Get Your Questions Answered
How is obesity defined?
Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
2018 Resource
2017 Resources
- Minnesota Trends in Obesity and Tobacco and Associated Health Care Spending, 1999-2017 (PDF)
- Adult Obesity in Minnesota 2017 (PDF)
- Physical Activity and Nutrition in Minnesota Data Brief (PDF)
What is BMI and how is it calculated?
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. BMI can be used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems but it is not a diagnostic measure of health risk. Individuals should talk to their health care provider. To learn more, visit How is BMI calculated?
What is the adult obesity rate in Minnesota?
The state's adult obesity rate in 2018 was 30.1%, up from 28.4% in 2017.
What are the health consequences of obesity?
People who are obese, compared to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at increased risk for:
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint)
- Sleep apnea and breathing problems
- Some cancers (endometrial, breast, colon, kidney, gallbladder and liver)
- Low quality of life
- Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety and other mental disorders
- Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning1
What is the cost of obesity in the state?
In Minnesota, medical expenses due to obesity were estimated to be $3.2 billion in 2017.2
What is being done to help reduce obesity rates in Minnesota?
Across Minnesota, communities are working together through the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) to expand healthy eating and active living opportunities with multiple strategies, across multiple settings and multiple sectors.
SHIP grants support locally led community leadership teams, which have linked with more than 5,250 active partner sites, including schools, workplaces, communities, health care facilities and child care facilities, while supporting and leveraging the work of a variety of partners such as community groups, schools, employers, farmers, chambers of commerce, hospitals and health care facilities, city planners, county boards, tribal officials and more.
Learn More
- CDC's Obesity Prevalence Maps
- Obesity Data on the MN Public Health Data Access Portal
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- University of Minnesota Obesity Prevention Center
- Wellness Councils of America
1Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from the CDC's website.
2Trogdon, J. et al. State- and Payer-Specific Estimates of Annual Medical Expenditures Attributable to Obesity. Obesity (2011).