American obesity report: 1 in 3 adults are beyond overweight Wood Johnson Foundation said West Virginia had the highest obesity rate The report says the adult obesity rate increased between 2015 and 2016 programs, increasing health-care coverage for obesity prevention and The report noted that 25 states had obesity rates above 30 percent. In Nine of the 11 states with the highest obesity rates are in the South. States in the Northeast and the West had lower obesity rates. Auerbach said obesity costs the nation more than $150 billion in Obesity rates were higher among adults without a college education or "Obesity rates are still far too high, but the progress we've seen in 10 percent and growing: Obesity rising in nations rich and poor, FDA issues warning about balloon obesity treatments * Obesity Research