The Obesity Epidemic in Marion County and Indiana

Obesity has increased dramatically over the past several decades, becoming one of the most significant preventable causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Over the past 20 years, obesity rates have risen steadily in Indiana, from 20 percent in 1995 to 34 percent in 2017. One in three Hoosier adults is obese, and more than two in three are overweight or obese. Indiana’s obesity rate is the 12th highest in the U.S. In Marion County, 39 percent of adults are obese, up steadily from 26 percent in 2005 and 33 percent in 2012. Marion County’s obesity rate is 11th highest among the largest cities in the U.S., and 69 percent of Marion County residents are overweight or obese.

Infographic: Indiana’s Obesity Epidemic