Statement Highlights:

• More than one-third of adults and children in the U.S. are living with obesity. Obesity rates are highest among non-Hispanic Black children and adults, low-income families, people living in rural areas and adults with a high school education or less.
• The latest research indicates that barriers to maintaining a healthy weight or participating in weight management programs include: limited access to healthy foods, lack of time to prepare meals and engage in regular physical activity, financial constraints including lack of health insurance and stigma around body weight.
• Effective obesity prevention and treatment programs include collaboration among government, health care professionals, community organizations and individuals, according to the new scientific statement.

Embargoed until 4:00 a.m. CT/5:00 a.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026

DALLAS, Jan. 15, 2026 - Obstacles to preventing and treating obesity, including limited access to healthy foods, limited time to prepare meals and exercise, neighborhood factors, weight stigma and financial constraints, are more likely to affect people in lower-income communities, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Association's flagship journal Circulation.

The statement, "Socioeconomic and Structural Barriers to Addressing Obesity in Communities," highlights multilevel barriers to obesity prevention and management, with an emphasis on social drivers of health, societal culture and biases that may perpetuate harmful attitudes related to body weight and interfere with the success of weight management programs.

Obesity is a chronic health condition characterized by excess body fat that is associated with harm to health. It affects more than one-third of all people in the U.S., both children and adults, across all socioeconomic backgrounds. While genetic factors can contribute to the development of obesity, previous studies have found that genetic predisposition is not the primary driver of high obesity rates. People in lower-income communities are disproportionately impacted by obesity and related health conditions, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.

"The latest research indicates that people with fewer resources are more likely to develop obesity because of a combination of factors that influence their everyday, lived experiences, such as socioeconomic stressors that limit access to nutritious foods and regular physical activity or healthy sleep; and cultural factors that make it hard to access obesity care and maintain a healthy weight," said Fatima Cody Stanford, M.D., M.P.H., M.P.A., M.B.A., FAHA, vice chair of the scientific statement writing group, an associate professor of medicine and pediatrics and an obesity medicine physician scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston.

"We must recognize that obesity is not a personal choice. It is highly influenced by multiple social and environmental factors. This is a critical component for addressing the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and obesity-related health conditions including cardiovascular disease," Stanford said.

Obesity prevalence and risk factors

Numerous socioeconomic factors are closely linked to obesity. Risk and prevalence of obesity are highest among non-Hispanic Black children and adults, low-income families, people living in rural areas and adults with a high school education or less. Living in a neighborhood where it is safe to exercise outdoors and being able to access affordable, healthy foods are linked to a reduced risk of developing obesity.

Lifestyle and environmental factors, including shift work, noise pollution and nighttime light exposure, can also increase this risk by interfering with circadian rhythms and affecting sleep quality and duration. A 2025 American Heart Association scientific statement about circadian health highlighted that disruptions to the body's internal clock are strongly associated with an increased risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Barriers to seeking and accessing care

Despite greater availability of treatment options for obesity, including weight management programs focused on lifestyle changes and medications such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, there are still significant challenges in effectively treating obesity.

• Weight stigma perpetuates harmful attitudes: Previous research has found that between 20% and 90% of people have negative and judgmental opinions about people with excess weight, such as, obesity is a personal lifestyle choice or a reflection of poor self-control. These perceptions may contribute to poor mental health as well as unhealthy eating behaviors. Experiences of weight stigma can also make individuals more likely to avoid seeking care and support from health care professionals.

• Individuals with obesity face physical and financial challenges in the health care system: Physical barriers, such as medical equipment and small spaces, often discourage people with obesity from seeking medical care to help them manage their weight. Other barriers to accessing obesity care include the cost of co-pays or other out-of-pocket costs, transportation challenges and limitations in health insurance coverage.

• Time is an often-overlooked barrier: Limited time directly affects an individual's ability to participate in obesity prevention and treatment programs. In addition, work and caregiver responsibilities are often prioritized to maintain financial and household stability, thereby reducing the amount of time available to support healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as preparing healthy meals at home and engaging in regular physical activity.

A multifaceted approach is necessary

Effective obesity prevention and treatment programs include collaboration among government, health care professionals, community organizations and individuals. Community-based interventions, such as faith-based and cultural programs, are effective and may improve outcomes across different populations. However, the statement notes that the available metrics for gauging intervention success, such as body mass index (BMI), do not accurately reflect body fat or overall health. The development of more clinically meaningful metrics will be necessary to advance efforts in reducing obesity rates and promoting healthy weight for people of all ages.

In addition, health care professionals can make a significant impact by initiating culturally sensitive discussions with patients around their beliefs about weight and care, offering referrals to local resources and providing personalized care to support patients. Educating health care professionals about biases may also help to reduce weight stigma in health care settings.

"The most effective weight management programs are culturally and socially informed and involve stakeholders from across all levels of society working together to support people at risk for or living with obesity. Improving the affordability of fruits and vegetables specific to cultural diets, increasing access to healthy weight management programs, promoting physical activity and advocating for public policies such as insurance coverage of obesity medications, are key strategies that could have large societal impacts," Stanford said.

This scientific statement was prepared by the volunteer writing group on behalf of the American Heart Association's Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health, the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, the Council on Clinical Cardiology and the Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research.

American Heart Association scientific statements promote greater awareness about cardiovascular diseases and stroke issues and help facilitate informed health care decisions. Scientific statements outline what is currently known about a topic and what areas need additional research. While scientific statements inform the development of guidelines, they do not make treatment recommendations. American Heart Association guidelines provide the Association's official clinical practice recommendations.

Additional scientific statement writing group members/co-authors include Chair Stephanie T. Chung, M.B.B.S., FAHA; Josephine Harrington, M.D.; Namratha R. Kandula, M.D., M.P.H.; Kiarri N. Kershaw, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAHA; Morgana Mongraw-Chaffin, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAHA; Foster Osei Baah, Ph.D., R.N.; Angela F. Pfammatter, Ph.D., FAHA; and Michael V. Stanton, Ph.D. Authors' disclosures are listed in the manuscript.

The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

• Available multimedia is on right column of release link.
• Spanish news release (coming soon)
• After Jan. 15, 2026, view the manuscript online.
• American Heart Association scientific statement news release: Significant gaps between science of obesity and the care patients receive (May 2024)
• American Heart Association health information: Understanding Weight
• American Heart Association health information: Healthy Eating
• American Heart Association health information: Losing Weight
• Follow American Heart Association/American Stroke Association news on X @HeartNews
• Follow news from the AHA's flagship journal Circulation @CircAHA

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public's health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

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