(NewsNation) — Physical health metrics, including obesity and diabetes, among people in the U.S. have worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic, a Gallup survey found.
According to Gallup, the percentage of obese U.S. adults has reached an estimated 38.4%, which represents a 6% increase since 2019.
The spike in obesity since 2019 varies by age. Those 45-64 and 30-44 report the largest increases. While adults under the age of 30, have not reported seeing a significant increase.
13.6% of Gallup respondents say they have been diagnosed with diabetes, which Gallup says is up 1.1 points since 2019. More than 35 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes, costing a total of $413 billion in the U.S. last year, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Gallup’s results, which were obtained Aug. 30-Sept. 8, are based on 5,316 U.S. adults surveyed online as part of a probability-based panel of about 100,000 adults across 50 states and the District of Columbia.