• Posted March 19, 2026

U.S. Teen Obesity Hits Record Highs While Efforts to Slim Down Drop

Late-night study sessions and the constant hum of social media make high school a stressful time, and a new study suggests that stress is contributing to a growing weight and health crisis.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) analyzed a decade’s worth of data from more than 85,000 students. Their findings — published March 11 in the Ochsner Journal — show that teen obesity is climbing to historic levels, even as motivation to manage weight is fading.

Being overweight or obese isn’t just about how one looks; it’s a medical condition and increases risk for other health problems. While the prevalence of being overweight declined during the study period, it was mostly offset by an increasing rate of teen obesity.

Overall, the obesity rate among high schoolers rose from 13.7% in 2013 to 15.9% in 2023. While that might look like a small percentage jump on paper, it represents millions of young people facing higher risks for problems like type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and high blood pressure.

The data highlighted stark differences in obesity rates across different groups:

• Black adolescents saw some of the highest rates, peaking at 21.2%.

• Hispanic teens were close behind, reaching a high of 20.2%.

• Asian students maintained the lowest rates at 11%, though the percentage is striking because it has nearly doubled since 2013.

• Male obesity peaked at 18.9% in 2019, while female rates ranged from 10.8% to 13.7%.

The motivation to lose that extra weight also seems to be waning in teens. Teens aren’t just getting heavier, they’re doing less about it.

In 2013, 47.7% of students said they were trying to lose weight; by 2023, that dropped to 44.5%. This decline was most obvious among 10th- and 12th-graders.

“In the U.S. today, adolescent obesity rates continue to rise while weight-loss attempts have steadily declined,” said co-author Dr. Charles Hennekens, a professor at FAU’s College of Medicine in Boca Raton, Florida.

Researchers suggest that while social media can make teens feel worse about their bodies, it doesn't always translate into healthy action. 

This isn't just about willpower, researchers emphasized. It’s about an environment that can make the unhealthy choice the easiest one. They are calling for school programs that focus on better nutrition, healthy habits, positive body image and mental health support rather than just gym class. 

“These patterns underscore the need for clinical and public health strategies to address the challenges in U.S. adolescents to prevent future morbidity and mortality,” Hennekens said in a news release. Researchers suggested targeted, culturally sensitive, and gender-specific interventions.

For the study, they used data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which is conducted every two years during the spring. In 2021, however, the survey was done in the fall due to the pandemic. Researchers note that this shift in survey timing along with student experiences during the pandemic may or may not have affected the results.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers tips on what families can do to prevent childhood obesity.

SOURCES: Florida Atlantic University, news release, March 16, 2026; Ochsner Journal, March 11, 2026