A large new study led by Johns Hopkins University has found that obesity—especially severe obesity—is linked to a much higher risk of developing a wide range of serious health conditions.
The study looked at over 270,000 people across the United States and showed that the more severe a person’s obesity, the greater their risk of illness.
Obesity affects nearly half of U.S. adults today and is expected to rise even more by 2030.
While past research has looked at how obesity contributes to individual diseases, this new study gives a much bigger picture by exploring 16 different health conditions at once.
These conditions include sleep problems, diabetes, heart and liver diseases, kidney problems, blood clots, asthma, and joint issues.
The study was published in NEJM Evidence and used data from the “All of Us” research program, one of the largest health studies in U.S. history.
Participants provided information from their medical records, body measurements, and surveys.
Researchers used this data to calculate body mass index (BMI), a common way to determine if someone is overweight or obese. Obesity was divided into three categories: Class I (least severe), Class II, and Class III (most severe).
The results were clear: as obesity got worse, the risk of all 16 health conditions increased. For example, people with Class III obesity were nearly 11 times more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than those with normal weight.
They were also more than seven times more likely to have type 2 diabetes and over six times more likely to have a liver disease linked to metabolic problems. Even for conditions like asthma, arthritis, and heart disease, the risks were about twice as high.
Obesity was found to play a major role in many cases of these illnesses. For example, more than half of all obstructive sleep apnea cases and over one-third of metabolic liver disease cases in the study group could be linked to obesity. Even 14% of all osteoarthritis cases were estimated to be caused by obesity.
Importantly, these patterns were consistent across different sexes, races, and income levels. The study also showed that people with obesity were more likely to be women, Black, have lower income and education, and show higher blood pressure and waist sizes.
The researchers say that rising obesity—especially the most severe kind—adds urgency to the need for better public health strategies, clinical treatments, and policy actions. With a large portion of serious diseases linked to obesity, managing weight more effectively could help prevent many of these health issues and reduce the burden on individuals and healthcare systems alike.
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