In 2023, Black adults had the highest obesity rates of any race or ethnicity in the United States, followed by American Indians/Alaska Natives and Hispanics. As of that time, around ** percent of all Black adults were obese. Asians/Pacific Islanders had by far the lowest obesity rates. Obesity in the United States Obesity is a present and growing problem in the United States. An astonishing ** percent of the adult population in the U.S. is now considered obese. Obesity rates can vary substantially by state, with around ** percent of the adult population in West Virginia reportedly obese, compared to ** percent of adults in Colorado. The states with the highest rates of obesity include West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Diabetes Being overweight and obese can lead to a number of health problems, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Being overweight or obese is one of the most common causes of type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body does not use insulin properly, causing blood sugar levels to rise. It is estimated that just over ***** percent of adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for ***** percent of all deaths.

About a fifth of Hispanic high school students in the United States were overweight between 2016 and 2017, making it the ethnic group with the highest percentage of overweight high school students. Female obesity rates were considerably higher than those of male students for the black and Hispanic groups during the measured period.

Overweight and obese U.S. adults

U.S. overweight rates in adults differed slightly from those of U.S. high school students in 2017. That year, the African American population had the highest overweight and obesity rates of any race or ethnicity, closely followed by American Indians/Alaska Natives and Hispanics. Over 73 percent of all African American adults in the country were either overweight or obese. In 2018, the highest rates of obesity among African Americans could be found in states, such as Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee.

Overweight youth worldwide

Many children and adolescents in other countries, such as New Zealand, Greece, and Italy, also struggle with overweight and obesity. In New Zealand, for example, over forty percent of boys and girls, up to age 19, were overweight or obese in 2016. In the same year, less than ten percent of Indian children and teenagers were overweight.

From 2017 to March 2020, the prevalence of severe obesity in the U.S. was highest among non-Hispanic blacks. This statistic shows the age-adjusted prevalence of severe obesity among U.S. adults aged 20 and over from 2017 to March 2020, by race/ethnicity.

In 2023, around ** percent of all adult Hispanics in Texas were obese. In the United States, processed foods are often cheaper than fresh foods, which can impact those with lower income and lead to more weight gain. This statistic depicts the obesity rates for adults in Texas in 2023, by race/ethnicity.

BackgroundFew studies have examined weight transitions in contemporary multi-ethnic populations spanning early childhood through adulthood despite the ability of such research to inform obesity prevention, control, and disparities reduction.Methods and ResultsWe characterized the ages at which African American, Caucasian, and Mexican American populations transitioned to overweight and obesity using contemporary and nationally representative cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (n = 21,220; aged 2–80 years). Age-, sex-, and race/ethnic-specific one-year net transition probabilities between body mass index-classified normal weight, overweight, and obesity were estimated using calibrated and validated Markov-type models that accommodated complex sampling. At age two, the obesity prevalence ranged from 7.3% in Caucasian males to 16.1% in Mexican American males. For all populations, estimated one-year overweight to obesity net transition probabilities peaked at age two and were highest for Mexican American males and African American females, for whom a net 12.3% (95% CI: 7.6%-17.0%) and 11.9% (95% CI: 8.5%-15.3%) of the overweight populations transitioned to obesity by age three, respectively. However, extrapolation to the 2010 U.S. population demonstrated that Mexican American males were the only population for whom net increases in obesity peaked during early childhood; age-specific net increases in obesity were approximately constant through the second decade of life for African Americans and Mexican American females and peaked at age 20 for Caucasians.ConclusionsAfrican American and Mexican American populations shoulder elevated rates of many obesity-associated chronic diseases and disparities in early transitions to obesity could further increase these inequalities if left unaddressed.

This statistic depicts the obesity rate of children in the United States in 2015-2016 by ethnicity. In that time, 25.8 percent of Latino children in the United States were obese. Overweight and obesity can increase risk of developing many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

From 2017 to March 2020, the obesity prevalence among Hispanic men was around ** percent. This statistic represents the obesity prevalence among adults aged 20 and older in the United States from 2017 to March 2020, sorted by gender and race/ethnicity.

NA: Not applicable, for cells where the zero percent of the population fell into that category.(1) Prevalences and standard errors are calculated using the survey weights from the 5-year visit provided with the dataset. These adjust for unequal probability of selection and response. Survey and subclass estimation commands were used to account for complex sample design.(2) Overweight/obesity is defined as body mass index (BMI) z-score >2 standard deviations (SD) above age- and sex- specific WHO Childhood Growth Standard reference mean at all time points except birth, where we define overweight/obesity as weight-for-age z-score >2 SD above age- and sex- specific WHO Childhood Growth Standard reference mean.(3) To represent socioeconomic status, we used a composite index to capture multiple of the social dimensions of socioeconomic status. This composite index was provided in the ECLS-B data that incorporates information about maternal and paternal education, occupations, and household income to create a variable representing family socioeconomic status on several domains. The variable was created using principal components analysis to create a score for family socioeconomic status, which was then normalized by taking the difference between each score and the mean score and dividing by the standard deviation. If data needed for the composite socioeconomic status score were missing, they were imputed by the ECLS-B analysts [9].(4) We created a 5-category race/ethnicity variable (American Indian/Alaska Native, African American, Hispanic, Asian, white) from the mothers' report of child's race/ethnicity, which originally came 25 race/ethnic categories. To have adequate sample size in race/ethnic categories, we assigned a single race/ethnic category for children reporting more than one race, using an ordered, stepwise approach similar to previously published work using ECLS-B (3). First, any child reporting at least one of his/her race/ethnicities as American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) was categorized as AIAN. Next, among remaining respondents, any child reporting at least one of his/her ethnicities as African American was categorized as African American. The same procedure was followed for Hispanic, Asian, and white, in that order. This order was chosen with the goal of preserving the highest numbers of children in the American Indian/Alaska Native group and other non-white ethnic groups in order to estimate relationships within ethnic groups, which is often not feasible due to low numbers.

In 2023, some ** percent of all Black adults in Georgia were obese. Childhood obesity in the United States is also on the rise, with affected children more likely to remain obese as adults. This statistic depicts the obesity rates for adults in Georgia in 2023, by race/ethnicity.

Data on overweight and obesity among adults aged 20 and over in the United States, by selected characteristics, including sex, age, race, Hispanic origin, and poverty level. Data are from Health, United States. SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Search, visualize, and download these and other estimates from over 120 health topics with the NCHS Data Query System (DQS), available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/dataquery/index.htm.

Data on obesity among children and adolescents aged 2-19 years in the United States, by selected characteristics, including sex, age, race, Hispanic origin, and poverty level. Data are from Health, United States. SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Search, visualize, and download these and other estimates from a wide range of health topics with the NCHS Data Query System (DQS), available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/dataquery/index.htm.

West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas are the U.S. states with the highest percentage of their population who are obese. The states with the lowest percentage of their population who are obese include Colorado, Hawaii, and Massachusetts. Obesity in the United States Obesity is a growing problem in many countries around the world, but the United States has the highest rate of obesity among all OECD countries. The prevalence of obesity in the United States has risen steadily over the previous two decades, with no signs of declining. Obesity in the U.S. is more common among women than men, and overweight and obesity rates are higher among African Americans than any other race or ethnicity. Causes and health impacts Obesity is most commonly the result of a combination of poor diet, overeating, physical inactivity, and a genetic susceptibility. Obesity is associated with various negative health impacts, including an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, and diabetes type 2. As of 2022, around 8.4 percent of the U.S. population had been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is currently the eighth leading cause of death in the United States.

In 2023, around 43 percent of all adult Hispanics in Oklahoma were obese. Certain environments in the United States may encourage an unhealthy lifestyle that leads to obesity. This statistic depicts the obesity rates for adults in Oklahoma in 2023, by race/ethnicity.

Characteristics of age, anthropometric traits and ALT levels by race/ethnicity and gendera.

Roughly 15 percent of U.S. high school students from grades 9 to 12, across all genders and ethnicities, were obese between 2016 and 2017. On average, African and Hispanic students struggled more with obesity than white students. Over 22 percent of male students with a Hispanic background were reported to be obese.

Prevalence among adults

Obesity is a growing problem among all age groups in the United States. Among American adults aged 20 and over, obesity rates have risen considerably since 1997. By 2018, roughly 12 percent more adults were obese, compared to 21 years earlier.

Fast food industry

Unhealthy ingredients, larger portions, and lower cost are some of the reasons why fast food easily leads to obesity in the United States. Between 2004 and 2018, U.S. consumer spending in quick-service restaurants has increased by approximately 37.5 percent. Examples of leading restaurant chains within this sector, in terms of company value, are McDonald’s, KFC, and Domino’s Pizza.

This multi-scale map shows life expectancy - a widely-used measure of health and mortality. From the 2020 County Health Rankings page about Life Expectancy:"Life Expectancy is an AverageLife Expectancy measures the average number of years from birth a person can expect to live, according to the current mortality experience (age-specific death rates) of the population. Life Expectancy takes into account the number of deaths in a given time period and the average number of people at risk of dying during that period, allowing us to compare data across counties with different population sizes.Life Expectancy is Age-AdjustedAge is a non-modifiable risk factor, and as age increases, poor health outcomes are more likely. Life Expectancy is age-adjusted in order to fairly compare counties with differing age structures.What Deaths Count Toward Life Expectancy?Deaths are counted in the county where the individual lived. So, even if an individual dies in a car crash on the other side of the state, that death is attributed to his/her home county.Some Data are SuppressedA missing value is reported for counties with fewer than 5,000 population-years-at-risk in the time frame.Measure LimitationsLife Expectancy includes mortality of all age groups in a population instead of focusing just on premature deaths and thus can be dominated by deaths of the elderly.[1] This could draw attention to areas with higher mortality rates among the oldest segment of the population, where there may be little that can be done to change chronic health problems that have developed over many years. However, this captures the burden of chronic disease in a population better than premature death measures.[2]Furthermore, the calculation of life expectancy is complex and not easy to communicate. Methodologically, it can produce misleading results caused by hidden differences in age structure, is sensitive to infant and child mortality, and tends to be overestimated in small populations."Click on the map to see a breakdown by race/ethnicity in the pop-up: Full details about this measureThere are many factors that play into life expectancy: rates of noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and obesity, prevalence of tobacco use, prevalence of domestic violence, and many more.Data from County Health Rankings 2020 (in this layer and referenced below), available for nation, state, and county, and available in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World

Medical Service Study Areas (MSSAs)As defined by California's Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) in 2013, "MSSAs are sub-city and sub-county geographical units used to organize and display population, demographic and physician data" (Source). Each census tract in CA is assigned to a given MSSA. The most recent MSSA dataset (2014) was used. Spatial data are available via OSHPD at the California Open Data Portal. This information may be useful in studying health equity.Age-Adjusted Incidence Rate (AAIR)Age-adjustment is a statistical method that allows comparisons of incidence rates to be made between populations with different age distributions. This is important since the incidence of most cancers increases with age. An age-adjusted cancer incidence (or death) rate is defined as the number of new cancers (or deaths) per 100,000 population that would occur in a certain period of time if that population had a 'standard' age distribution. In the California Health Maps, incidence rates are age-adjusted using the U.S. 2000 Standard Population.Cancer incidence ratesIncidence rates were calculated using case counts from the California Cancer Registry. Population data from 2010 Census and SEER 2015 census tract estimates by race/origin (controlling to Vintage 2015) were used to estimate population denominators. Yearly SEER 2015 census tract estimates by race/origin (controlling to Vintage 2015) were used to estimate population denominators for 5-year incidence rates (2013-2017)According to California Department of Public Health guidelines, cancer incidence rates cannot be reported if based on <15 cancer cases and/or a population <10,000 to ensure confidentiality and stable statistical rates.Spatial extent: CaliforniaSpatial Unit: MSSACreated: n/aUpdated: n/aSource: California Health MapsContact Email: gbacr@ucsf.eduSource Link: https://www.californiahealthmaps.org/?areatype=mssa&address=&sex=Both&site=AllSite&race=&year=05yr&overlays=none&choropleth=Obesity

In 2022, the highest incidence of obesity-associated cancer in the United States was among Black individuals, with a rate of 184 per 100,000 people. This graph shows the rate of obesity-related cancers per 100,000 people in the United States in 2022, by race and ethnicity.

Pseudo panel by gender, education and race/ethnicity

In 2022, over ** percent of both men and women in the United States reported themselves as obese (BMI over 30), making it the country with the highest percentage of obese adults on this list. Other selected countries on the list with a high prevalence of obesity among adults included the United Kingdom and Australia. Obesity groups in the United States In 2023, Black adults had the highest overweight and obesity rates of any race or ethnicity in the United States. Asians and Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders had the lowest rates by far, with roughly ** percent. In 2022, almost ** percent of people aged 65 and older were obese in the United States. This estimate has been steadily increasing since 2013 when roughly ** percent of elderly Americans were obese. Leading health problems worldwide Obesity was considered one of 2024’s biggest health problems: ** percent of adults worldwide stated that obesity was the biggest health issue for people within their country. Around ** percent of adults stated that mental health was the most significant problem facing their country that year.