In 2022, 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 44 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 33 percent of the adult population in the U.S. is now considered obese. Obesity rates can vary substantially by state, with around 41 percent of the adult population in West Virginia reportedly obese, compared to 26 percent of adults in Hawaii. The states with the highest rates of obesity include West Virginia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
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 eight percent of adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is now the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for three percent of all deaths.
Obesity rates for adults in the United States in 2022, by race/ethnicity
Data represent adults who reported having a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25.0 kg/meters squared. Racial/ethnic groups are mutually exclusive. Percentages are weighted to reflect population characteristics. Data based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing, state-based, random-digit-dialed telephone survey of non-institutionalized civilian adults aged 18 years and older.
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Kaiser Family Foundation. (November 1, 2023). Obesity rates for adults in the United States in 2022, by race/ethnicity [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/207436/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-by-ethnicity/
Kaiser Family Foundation. "Obesity rates for adults in the United States in 2022, by race/ethnicity." Chart. November 1, 2023. Statista. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/207436/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-by-ethnicity/
Kaiser Family Foundation. (2023). Obesity rates for adults in the United States in 2022, by race/ethnicity. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 15, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/207436/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-by-ethnicity/
Kaiser Family Foundation. "Obesity Rates for Adults in The United States in 2022, by Race/Ethnicity." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Nov 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/207436/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-by-ethnicity/
Kaiser Family Foundation, Obesity rates for adults in the United States in 2022, by race/ethnicity Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/207436/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-by-ethnicity/ (last visited October 15, 2024)
Obesity rates for adults in the United States in 2022, by race/ethnicity [Graph], Kaiser Family Foundation, November 1, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/207436/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-by-ethnicity/