Prevalence of obesity was 51% higher for blacks and 21% higher for Hispanics, compared with whites in the United States during 2006-2008, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
An analysis of data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys revealed an overall obesity rate of 25.6% for non-Hispanic blacks, non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanics. Individually, blacks had an obesity rate of 35.7%, Hispanics 28.7%, and whites 23.7%, the CDC said in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2009;58:740-4).
Obesity was defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m
The pattern was consistent across most U.S. states. However, state obesity prevalences by race varied considerably. For blacks, the range was from 23.0% in New Hampshire to 45.1% in Maine. For Hispanics, obesity rates ranged from 21.0% in Maryland to 36.7% in Tennessee. And for whites, the range was from 9.0% in the District of Columbia to 30.2% in West Virginia.
By sex and racial/ethnic group, black women had the greatest prevalence of obesity (39.2%), followed by black men (31.6%), and Hispanic women (29.4%), the report said. White women had the lowest prevalence, 21.8%. Possible reasons for the population differences include differing behaviors surrounding food and exercise, attitudes and cultural norms, and lack of access to healthful foods in many minority neighborhoods, the CDC noted.
“If we have any hope of stemming the rise in obesity, we must intensify our efforts to create an environment for healthy living in these communities,” said Dr. William H. Dietz, director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity.
The CDC currently provides funding and technical assistance to 25 states to develop their own effective obesity prevention and control programs, the report said. As part of this funding, states are implementing their own evidence-based policies, systems, and environmental strategies to address health disparities. For example, the New York State Department of Health uses both federal and state funds to increase access to fruits and vegetables for low-income, primarily minority populations.