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Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Adult Obesity in the United States: CDC’s Tracking to Inform State and Local Action

ESSAY — Volume 16 — April 11, 2019

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Figure 1. Prevalence of self-reported obesity among US adults, by state and territory, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2017. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher based on self-reported weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. Prevalence estimates reflect changes in BRFSS methods that started in 2011. These estimates should not be compared to prevalence estimates before 2011. No area had a prevalence of <20%, and all had sufficient data to determine prevalence.

State or Territory Percentage
Alabama 36.3
Alaska 34.2
Arizona 29.5
Arkansas 35.0
California 25.1
Colorado 22.6
Connecticut 26.9
Delaware 31.8
District of Columbia 22.9
Florida 28.4
Georgia 31.6
Guam 34.3
Hawaii 23.8
Idaho 29.3
Illinois 31.1
Indiana 33.6
Iowa 36.4
Kansas 32.4
Kentucky 34.3
Louisiana 36.2
Maine 29.1
Maryland 31.3
Massachusetts 25.9
Michigan 32.3
Minnesota 28.4
Mississippi 37.3
Missouri 32.5
Montana 25.3
Nebraska 32.8
Nevada 26.7
New Hampshire 28.1
New Jersey 27.3
New Mexico 28.4
New York 25.7
North Carolina 32.1
North Dakota 33.2
Ohio 33.8
Oklahoma 36.5
Oregon 29.4
Pennsylvania 31.6
Puerto Rico 32.9
Rhode Island 30.0
South Carolina 34.1
South Dakota 31.9
Tennessee 32.8
Texas 33.0
Utah 25.3
Vermont 27.6
Virginia 30.1
Washington 27.7
West Virginia 38.1
Wisconsin 32.0
Wyoming 28.8

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Figure 2. Prevalence of self-reported obesity among non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic adults, by state and territory, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2015–2017. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher based on self-reported weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. Prevalence estimates reflect changes in BRFSS methods that started in 2011. These estimates should not be compared to prevalence estimates before 2011. Areas are indicated as having insufficient data if they had a sample size of less than 50 or a relative standard error (dividing the standard error by the prevalence) of 30% or more.

State or Territory Non-Hispanic White, % Non-Hispanic Black, % Hispanic, %
Alabama 33.1 45.0 31.9
Alaska 30.0 44.7 28.8
Arizona 26.1 32.4 35.5
Arkansas 34.0 44.2 30.1
California 23.1 31.4 32.1
Colorado 20.3 28.9 27.4
Connecticut 24.4 37.1 31.8
Delaware 29.7 37.4 31.9
District of Columbia 10.3 36.3 19.7
Florida 26.2 35.4 28.1
Georgia 29.5 37.1 30.1
Guam 30.2 22.8 33.0
Hawaii 17.5 29.8 31.9
Idaho 27.8 Insufficient data 33.7
Illinois 30.3 39.5 35.9
Indiana 32.1 42.2 28.2
Iowa 33.6 36.3 33.4
Kansas 32.0 41.2 36.8
Kentucky 34.4 40.2 28.5
Louisiana 33.4 42.6 32.3
Maine 29.8 24.8 32.2
Maryland 28.1 39.1 27.6
Massachusetts 24.0 35.1 31.0
Michigan 30.9 39.9 38.6
Minnesota 27.5 30.4 33.3
Mississippi 32.1 45.4 29.2
Missouri 31.6 39.1 29.9
Montana 24.0 Insufficient data 26.0
Nebraska 31.7 39.9 32.8
Nevada 25.7 29.2 29.2
New Hampshire 27.4 25.9 24.1
New Jersey 25.7 36.4 31.9
New Mexico 24.3 31.2 31.2
New York 24.7 33.4 28.7
North Carolina 29.3 41.1 28.3
North Dakota 31.9 19.6 36.5
Ohio 31.2 37.5 31.9
Oklahoma 33.4 37.6 36.8
Oregon 29.3 30.8 34.9
Pennsylvania 30.1 36.8 34.7
Puerto Rico 24.1 Insufficient data 31.0
Rhode Island 26.9 31.8 33.1
South Carolina 29.6 42.0 27.8
South Dakota 30.0 Insufficient data 35.0
Tennessee 31.8 46.4 29.6
Texas 30.1 39.8 37.9
Utah 24.7 26.3 27.9
Vermont 26.7 22.8 26.4
Virginia 27.9 41.0 29.9
Washington 28.3 33.7 33.9
West Virginia 37.0 43.6 29.0
Wisconsin 31.0 38.1 31.5
Wyoming 27.9 44.8 28.8

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