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
PEER REVIEWED
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 |
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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