Highlights from major national surveys that provide insight about rates and trends across racial and ethnic populations and by age groups and gender.
Overview
Recent studies reinforce what we already know: obesity rates are alarmingly high; many populations continue to see steady increases in obesity; and there are striking, persistent racial and ethnic disparities.
According to the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 18.5% of children and nearly 40% of adults had obesity in 2015–2016. These are the highest rates ever documented by NHANES.
While there were no statistically significant changes in youth or adult rates compared with the previous survey in 2013–2014, rates have increased significantly since 1999–2000, when 13.9% of children and 30.5% of adults had obesity.
Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Obesity
Rates of overweight and obesity have increased across the United States among people of all ethnic and racial groups, ages and genders, but Black and Latino populations continue to have higher rates of obesity than Whites and Asians. This is true among both children and adults.
Among youth, Latino boys (28%) and Black girls (25.1%) were most likely to have obesity. Racial and ethnic inequities for adults are largely driven by the differential obesity rates among women: more than half of Black and Latina women (54.8% and 50.6%, respectively) had obesity compared with 38% of White women. In contrast, Latino, White and Black men had similar obesity rates: (43.1%, 37.9% and 36.9%, respectively).
Age and Gender Differences in Obesity
Among children, the prevalence of obesity and severe obesity generally increases with age. Boys are slightly more likely to have obesity than girls. Among adults, women have slightly higher levels of obesity than men, and middle-age and older adults are more likely to have obesity.
