More than one-in-four Americans are obese, CDC says

Gender, Education and Race Breakdown

In the report, the CDC wrote that disparities among racial/ethnic populations and by education level are of particular concern. “These disparities might reflect differences in knowledge and behavior related to diet and physical activity,” the CDC wrote. “They also might reflect differences in environmental supports for the behaviors, such as access to places for physical activity (e.g., local parks or recreational facilities) or access to health food options (e.g., selection at local groceries.”

Approximately 26.4 percent of men and 24.8 percent of women were obese, according to the report. By age, obesity prevalence ranged between 19.1 percent in men and women 18-29 years old to 31.7 percent and 30.2 percent, respectively, for men and women between 50 and 59 years old.

Men had the lowest obesity prevalence among college graduates at 22.1 percent, and had the highest prevalence among those with some college experience (29.5 percent) and a high school diploma, at 29.1 percent. For women, obesity prevalence was lowest among college graduates (17.9 percent) and highest among those with less than a high school diploma (32.6 percent).

By race/ethnicity and sex, obesity prevalence was highest for non-Hispanic black women at 39 percent, followed by non-Hispanic black men at 32.1 percent.

“Obesity is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke,” Deb Galuska, associate director for science for the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, said in a news release. “These diseases can be very costly for states and the country as a whole.”