Study: 36% of Blacks in U.S. Obese

Overall, 26% of Americans are Obese, CDC Reports

(AP)  Nearly 36 percent of black Americans are obese - much more than other major racial or ethnic groups - and that gap exists in most states, a new federal study finds.

About 29 percent of Hispanics and 24 percent of whites are obese, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. Overall, about 26 percent of U.S. adults are obese.

Racial differences in obesity rates have been reported before, and health officials were not surprised to see larger proportions of blacks tipping the scales.

But the new CDC report is the first to look at the gap state-by-state, finding blacks had significantly higher obesity rates in 21 states and somewhat higher rates in many others.

Experts believe there are several reasons for the differences. People with lower incomes often have less access to medical care, exercise facilities and more expensive, healthier food. In many places, minorities are disproportionately poor.

"Poverty is a very strong driver of obesity," said Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

Attitudes about weight also are believed to be a factor, said Dr. Liping Pan, a CDC epidemiologist. Researchers cited a 2008 study that found black and Hispanic women had significantly lower odds of being dissatisfied with their body size than white women.

"Black and Hispanics are more accepting of high weight," Pan said, adding that heavy people who are satisfied with their size are not likely to diet or exercise.

However, it could be that over time as people struggle with poverty and environment "they come to accept the higher weights," Brownell said.

Obesity is based on the body mass index, a calculation using height and weight. A 5-foot-7-inch adult who weighs 190 pounds would have a BMI of 30, which is considered the threshold for obesity.

The data comes from a national telephone survey of more than 1 million Americans over the years 2006 through 2008.

For blacks, the highest obesity rate was in Maine, where 45 percent were obese. Tennessee was the state where Hispanic obesity was most common. And West Virginia was the fattest state for whites.

But generally, obesity was most common for both blacks and whites in the South and Midwest.

The study also broke down the groups by gender, and found black women were the heaviest, with 39 percent counted as obese. Black men were next, at 32 percent, then Hispanic women, 29 percent, Hispanic men, 28 percent, white men, 25 percent and white women, 22 percent.

The study is being published this week in a CDC publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.



On the Net:

CDC report: http://tiny.cc/PZBTZ

[fedupredneck]

They need to update this study with a ratio of "obese people" and how many are on the welfare rolls. As some other posters pointed out- I get sick of seeing kids and adults spanking thier EBT cards for chips,cookies and soda. I do live in a "ghetto" and it makes me sick what these people spend thier money on. The govt needs to regulate what constitutes "food" for purchase with welfare/EBT. Some have suggested taxing chips and junk food but that won't help when anyone on welfare doesn't pay the tax on them anyways.

[gunownerdan]

Too much fried chicken!

It's really that simple!

[g-gfather]

Old Chinese proverb.

" No worky no eaty."

There is no free lunch. Dependency on government life support is
suicide. The greater the dependency,the greater will be the famine.
Do something now! Our children's lives are our duty.

Think 1935, I was there and it's coming again,except with out the
know how to survive nor the resources of cohesive families to pull together and get us through. Obesity was not a problem. Learn survival skills,and resources, McDonald's is not one of them!

For all of us,but especially the children. Great-Grandfather.

[omnibus66]

As bad as the obesity problem is among adults, it is worse in children. And childhood obesity cannot be easily linked to poverty, since todays kids basically get everything they want. Unfortunately what they want is McDonalds, Pizza Hut, video games, and the latest version of the Iphone. They have virtually no interest in healthy food or physical exercise.

They might have nice, slender fingers from all the texting they do, but the rest of their bodies are a medical time bomb that will explode on the health care system sometime in the future. This nation is eating itself to destruction.

[jsd330]

I see it all the time, the moms driving the kids to soccer, baseball, football practice. When I was a kid I walked or rode my bike to and from practice and sometimes to the games to, if my parents couldn't make it.I made my kids do the same. Kids today don't even want to walk a block, they whine to mommy or daddy to give them a ride.

[emh1701]

I would think the obesity rate would be higher for all of us - I have heard higher statistics before this article. Especially since the government's definition of "obese" is anyone who isn't skin and bones. We should all be anorexic, according to them.

[howbizarre]

I disagree. 5'5" and 149 pounds is NOT skin and bones, and it IS in the normal weight range. At 5'5", you would have to weigh 170 pounds to be considered obese - there is NOTHING skin and bones about that (150-170 is considered overweight). At 5'9", 170 pounds is considered overweight, 205 is considered obese. I'd like to see someone 5'5", 170 pounds that you can see any bones on. or someone 5'9" and 205 where you can see bones.

[John_Merritt]

'But generally, obesity was most common for both blacks and whites in the South and Midwest'.

This is the part I like. Instead of making blanket statements with little substance, taking the above sentence, what does that tell us? Nothing really. What would be interesting is what about those areas of the country (South and Midwest) which contributes to obestiy. Is it lifestyle, environment, climate, poverty, etc. that it a causative effect?

In identifying those contributors to obesity in these specific regions, can be start applying the remedies to this 'preventable' situation. Unless we have building blocks or a blueprint for living for many, they will continue to live in a situation they always have or find more comfortable.

How about a stimulus plan or incentive for people getting healthy? There will be less health care costs, greater productivity, happier people and hopefully families, etc. It seems we are always trying to douse the fire instead of preventing it. It starts at home and it starts in childhood. Unless we all take responsibility for our life choices, no one but ourselves should be responsible for the outcome.

[howbizarre]

I have heard that much of problem in the south is because of the way they cook - lots of fatty, fried food. I'm not sure why the midwest would be heavier than other parts of the US.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

I agree, I lived in the south for quite a while and they could make the healthiest foods fatty. My favorite was green beans cooked with bacon or some kind of fatty meat substance... very yummy but gosh, I like plain green beans just fine! And so much stuff deep fried, the sweet tea with about half a cup of sugar per glass, yeah... You know, I've lost some weight since I moved "back north", I wonder why.

[rf35]

I think it's about time that the government started slapping massive taxes on unhealthy, high-fat, high-calorie junk food. The new taxes can pay for the drain on the medical system that obese people cause. While we're at it, let's hit alcohol, too. Maybe we should add TV to the list...if you can't afford to watch TV, you might get out and exercise more.

Anybody got a problem with that? THEN I HOPE YOU ALSO OPPOSED THE TAXE HIKES ON CIGARETTES!!

[aChangeOfIdeas]

Alcohol is already taxed extra. http://www.ttb.gov/tax_audit/atftaxes.shtml I have no idea where the money goes.

[xlib]

Absolutely, and, to top that, I think one of the messiah's czars should be responsible for going into each and every home and taking away anyone who has what they deem as unhealthy food. Why should we be responsible for ourselves? Isn't that why we have a benevolent guvmint??
And to take you up on your CHALLENGE I have the AUDACITY to say-let's start with the messiah and yank those smokes out of his two faced mouth.
Got a problem with that???

[aChangeOfIdeas]

How about a lack of education leads to poverty, and a lack of education also lends itself to poor health choices. Poverty doesn't cause obesity. Poverty and obesity are caused by a lack of education.

Poverty doesn't mean you have to eat unhealthy. These are choices you can make from this week's grocery store circular:
2 Jumbo canteloupes = $4 -OR- 2 48 oz ice cream tubs = $5
8 ears of fresh sweet corn = $1.88 -OR- 4 blueberry turnovers = $3.49
18 eggs = $0.99 -OR- 16 oz bacon = $4.99
1 pound of bananas = $0.79 -OR- 1 pound bag of chips = $3.00

So explain to me again how poverty causes obesity.

[displeased]

Obviously you've never had to pinch pennies. If you went to the store with $5, are you going to buy 2 cantaloupes or are you going to buy some potted meat, ramen noodles, and a cheap loaf of white bread? And for those who say your money can go further at a farmer's market are nuts. I shop at farmers markets and buy natural foods, but only because I can afford it. There was no option of eating this stuff as a kid when we were on food stamps. Education and poverty does have an influence on one's health.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

Obviously you don't know me. I'm pinching a heck of a lot of pennies right now, being unemployed and working temp jobs. Yes, I do buy the canteloupes, the eggs, and the bananas. Not the corn because we grow our own and can it. Don't tell me I don't pinch pennies just because I happen to keep the internet service (it's awfully good for job hunting and my kids need it for school anyway) I sit down every darn week and figure out how to make my husband's check pay the bills and buy the food. Yes, I do buy the ramen noodles and cheap *whole wheat* bread too. But I stand in line behind the people with the cards (food stamps) and see what they're buying and it's usually not very healthy, sometimes cases and cases of soda and bags of chips filling up their carts.

[MPHgrad]

I agree with displeased. In Atlanta, there are a few farmer's markets, but it is not as though the public transportation system is organized in such a way to make it easy for the disadvantaged to access them. The MARTA only runs north and south and barely east and west (only inside of the perimeter). Further, you must also understand that those without an education or who are poorly educated don't understand the fundamentals of health/weight. Heck, I have educated friends who don't understand that some even with doctorate degrees. Please visit a low income community grocer. The produce is disgusting to put it politely. Unhealthy choices are plentiful. From your example here are the differences at my grocer. White store brand bread loaf: $0.79; Whole wheat/grain $3.19; basic potato chips: $1.19/bag; 8 oz of blue berries $3.09; bell pepper $1.00 each, Cantaloupes: $2.50 each; swine bacon: $1.29; turkey bacon $2.99; swine sausage: $1.39/pack; turkey sausage: $4.99/pack
So you seriously think it is within the resources of the poor to eat better when I could buy more junk for less? I'm a vegetarian and spend exorbitant amounts of money to maintain my diet; I don't know how I could do it on public assistance without growing it myself and most on public assistance live in projects where land is not available to do that.

[debinok1]

I am a perfect example of how flawed the BMI is. At 5'5" and in my forties, my acceptable BMI is 125-130. At that weight I am a size 2. According to other more reliable gauges, at 125 I am 20lbs UNDERweight. The BMI needs to be done away with.

[emh1701]

I completely agree. We need to quit hyping the BMI and use more accurate measurements.

[howbizarre]

What BMI calculator are you using? fat people won't believe anything that tells them they're fat. IF YOU ARE 5'5", THEN YOUR ACCEPTABLE BMI IS 112-149 POUNDS. Quite a bit of difference from your stated 125-130. The 112-149 allows for those who are small boned to those who are large boned. And the reason you would be a size 2 is that women's clothing retailers have made sizes smaller and smaller to try and appeal to women. 20 years ago and 15 pounds lighter, I was a size 8. Now, I'm 15 pounds heavier, and a size 4. Go figure.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

OK, I'm 5'5" and 135 and I'm a size 10. Where are you shopping? I can't imagine if I drop 5-10 pounds I would be a size 2. In fact, when I was 118 I was still a size 8.

[howbizarre]

I shop at Kohl's. This shows what a difference there is in women's sizes. You say you are 5'5", 135 and a size 10. The prior poster says she is 5'5" and that at 125-130 pounds is a size 2. I'm 5'4", 130 pounds, and usually a size 6, but recently had to move to size 4 to buy shorts at Kohl's. Where are you shopping? I can't imagine anyone wearing a size 10 who is only 135 pounds.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

howbizzarre - sadly, I usually shop at Wal-Mart. I will admit that I can squeeze into a size 8, but I really hate tight clothing so with size 10 I feel comfortable, not that I'm "sagging" (lol) my pants stay up just fine. It is interesting how much of a variation there is in sizes.

[debinok1]

The BMI is an outdated way to gauge weight in anyone, regardless of height, race, or gender. We have better ways to gauge percentage of body fat, those should be used, NOT BMI. Why are we still using a tool that uses height to weight ratio on a set mathematic scale, that is no longer accurate. When they redo this study with more reliable methods, then it can be considered accurate.

[jclark7613]

It depends on what you call obese. If you are over a size 5 then you are obese. I'm a size 10. In the black community I'm viewed as being thin but I would be considered over weight in other ethnic groups.

[debinok1]

According to the BMI I am overweight at a size 5/6. If I followed the BMI chart, I would be a size 2.

[onesword]

That's because we like more meat on our bones and a little more junk in our trunk. Sexy you know.

[newerdeal]

I was fat but not anymore. I started riding my bicycle ! Lots of fun too ! Ride bicycles America ! Ride right past those gas pumps and car dealers !

[CitizenMikeM]

Who writes this stuff? Do they just opine about the subject? That's not journalism--that's talk show opinionating. So research shows poverty causes obesity? Access to exercise equipment causes obesity? Who are they kidding? You can't walk on your own, or exercise outside instead of using an elliptical trainer? If your poor, you have to eat McDonalds and get fat? Can't go to a grocery store with that money and buy low cost food that is still healthy? Some of these article writers seem to just throw junk out there for us to read and believe. C'mon, just give me the facts, Ma'am.

[mswolfestock]

Exactly, CitizenMikeM. There is also nothing stopping these fatties from growing a garden so they have fresh vegetables in their diet. And pulling weeds is great exercise, too. Or they can go to the Farmer's Market -- nobody holds a gun to their heads when they go to McDonald's. I have a real problem with fat people on Medicaid -- if my tax dollars are paying for their health care they can *d*a*m*n* well go on a diet which is cheaper than having a heart attack, high blood pressure, etc. I work hard to keep myself healthy and fit. I work hard to stay out of the doctor's office. If I'm paying for somebody else's health care when they are doing everything to RUIN their health, then yes, I would be angry, and I am.

[jon2012-2009]

Being poor is also associated with low educational achievement and functional literacy so the most plausible explanation for the link between poverty and obesity is that these people do not have the information, or access to it, to make healthier choices in their diet. But if you'd feel better to say they're just plain lazy or stupid, it's not skin off my nose. There are people who deny evolution or the moon landing who seem to have no problem with accessing easily available information so I wouldn't be too harsh.

[displeased]

Why don't you folks try being raised in the ghetto and see what your choices are. Not only with food, but with education. It's easy to criticize the uneducated and poor when you've been raised in your cushy suburbia home and having everything you've wanted handed to you while being taught that these lazy idiots in the ghetto chose to be that way.