by Terry Sequeira
The percentages are above 40 percent for most races/ethnicities
Obesity is a growing public health concern in the United States, particularly among minority communities — and a recent study shows that it has a disproportionate impact on minority communities.
Statistics from the 2022 State of Obesity report indicate that rates of obesity vary among racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The rate for black adults is 49.9 percent, followed by Hispanic adults at 45.6 percent, white adults at 41.4 percent, and Asian American adults at 16.1 percent.
Health experts attribute obesity in minority communities to several factors, including a lack of safe spaces for physical activities, attitudes about body weight and a lack of access to healthy food.
However, obesity is not unique to America; As The Washington Post reported in March, a recently published global study by the Global Obesity Federation predicted that more than half of the world’s population ages 5 and older will be overweight or obese within 12 years — that’s nearly 4 billion people. As reported by multiple sources, the study also projected that costs related to addressing health problems resulting from overweight and obesity will exceed $4 trillion by 2035, unless preventive and treatment measures improve.
Health problems related to obesity and overweight may include heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and mental health problems.
Health experts advise people to avoid being overweight or obese – and thus avoid health problems associated with being overweight – by adopting a healthy lifestyle. This lifestyle includes reducing consumption of processed and high-fat foods, alcohol, and beverages that are high in sugar. It also includes exercising 30 minutes a day or more than two hours a week, and doing moderate or rigorous physical activity such as walking, swimming, and strength training. Other recommended components of a healthy lifestyle include getting plenty of sleep and managing stress.
Obesity rates continue to rise in the United States.
The proportions are over 40% in most ethnic groups
Obesity is a growing public health problem in the United States, especially among minority communities, and a recent study showed that it has a disproportionate impact on these communities.
Statistics from the 2022 State of Obesity report show that rates of obesity vary across racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The highest percentage was recorded for black adults at 49.9%, followed by Latinos at 45.6%, whites at 41.4%, and Asian Americans at 16.1%.
Health experts attribute obesity in minority communities to a number of factors, including a lack of safe spaces for physical activity, attitudes about body weight, and a lack of access to healthy foods.
However, obesity is not unique to the United States; As The Washington Post reported in March, a recently published global study by the Global Obesity Federation predicted that more than half of the world’s population ages 5 and older will be overweight or obese within 12 years, that’s nearly 4 billion person. As reported by various sources, the study also predicted that unless preventive and treatment measures improve, costs related to addressing health problems caused by overweight and obesity will exceed $4 trillion by 2035.
Health problems related to obesity and overweight include heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and mental health problems.
Health experts advise avoiding being overweight or obese – and therefore health problems related to being overweight – by adopting a healthy lifestyle. This lifestyle means cutting back on processed, high-fat foods, alcohol, and high-sugar beverages. It also includes exercising 30 minutes a day or more than two hours a week, and doing moderate to vigorous physical activity, such as walking, swimming, and strength training. Other recommended components of a healthy lifestyle are getting enough sleep and managing stress.