Multicultural Health Institute

Blacks have 51 percent higher prevalence of obesity, and Hispanics have 21 percent higher obesity prevalence compared with whites.

One of 7 low-income, preschool-aged children is obese.

African American women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the U.S. About four out of five African American women are overweight or obese.1

In 2009, African Americans were 1.5 times as likely to be obese as Non- Hispanic Whites.

In 2009, African American women were 60% more likely to be obese than Non-Hispanic White women.

In 2007-2008, African American children were 30% as likely to be overweight than Non-Hispanic Whites.

There are now nine states with obesity rates of 30 percent or more in the United States. Ten years ago, no state had an obesity rate higher than 30 percent.

Prognosticators predict more people will get sick and die from obesity-related conditions such as heart disease if the rates continue to go up.

Estimates show $147 billion in medical costs are associated with obesity.

In 2010, obese people had yearly medical costs that were approximately $1,429 higher than those of people of normal weight.