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Blacks and Hispanics are among the most likely in the United States to be very obese, according to a new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
About 6% of blacks and 3.4% of Hispanics fall into the highest Body Mass Index (BMI) category (<40.00), compared to 3.1% of whites and 1% of Asians. A normal BMI is between 18.50 and 24.99. A BMI of 25.00 to less than 30.00 is overweight/pre-obese. BMIs of 30.00 or higher fall into one of three classes of obesity: Obese class I = 30.00 to 34.99; Obese class II = 35.00 to 39.99; Obese class III = 40.00 or higher. Those with BMIs of 40 or higher are also frequently considered "morbidly obese." 
The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index findings stem from interviews with more than 800,000 American adults aged 18 and older. Gallup calculates respondents’ BMIs using the standard formula based on their self-reported height and weight.
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Maternal & Child HealthBy The Numbers
20.7
percent
of Latino kids have obesity (compared to 11.7% of white kids)
