State of Latino Obesity

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Obesity is one of the biggest modifiable risk factors for cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea. 

It’s also plaguing the health of Americans, especially in people of color.  

Latinos continue to be disproportionately affected by obesity with a prevalence of 35% or higher in Latino adults living in 34 US states and territories, according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Let’s dive into the new statistics on adult obesity in the US, what’s driving it, and what interventions can help address it.  

Adult Obesity 

All states and territories in the US had an obesity prevalence higher than 20% in 2023, which is the equivalent of 1 in 5 US adults, according to the CDC. 

The highest obesity prevalence in the US was in the Midwest (36%) followed by the South (34.7%), West (29.1%), and Northeast (28.6%). 

DC and Colorado were among the states with the lowest obesity prevalence.  

Across all states, seven states had a prevalence between 25% and less than 30% while 17 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands had a prevalence between 30% and less than 35%.  

What’s more, 20 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico had a prevalence between 35% and less than 40%.  

Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia were among the states with the highest obesity prevalence of 40% or greater. 

The CDC also calculated adult obesity prevalence by educational attainment and found a correlation between educational level and adult obesity. 

36.5% of adults without a high school diploma or GED had obesity and 34.7% of adults with a high school diploma or GED had obesity.  

Adults with some college education had an obesity rate of 35.7%, compared to 27.1% of college graduates.  

By age, young adults were over half as likely to be obese as middle-aged adults. 

Obesity was highest among adults aged 45-54 (39.2%) while adults aged 18-24 had the lowest (19.5%).  

Latino Adult Obesity 

When it comes to Latinos, adult obesity had a prevalence in all states and territories, and with 34 of them had an obesity prevalence of 35% or more.  

In the US, Latinos had the second-highest obesity rates among racial/ethnic groups.  

Black adults were the most impacted at 38 states and territories over 35% obese, American Indian or Alaska Native adults were the third at 30 states and territories, and White adults were fourth at 16 states and territories.  

Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, and Wyoming are among the states with the highest Latino adult obesity prevalence at over 40% in each state, according to the data.  

Obesity and Latinos – Food Insecurity 

There is a common misconception that obesity is solely the product of failing to eat right and get enough physical activity.  

While those are certainly factors, obesity is “a complex disease,” said Ruth Petersen, the director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity said in a CDC news release.  

Young sad woman leaning on shopping cart while standing among produce aisle at supermarket.

“Many factors contribute to obesity like genes, certain medications, poor sleep, gut microbiome, stress, access to affordable food, safe places to be active, and access to health care,” Peterson said. “Understanding these factors helps us identify potential prevention and treatment strategies.” 

In fact, food insecurity is one of the biggest risk factors for obesity. This is especially true for many Latinos. 

Food insecurity even was linked to fatty liver disease, which is a disease caused by a build-up of fat around the liver, in young Latino children who receive food assistance.  

Where a person lives can determine what kind of food they can get.  

In rural areas, the nearest grocery store may be more than 15 or 20 minutes away, greatly limiting the family to unhealthy options like fast food.  

Areas that are rich in food but low on nutrition are known as food swamps 

In extremely rural communities, there may not be any food options near the home. This is known as a food desert 

Over 23 million families live in food deserts and 29% of these families are Latino, according to a Salud America! report. 

Obesity and Latinos – Lack of Space for Physical Activity 

Another aspect of healthy living missing from many rural communities, especially communities of color, are safe places to play and be active. 

Play deserts, which are defined as “areas where parks and other spots to run around and play are nonexistent, hard to access or in less safe locations that make parents second-guess taking their children to play there,” are common in the Deep South and Southwest parts of the US.  

Only 1 in 3 Latinos live within walking distance of a park.  

And only 19% of Latino children have green spaces in their neighborhoods, compared to 65% of White children, according to a Salud America! fact sheet.   

Between the lack of safe places to play and food insecurity, Latinos, including Latino children, have fewer opportunities to live healthy lives. This can influence their risk for obesity and disease, leading to worse health outcomes. 

How Can We Address Adult Obesity? 

Obesity is beginning at an earlier age, especially among Latino and Black children, and children from low-income families. 

According to the CDC, 1 in 5 US children and adolescents are obese.  

Many of these children will continue to be obese into their adult years. 

One of the best ways to mitigate obesity among adults is to address the growing concern over early childhood obesity.  

To do this, the federal government continues to invest in food assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), programs that support healthy eating habits, and trying to learn more about community drivers of obesity. 

The CDC is also partnering with communities, states, and tribes to help improve health and lower obesity rates through programs like SPAN, HOP, and REACH. 

These programs seek to “increase access to healthy food options, establish safe and accessible places for physical activity, and promote stigma-free obesity prevention and treatment programs,” according to a CDC news release. 

To address obesity in adults, the FDA has already begun to roll out obesity medications, such as GLP-1s, which can be used in combination with other interventions like nutrition and exercise.  

For more obesity resources for healthcare providers and communities, visit the CDC website. 

Moving Matters to Your Health 

Another way the CDC is tackling obesity in the US is through the Active People, Healthy Nation and the Moving Matters campaign 

Active People, Healthy Nation is aiming to help 27 million Americans be more physically active by 2027. 

The goal is to get 10 million adults and 2 million young people to meet the minimum aerobic physical activity guideline. 

Women working out together

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should be getting at least 2 and a half hours of moderate aerobic activity, like brisk walking, and muscle strengthening activities every week.  

Alternatively, adults can take part in 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise, which consists of activities such as jogging, running, or riding a bike over hills. 

It’s never too early to start putting your body into motion.  

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggests that children should be in motion for about an hour a day doing activities such as running and chasing, walking, and riding a bike.  

For adolescents and teens, a little yard work such as sweeping or pushing a lawn mower, might help reach the recommended daily amount of physical activity. 

Increased movement per the guidelines can help improve your health and quality of life while reducing health care costs by reducing the chance of developing disease risk factors. 

More physical activity can also help reduce your stress, school and work performance, and help you sleep better at night. 

For more ways to overcome barriers to weekly physical activity goals visit the CDC website. 

Find more activities and physical activity recommendations for your age and/or health condition. 

Learn About Your Community’s Health 

You can also keep an eye on obesity by learning how it impacts the health of your community. 

Downloading a free Health Equity Report Card from Salud America! can open your eyes up to all the health inequities affecting your community. 

This unique report will give you an idea on how many people in your area have access to grocery stores near them, how many fast-food restaurants there are per capita, and neighborhoods lacking safe places to play. 

Use the data, graphs, charts, and maps to showcase how obesity is impacting your community and make a case for what can be done to improve health outcomes. 

GET YOUR HEALTH EQUITY REPORT CARD!

By The Numbers By The Numbers

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