19 July 2009
Recent figures show obesity is more prevalent among
African-Americans and Hispanics, indicating racial and ethnic disparities in US
obesity rates.
The overall obesity rate in the US is reported to be about 25.6%. The condition
is also reported to be more prevalent in women in all three racial and ethnic
groups.
According to the report published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report, non-Hispanic blacks (35.7%) followed by Hispanics (28.7%) and
non-Hispanic whites (23.7%) had the highest prevalence of obesity in the US
during the years 2006 and 2008.
The report also revealed that none of the US states have reached the federal
government's Healthy People 2010 goal, which aims to reduce the obesity rate
among adults to amounts as low as 15%.
Differences in behavior as well as physical and social environments are possible
factors contributing to the disparity in obesity rates in these individuals.
“The disparities here are easy to explain,” said David Katz, adding that
“They're associated with poverty, less education, areas where you can't find
fresh fruits and vegetables, and some cultural differences.”
Scientists concluded that an effective public health strategy program, which is
a combination of policy and environmental changes, is required to overcome
obesity and the reported disparity.
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