CDC's 2014 State Maps Detailing the Prevalence of Adults with Obesity

CDC’S 2014 State Maps Detailing the Prevalence of Adults with Obesity

Today, the CDC Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity released its 2014 state- and territory-specific data on the percentage of adults with obesity using self-reported information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). New adult obesity prevalence maps are available online at www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html. This new data shows that the proportion of adults in the United States with obesity remained high in 2014, with estimates across states/territories ranging from 21.3% in Colorado to 35.9% in Arkansas.

Obesity continues to be a common, serious, and costly public health problem. Findings from the 2014 BRFSS include the following:  No state had less than 20% of adults with obesity. Nineteen states had 30% to less than 35% of adults with obesity.  Three states—Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia—had 35% or more of adults with obesity. The Midwest had the highest percentage of adults with obesity (30.7%), followed by the South (30.6%), the Northeast (27.3%), and the West (25.7%).

In addition, for the second year, maps of adult obesity by race/ethnicity have been released by CDC in which 2012-2014 data is combined. These maps highlight disparities in the epidemic. Combining data from 2012 to 2014:

• Non-Hispanic blacks had the highest prevalence of self-reported obesity (38.1 percent), followed by Hispanics (31.3 percent), and non-Hispanic whites (27.1 percent).
• In 33 states, at least 35% of the Non-Hispanic black adult population has obesity in contrast to only one state with at least 35% of the Non-Hispanic white adult population with obesity.

BRFSS is the nation's state-based data tracking system that collects self-reported information (through telephone surveys) from U.S. residents about their health-related behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services.  BRFSS collects data in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and select U.S. territories.  

BRFSS is only one of several data sets that allows obesity in the United States to be monitored. Data from the BRFSS, as well as from other data sets, including the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in which weight and height are measured, indicate that obesity continues to be a major public health problem.

There are several ways organizations can create a supportive environment to promote healthy living behaviors that prevent obesity: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/strategies/index.html

 More CDC Resources: 

•  Body Mass Index (BMI) provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories, such as obesity, that may lead to health problems like heart disease and diabetes.  CDC’s adult BMI calculator is now available in both English and Spanish and can be accessed here. 
• Defining Overweight and Obesity
• What Causes Overweight and Obesity?
• Strategies to  Help Prevent Obesity
• Fact Sheet: Health Disparities in Obesity

September 21, 2015