The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America 2014

Key Findings

• Race and Ethnicity: Obesity rates remain higher among blacks and Latinos than among whites. Rates among blacks topped 40 percent in 11 states; rates among Latinos exceeded 35 percent in 5 states; for whites, 10 states had rates over 30 percent.
• Socioeconomic Status: More than 33 percent of adults 18 and older who earn less than $15,000 per year are obese, compared with 25.4 percent who earn at least $50,000 per year.
• Geography: 9 out of the 10 states with the highest obesity rates are in the South.
• Age: Baby Boomers (45-to 64-year-olds) have the highest obesity rates of any age group – topping 35 percent in 17 states.
• Severity: More than 6 percent of adults are severely** obese; the number of severely obese adults has quadrupled in the past 30 years.

Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)

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