Blacks had a 51 percent higher prevalence of obesity, and Hispanics had a 21 percent higher prevalence of obesity compared with whites. (Centers for Disease Control) In 32 states, more than one in four residents is obese (Centers for Disease Control) Latino girls born in 2000 have a 53 percent risk of being diagnosed with diabetes during their lifetimes, compared to 49 percent for Black girls. White girls have just a 31 percent risk. The racial risk profile among boys is similar. (RWJF Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity) Nearly 37 percent of African-American children and 43 percent of Mexican-American children are obese or overweight, compared with about 32 percent of white children. (RWJF Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity) Fifty-four percent of African American women older than 20 and 42 percent of their Latino counterparts are obese, compared to 32 percent of white women in the same age bracket. (Centers for Disease Control)

Additional Resources

PolicyLink Center for Health and Place Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity PolicyLink -- Designed for Disease: The Link Between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes PolicyLink -- Healthy Food for All: Building Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity -- Community Design and Recreation Resources Trust for America's Health -- F is for Fat 2009

Source: policylink