On the U.S. island territory of Guam, around 26 percent of the white population is obese. Obesity is a growing problem across the United States. Being overweight or obese has been linked to various negative health impacts including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancers.
Obesity in the U.S.
The prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased gradually over the past few decades. As of 2021, it was estimated that around 33 percent of the entire U.S. population was obese. This trend has impacted youth as well as adults, with the percentage of youth aged 12 to 19 years who were obese almost doubling from the periods 1988-1994 to 2015-2018.
In the states
The U.S. states with the highest percentage of the adult population who are obese include West Virginia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. In 2022, a shocking 41 percent of the population of West Virginia were considered obese. Obesity is caused by a combination of poor diet, a lack of physical exercise, and genetics. It is estimated that around a quarter of the U.S. population is physically inactive, with rates as high as 33 percent in the state of Mississippi.
Obesity rates for adults in Guam in 2022, by race/ethnicity
Racial/ethnic groups are mutually exclusive. Percentages are weighted to reflect population characteristics.
An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
Data based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing, state-based, random-digit-dialed telephone survey of non-institutionalized civilian adults aged 18 years and older. Information about the BRFSS is available at http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.html.
* Not sufficient data.
Release date represents the date figures were accessed.
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Kaiser Family Foundation. (November 1, 2023). Obesity rates for adults in Guam in 2022, by race/ethnicity [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 26, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/207437/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-in-guam-by-ethnicity/
Kaiser Family Foundation. "Obesity rates for adults in Guam in 2022, by race/ethnicity." Chart. November 1, 2023. Statista. Accessed September 26, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/207437/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-in-guam-by-ethnicity/
Kaiser Family Foundation. (2023). Obesity rates for adults in Guam in 2022, by race/ethnicity. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 26, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/207437/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-in-guam-by-ethnicity/
Kaiser Family Foundation. "Obesity Rates for Adults in Guam in 2022, by Race/Ethnicity." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Nov 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/207437/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-in-guam-by-ethnicity/
Kaiser Family Foundation, Obesity rates for adults in Guam in 2022, by race/ethnicity Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/207437/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-in-guam-by-ethnicity/ (last visited September 26, 2024)
Obesity rates for adults in Guam in 2022, by race/ethnicity [Graph], Kaiser Family Foundation, November 1, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/207437/overweight-and-obesity-rates-for-adults-in-guam-by-ethnicity/