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Burden of Chronic Disease

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The Burden of Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: National and State Perspectives 2002

Section III
Risk Factors and Use of Preventive Services, United States

  




Overweight Among Adults

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions among Americans in all age groups. Obesity (body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or greater) among adults has doubled since 1980. People who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis-related disabilities, and some cancers. The direct and indirect costs attributable to overweight and obesity in the United States in 2000 was $117 billion.

  • Obesity causes an estimated 300,000 premature deaths a year. 
  • According to the latest weight guidelines, more than 57% of American adults were overweight by self-reported height and weight in 2000.
  • Men were more likely than women to be overweight according to self-reported height and weight. 
  • In 2000, the percentage of adults who reported being overweight ranged from 48% in Colorado to 62% in Mississippi.

Percentage of Adults Who Were Overweight,* 2000

Percentage of Adults Who Were Overweight, 2000. Data in tabular format follows.

*Body mass index of 25.0 kg/m2 or greater. 
Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

  



 

Percentage of Adults Who Were Overweight,* by State Rank, 2000

Rank State Percent
1 Mississippi 61.7
2 Kentucky 61.0
3 Michigan 61.0
4 Alabama 60.7
5 North Dakota 60.4
6 Louisiana 60.0
7 Iowa 60.0
8 Arkansas 59.9
9 Texas 59.8
10 West Virginia 59.8
11 Georgia 59.4
12 Tennessee 59.4
13 Alaska 59.2
14 North Carolina 59.2
15 South Carolina 59.0
16 Illinois 58.9
17 South Dakota 58.8
18 Kansas 58.7
19 Nebraska 58.5
20 Indiana 58.4
21 Wisconsin 57.8
22 Pennsylvania 57.7
23 Oregon 57.6
24 California 57.3
25 Ohio 57.3
26 New York 56.9
27 New Jersey 56.7
28 Maryland 56.7
29 Missouri 56.4
30 Maine 56.3
31 Oklahoma 56.3
32 Virginia 56.1
33 Arizona 55.9
34 Delaware 55.8
35 Idaho 55.7
36 New Mexico 55.5
37 Washington 55.1
38 Wyoming 55.1
39 Minnesota 55.0
40 New Hampshire 54.6
41 Utah 54.1
42 Florida 53.9
43 Rhode Island 53.8
44 Connecticut 53.7
45 District of Columbia 53.2
46 Nevada 53.2
47 Montana 53.1
48 Vermont 52.8
49 Massachusetts 52.8
50 Hawaii 50.2
51 Colorado 48.0
  Median 56.9

*Body mass index of 25.0 kg/m2 or greater. 
Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

  


 

Percentage of Adults Who Were Overweight,* by Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 2000

State Total Male Female White Black† Asian/Pacific Islander† American Indian/ Alaska Native† Hispanic†
Alabama 60.7 68.2 53.8 58.4 70.0 - - -
Alaska 59.2 67.6 49.7 57.2 - - 70.7 62.0
Arizona 55.9 66.6 45.4 53.5 - - 68.6 62.6
Arkansas 59.9 66.8 53.3 58.0 74.9 - - 65.6
California 57.3 66.6 47.8 54.1 62.7 39.2 - 66.4
Colorado 48.0 56.6 39.4 46.5 58.7 - - 55.4
Connecticut 53.7 62.6 45.1 52.5 71.2 28.8 - 59.2
Delaware 55.8 62.8 49.0 54.4 69.3 - - 48.8
District of Columbia 53.2 54.6 52.1 36.7 64.6 - - 51.4
Florida 53.9 63.0 45.2 52.0 62.4 31.9 - 58.6
Georgia 59.4 67.0 52.0 56.3 70.4 - - 55.0
Hawaii 50.2 60.5 39.5 46.9 40.5 44.5 68.5 56.1
Idaho 55.7 63.1 48.1 55.1 - - 77.5 63.5
Illinois 58.9 65.6 52.4 57.5 70.3 28.7 - 64.6
Indiana 58.4 67.2 49.9 58.4 69.4 - - 55.9
Iowa 60.0 68.2 52.0 60.5 - - - 47.8
Kansas 58.7 68.0 49.3 58.8 66.3 - - 62.3
Kentucky 61.0 68.9 53.4 60.5 72.1 - - -
Louisiana 60.0 66.3 54.1 57.0 69.1 - - 57.6
Maine 56.3 64.1 48.6 56.5 - - - 49.5
Maryland 56.7 64.0 49.6 53.6 67.4 25.0 - 57.1
Massachusetts 52.8 64.3 41.9 52.2 63.9 29.9 - 61.5
Michigan 61.0 71.3 51.2 61.0 66.9 - - 65.9
Minnesota 55.0 64.8 45.3 55.5 51.5 - - -
Mississippi 61.7 70.3 53.6 57.9 73.8 - - 44.6
Missouri 56.4 66.2 47.2 56.0 61.9 - - 54.2
Montana 53.1 62.6 43.4 52.2 - - 66.9 60.6
Nebraska 58.5 69.8 47.3 58.5 72.7 - - 59.1
Nevada 53.2 62.9 42.8 51.6 58.4 35.3 - 59.2
New Hampshire 54.6 66.4 42.8 54.2 - - - -
New Jersey 56.7 66.8 47.0 55.2 69.9 38.7 - 58.7
New Mexico 55.5 63.4 47.7 49.6 - - 62.3 63.0
New York 56.9 65.0 49.2 55.1 68.1 36.3 - 62.2
North Carolina 59.2 67.2 51.3 56.9 67.6 - - 59.1
North Dakota 60.4 70.5 49.6 59.9 - - 81.5 -
Ohio 57.3 65.1 49.7 57.0 64.1 - - 67.5
Oklahoma 56.3 66.4 46.3 54.4 60.6 - 67.2 72.5
Oregon 57.6 65.4 49.7 57.3 - 25.8 75.9 64.6
Pennsylvania 57.7 67.5 48.4 56.3 73.6 - - 60.9
Rhode Island 53.8 63.4 44.6 53.0 59.3 - - 60.7
South Carolina 59.0 66.1 52.2 54.8 70.2 - - 63.3
South Dakota 58.8 66.6 51.0 58.1 - - 74.2 59.9
Tennessee 59.4 68.0 51.2 57.5 71.7 - - 52.5
Texas 59.8 69.4 50.2 57.2 66.8 35.9 - 66.4
Utah 54.1 62.2 46.0 53.8 - - - 58.8
Vermont 52.8 61.4 44.3 53.2 - - - 47.0
Virginia 56.1 65.3 46.8 54.0 68.9 37.4 - 52.9
Washington 55.1 64.2 45.8 56.0 57.1 42.8 60.1 49.4
West Virginia 59.8 69.1 50.9 59.8 76.9 - - -
Wisconsin 57.8 67.9 47.7 57.8 63.0 - - 56.1
Wyoming 55.1 64.8 45.3 54.2 - - - 60.7
United States 57.3 66.2 48.7 55.8 67.6 36.9 60.2 63.2

*Body mass index of 25.0 kg/m2 or greater. 
† A dash indicates that the state sample had too few respondents (fewer than 50) in this category to calculate a stable estimate. 
Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

 

  



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This page last reviewed August 10, 2004

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