Self-Reported Obesity Prevalence Increases in U.S.

On Tuesday the CDC released a report analyzing 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey data to update estimates of national and state-specific obesity prevalence. Obesity was calculated based on self-reported weight and height. Results show that the overall self-reported obesity prevalence in the U.S. was 26.7 percent, an increase of 1.1 percentage points from 2007. Higher rates were reported by non-Hispanic blacks (36.8 percent) and Hispanics (30.7 percent). By state, obesity prevalence ranged from lows of 18.6 percent in Colorado and 19.7 percent in the District of Columbia to a high of 34.4 percent in Mississippi.

In January the CDC published a study indicating that in 2007-2008, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in the U.S. was 33.8 percent overall. In that study, weight and height were measured in a mobile examination center using standardized techniques and equipment, providing an objective assessment of obesity.