Study Finds 25% of Adults, 17% of Children in California Are Obese

About 25% of California adults and nearly 20% of children in the state are obese, according to a study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, HealthyCal reports.

For the study, researchers used data from the California Health Interview Survey from 2001 to 2012.

Rates of Obesity

According to the study, nearly 18 million adults and teenagers in California are considered overweight. Of those, about 7.4 million are classified as obese.

Specifically, 24.8% of adults between 2011 and 2012 were obese -- up from 19.3% a decade earlier.

Meanwhile, the study found that by 2012:

• 16% of Californians between 12 and 17 years old were overweight; and
• 17% of residents between 12 and 17 years old were obese.

According to HealthyCal, overall rates of obesity increased in every major region of California during the study period. In 2012, San Francisco County had the lowest obesity rate at 11.3%, while Imperial County had the highest rate at 41.7%.

Disparities

The study found that low-income and certain racial and ethnic groups were disproportionately affected by obesity, HealthyCal reports.

For example, the obesity rate among the lowest-income California residents -- those with family incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level -- increased from 24.4% to 30.5% during the study period.

Meanwhile, the populations with the highest obesity rates in the state included:

• Pacific Islanders at 37.1%;
• American Indians at 36.2%;
• Blacks at 36.1%; and
• Latinos at 32.6%.

In comparison, whites in the state had an obesity rate of 21.9% and Asians had an obesity rate of 9.7% (Guzik, HealthyCal, 7/1).