New federal study reveals black Americans to be most obese group in America

The Associated Press (AP) reported yesterday that a new study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that nearly 36 percent of black Americans are obese.

The CDC reported that about 29 percent of Hispanics and 24 percent of whites are obese, and, overall, about 26 percent of U.S. adults are obese.

The AP article stated that because there have been racial differences in obesity rates reported before, health officials were not surprised to see larger proportions of blacks tipping the scales."

What has surprised them, and made this latest study different from its predecessors, is the fact that it is the first CDC report to look at the gap state-by-state, finding blacks had significantly higher obesity rates in 21 states and somewhat higher rates in many others.

The CDC has released a detailed report on the findings, and you can view it here.