The Prevalence of Obesity and Overweight Among

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 145 million Americans are overweight, and 74 million are obese. In addition, rates of obesity for almost all demographic groups have increased dramatically over the past thirty years. The purpose of the present study is to ascertain the determinants of both obesity and overweight among young adults. Results indicate that the factors that are associated with being overweight are not the same factors that are associated with being obese. Higher income persons are more likely to be overweight but are less likely to be obese. Men are more likely to be overweight but less likely to be obese. Race has no relationship to overweight, but African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely to be obese. Healthy living habits, such as exercising and eating right, are not related to overweight but are related to obesity. However, the most statistically significant factor associated with being both overweight and obese is whether the individual was obese or overweight five years earlier. This result suggests that past behaviors or genetics have much greater impacts on the likelihood of being obese or overweight than do socioeconomic or demographic factors.