Obesity rates continue climbing across the United States, but the burden falls disproportionately on Black and Latino populations, according to a University of Washington study published in JAMA Network. The research reveals stark disparities that underscore systemic inequities in American healthcare and society.
Latino men and women experienced the largest increase in obesity between 1990 and 2022. However, Black women currently face the highest obesity rates nationwide, with one in five living with severe obesity compared to one in 20 white and Latina women. Overall, 42.5% of American adults had obesity in 2022, up dramatically from 19.3% in 1990. Researchers project this will reach 46.9% by 2035.
The study examined over one million people across different states, ethnicities, races, sexes, and ages. Researchers found that while state-level differences might be addressed through policy changes, disparities based on sex, ethnicity, and race reveal deeper patterns of inequity.
The study’s authors wrote that these disparities stem from “discrimination based on race and ethnicity group, food insecurity and differential access to healthy food, socioeconomic deprivation and inequities in physical activity access due to neighborhood segregation and aspects of the built environment.”
Access to effective weight-loss medications also varies by race, ethnicity, and income level. The authors emphasized that “these barriers must be addressed for pharmacotherapies to reduce disparities.” Without intervention, obesity-related health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer will continue disproportionately affecting minority communities.
See: “The Importance of Addressing the Burden of Obesity” (February 6, 2026)
