Relevant Population Characteristics for Obesity Among Adults

Relevant Population Characteristics

The age-adjusted proportion of Utahns aged 18 or older with a BMI indicating obesity (>=30 kg/m^2^ ) has increased since 1990 (from 9.9% in 1990 to 28.4% in 2018). Although the increase appears to be leveling off, obesity remains a serious public health problem affecting more than one in four Utah adults (the crude rate of obesity in 2018 was 27.8%). There are considerable differences in the prevalence of obesity by subpopulations. For example, the highest rates of obesity were seen for adults aged 50 to 64, 33.4%, compared to the state rate of 27.8%. (Note crude rates were used to compare by age groups.) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults and American Indian/Alaskan Native adults had rates much higher than the state rate, with age-adjusted rates of 50.0% and 36.7%, respectively, compared to 27.1% for the state for 2017-2018 combined.