Individuals who are overweight or obese are at a heightened risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, elevated blood lipids, diabetes, and increased LDL cholesterol, all of which are significant contributors to heart disease and stroke.
- Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students in grades 9–12 were nearly three times more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white peers in 2023.1
- Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander female students were 2.1 times more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white female students.
- Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander male students were 3.9 times more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white male students.
- In 2023, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults were 20% more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white adults.2
Adults
| Adults age 18 and over who were obese (Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30.0 or greater), percentage, 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 40.1 | 33.2 | 1.2 |
| Persons age 18 and over who were obese (BMI of 30.0 or greater), percentage, 2019–2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 33.3 | 31.5 | 1.1 |
| Adults age 18 and over who were obese by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NH/PI Ratio | Population / White Ratio | |
| White | 28.2 | 0.6 | -- |
| All NH/PI | 44.6 | -- | 1.6 |
| Native Hawaiian | 43.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| Pacific Islander | 44.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| Samoan | 61.6 | 1.4 | 2.2 |
| Guamanian or Chamorro | 39.9 | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Other Pacific Islander | 38.0 | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| Persons age 18 and over who were overweight but not obese (BMI of 25.0–30.0), age-adjusted percentage, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 24.4 | 34.3 | 0.7 |
| Adults age 18 and over who were overweight but not obese by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NH/PI Ratio | Population / White Ratio | |
| White | 35.0 | 1.1 | -- |
| All NH/PI | 31.6 | -- | 0.9 |
| Native Hawaiian | 30.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Pacific Islander | 32.9 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Samoan | 28.2 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Guamanian or Chamorro | 34.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Other Pacific Islander | 37.8 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
Children and Adolescents
| Children ages 6–11 who were obese, percentage, 2015–2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio | |
| Girls | -- | 12.6 | -- |
| Boys | -- | 18.3 | -- |
| Both Sexes | -- | 15.5 | -- |
| Children ages 2–17 for whom a health provider within the past two years gave advice about the amount and kind of exercise, sports, or physically active hobbies they should have, percentage, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| -- | 39.9 | -- |
| Children ages 2–17 for whom a health provider gave advice within the past 2 years about healthy eating, percentage, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| -- | 51.4 | -- |
| Students in grades 9–12 who were overweight, percentage, 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio | |
| Female | 15.1 | 13.2 | 1.1 |
| Male | 15.6 | 13.8 | 1.1 |
| Total | 15.4 | 13.5 | 1.1 |
| Students in grades 9–12 who were obese, percentage, 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio | |
| Female | 23.7 | 11.3 | 2.1 |
| Male | 59.3 | 15.2 | 3.9 |
| Total | 38.0 | 13.4 | 2.8 |
Health Impact of Obesity
| Adults age 18 and over who did not meet federal physical activity guidelines for either aerobic activity or muscle-strengthening, age-adjusted percentage, 2018 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 51.4 | 38.9 | 1.3 |
| Adults age 18 and over who did not meet federal physical activity guidelines for either aerobic activity or muscle-strengthening, by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NH/PI Ratio | Population / White Ratio | |
| White | 46.9 | 1.0 | -- |
| All NH/PI | 45.5 | -- | 1.0 |
| Native Hawaiian | 40.6 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Pacific Islander | 48.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Samoan | 43.7 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Guamanian or Chamorro | 43.2 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Other Pacific Islander | 54.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Adults age 18 and over who were sufficiently active (met aerobic activity guidelines only), age-adjusted percentage, 2018 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 44.5 | 57.5 | 0.8 |
| Adults age 18 and over who were sufficiently active (met aerobic activity guidelines only) by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NH/PI Ratio | Population / White Ratio | |
| White | 51.2 | 1.0 | -- |
| All NH/PI | 51.6 | -- | 1.0 |
| Native Hawaiian | 57.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Pacific Islander | 48.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Samoan | 50.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Guamanian or Chamorro | 53.7 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Other Pacific Islander | 42.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Adults age 18 and over who met federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening, age-adjusted percentage, 2018 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 21.9 | 25.8 | 0.8 |
| Adults age 18 and over who met federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NH/PI Ratio | Population / White Ratio | |
| White | 22.0 | 1.0 | -- |
| All NH/PI | 21.1 | -- | 1.0 |
| Native Hawaiian | 21.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Pacific Islander | 19.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Samoan | 21.7 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Guamanian or Chamorro | 22.6 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Other Pacific Islander | 17.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Adults age 18 and over with obesity who had a physician office visit for counseling or education related to diet or nutrition, percentage, 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| -- | 26.5 | -- |
1 CDC. High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. High School Students Who Had Obesity, 2023. (Back to top)
2 CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults. Percentage of obesity for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2023. (Back to top)