Overweight and Obesity Among
Title Goes
Latino
Youths
Here
Fact Sheet | May 2014
W
hile childhood obesity rates among all demographic groups
are considerably higher than they were a generation ago,
children from certain racial and ethnic communities have been
disproportionately affected. Sharply higher rates of overweight and obesity
have occurred over the last few decades among Latino, African American, and
American Indian children and adolescents.1 Today, the newest data indicate
that, while leveling off in some sectors of the American populace, obesity rates
among these ethnic groups remain significantly high.
Facts At A Glance
nn Latino children and adolescents are
more likely to be overweight and
obese than their White peers.
nn Limited availability of healthy foods
and safe recreational facilities
This fact sheet is based on the most current research highlighting the
prevalence, consequences, and causes of overweight and obesity among Latino
youths.2 Additional fact sheets and resources on childhood obesity can be
found at www.leadershipforhealthycommunities.org.
contribute to unhealthy environments
for Latino children and families.
nn Factors such as acculturation
and unhealthy food and beverage
marketing play a role in higher rates
of overweight and obesity among
Latino youths.
nn Latino children have a greater risk
of developing diabetes compared to
their White peers.
www.leadershipforhealthycommunities.org
twitter.com/LHCommunities
facebook.com/LHCommunities
Leadership
Healthy
Communities
a national
program
Leadership
forfor
Healthy
Communities
is aisnational
program
of
the
Robert
Wood
Johnson
Foundation.
of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
2
Overweight and Obesity Among Latino Youths
Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Latino Youths
Latino youths suffer disproportionately from overweight and obesity.
nn Currently, 22.4 percent of Hispanic youths ages
2 to 19 are obese, compared with 16.9 percent of
all youths those ages.3 Hispanic youths’ obesity
prevalence rate went up by 1.2 percentage points
since 2009-10.4
nn Hispanic youths ages 2 to 19 are more likely to be
overweight or obese than their non-Hispanic White
and non-Hispanic Black peers. The prevalence
of overweight and obesity is 38.9 percent among
Hispanic youths, 35.2 percent among non-Hispanic
Black youths, and 28.5 percent among non-Hispanic
White youths.5
nn More Hispanic children ages 6 to 11 and 12 to 19
are obese than their peers. Among Hispanics, 26.1
percent of children ages 6 to 11, and 22.6 percent
of 12 to 19 year olds are obese. By comparison
among non-Hispanic White children, 13.1 percent
of children ages 6 to 11, and 19.6 percent of 12 to
19 year olds are obese.6
nn Among Hispanic children ages 2-19, boys have a
higher prevalence of obesity or overweight than
girls (40.7 percent versus 37.0 percent). The largest
difference is among Hispanic youths ages 6-11.
Within this age group, 48.7 percent of Hispanic
boys are overweight or obese compared to 43.6
percent of Hispanic girls. Similarly, 28.6 percent of
Hispanic boys ages 6 to 11 are obese compared to
23.4 percent of Hispanic girls.7
Consequences of Childhood Obesity
Overweight and obese children are more likely to suffer from serious, lifelong illnesses than their healthy-weight peers.
The higher prevalence of overweight and obesity among Latino children places them at a greater risk of developing
chronic diseases.
nn Childhood obesity is associated with an increased
risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and
other cardiovascular disease risk factors, asthma,
sleep apnea, and social discrimination.8
nn Overweight children are at least twice as likely to
become overweight adults compared to their normalweight peers, according to a literature review of
the persistence of excess weight from childhood
to adulthood.9
nn Hispanic children are more likely than other
children to develop diabetes. Among children
born in 2000, non-Hispanic White boys have a
26.7 percent risk of being diagnosed with diabetes
during their lifetimes, while Hispanic boys have
a 45.4 percent lifetime risk. Non-Hispanic White
girls born in 2000 have a 31.2 percent risk of being
diagnosed with diabetes during their lifetimes, while
Hispanic girls have a 52.5 percent lifetime risk.10
3
Overweight and Obesity Among Latino Youths
Determinants of Overweight and Obesity
A complex interplay of social, economic, and environmental factors contribute to higher overweight and obesity rates
among Latino children.
The Food Environment
The Built Environment
Latino communities often lack access to healthy
affordable foods.
Environmental factors involving transportation,
infrastructure, and safety limit Latino children’s options
for physical activity.
nn Hispanic neighborhoods have approximately onethird as many chain supermarkets as non-Hispanic
neighborhoods.11 Easy access to chain supermarkets
is associated with lower adolescent body mass index
(BMI) and obesity rates.12
nn Latino students have less healthy school meal
options than their White peers. In 2010, 48 percent
of White middle school students had access to a
salad bar at lunch time, compared with 37 percent
of Latino students.13
Media Influence
The influence of unhealthy food and beverage marketing
on Latino households poses a significant challenge to
healthy eating.
nn In 2008, advertisers spent more than $600 million
on food, beverage, and restaurant advertising in
Hispanic media.14
nn In 2010, advertisements for fast-food restaurants
made up approximately 30 percent of the food
advertisements viewed by Hispanic youth on
Spanish-language television.15
nn The sugary beverage industry is increasing their
marketing to Hispanic youth. In 2010, Hispanic
children saw 49 percent more advertisements and
Hispanic teens saw 99 percent more advertisements
for sugary drinks than they did on Spanish-language
TV in 2008.16
nn Hispanic neighborhoods are often less likely to
have parks and other spaces for physical activity.
According to a study of communities in Maryland,
North Carolina, and New York, 81.4 percent of
Hispanic neighborhoods did not have access to a
recreational facility compared with 38.4 percent of
White neighborhoods.17
nn Hispanic children are more likely than White
children to live in unsafe neighborhoods. Twentythree percent of Hispanic parents reported their
neighborhoods were unsafe, compared with eight
percent of White parents.18
nn Hispanic youths do not get enough daily physical
activity. An evaluation of data from the 2003
National Survey of Children’s Health found that
both immigrant Hispanic children and Hispanic
children born in the United States spend less time
being physically active and participating in sports
than non-Hispanic White children.19
4
Overweight and Obesity Among Latino Youths
Acculturation
Adaptation to the American way of life is associated with
less physical activity, poor eating habits, and excess weight
among Latino children and adults.
nn A literature review showed that acculturation among
Latino adults in the United States increased their
consumption of fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages,
and added fat.20
nn A study of Mexican–American adults in southeastern
Harris County, Texas, showed a direct correlation
between obesity risk and years in the United States.21
nn Acculturation to the United States is significantly
associated with fewer days of moderate-to-highintensity physical activity and more frequent
consumption of fast food, according to a study
of Hispanic sixth- and seventh-graders in
Southern California.22
Summary
Because of the many barriers to healthy eating and
active living, Latino children and adolescents are more
likely to suffer from overweight and obesity than their
White peers. Consequently, they are at a higher risk of
developing serious, chronic illnesses. Comprehensive
solutions, which include increasing access to affordable
healthy foods in communities and schools, limiting
the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages,
addressing neighborhood safety, and improving the
built environment, are necessary to prevent childhood
obesity and safeguard the health of Latino children
and adolescents.
Endnotes
1 Most data on the prevalence of childhood obesity among racial and
ethnic populations are for African Americans and Latinos.
2 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and Leadership
for Healthy Communities (LHC) generally use the word “Latino”
to describe people in the United States who are of Central or
South American descent. However, when citing research that uses
terminology such as “Hispanic” or “Mexican American,” RWJF and
LHC defer to the authors’ wording.
3 Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, et al. “Prevalence of Childhood and
Adult Obesity in the United States, 2011-2012.” Journal of the American
Medical Association, 311(8): 806-814, 2014.
4 Ogden CL, Carroll, MD, Kit BK, et al. “Prevalence of Obesity and
Trends in Body Mass Index Among US Children and Adolescents,
1999-2010.” Journal of the American Medical Association, 307(5):
483-490, 2012.
8 Basics About Childhood Obesity. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/basics.html. (Accessed
November 2012). (No authors given.)
9 Singh AS, Mulder C, Twisk JWR, et al. “Tracking of Childhood
Overweight into Adulthood: A Systematic Review of the Literature.”
Obesity Reviews, 9(5): 474-488, 2008.
10 Narayan KMV, Boyle JP, Thompson TJ, et al. “Lifetime Risk for
Diabetes Mellitus in the United States.” Journal of the American Medical
Association, 290(14): 1884-1890, 2003.
11 Powell LM, Slater S, Mirtcheva D, et al. “Food Store Availability
and Neighborhood Characteristics in the United States.” Preventive
Medicine, 44(3): 189-195, 2007.
12 Powell LM, Auld MC, Chaloupka FJ, et al. “Associations Between
Access to Food Stores and Adolescent Body Mass Index.” American
Journal of Preventive Medicine, 33(4S): S301-S307, 2007.
5 Ogden CL, et al 2014, 806-814.
6 Ogden CL, et al 2014, 806-814.
7 Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, et al. “Prevalence of Childhood and
Adult Obesity in the United States, 2011-2012.” Journal of the American
Medical Association, 311(8): 806-814, 2014.
13 Johnston L, O’Malley P. Terry-McElrath Y, et al. School Policies and
Practices to Improve Health and Prevent Obesity: National Secondary
School Survey Results: School Years 2006–07 through 2009–10. Volume
2. Ann Arbor, MI: Bridging the Gap Program, Survey Research Center,
Institute for Social Research, 2012.
5
Overweight and Obesity Among Latino Youths
14 “Hispanic Fact Pack 2009 Edition: Annual Guide to Hispanic
Marketing and Media.” Advertising Age, 2009. http://gaia.adage.com/
images/random/datacenter/2009/hispfactpack09.pdf. (Accessed November
2013). (No authors given.)
19 Singh GK, Yu SM, Siashpush M, et al. “High Levels of Physical
Inactivity and Sedentary Behaviors Among US Immigrant Children and
Adolescents.” Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, 162(8): 756763, 2008.
15 Fleming-Milici F, Harris JL, Sarda V, et al. “Amount of Hispanic Youth
Exposure to Food and Beverage Advertising on Spanish- and EnglishLanguage Television.” JAMA Pediatrics, 167(8): 723-730, 2013.
20 Ayala GX, Baquero B, Klinger S. “A Systematic Review of the
Relationship Between Acculturation and Diet among Latinos in
the United States: Implications for Future Research.” Journal of the
American Dietetic Association, 108(8): 1330–1344, 2008.
16 Harris J, Schwartz M, and Brownell K. Sugary Drink FACTS: Evaluating
Sugary Drink Nutrition and Marketing to Youth. New Haven, CT: Yale
Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity; 2011.
17 Moore LV, Diez Roux AV, Evenson KR, et al. “Availability of Recreational
Resources in Minority and Low Socioeconomic Status Areas.” American
Journal of Preventive Medicine, 34(1): 16-22, 2008.
18 Singh GK, Siahpush M, and Kogan MD. “Neighborhood Socioeconomic
Conditions, Built Environments, and Childhood Obesity.” Health Affairs,
29(3): 503-512, 2010.
21 Barcenas CH, Wilkinson AV, Strom SS, et al. “Birthplace, Years of
Residence in the United States, and Obesity Among Mexican-American
Adults.” Obesity, 15(4): 1043-1052, 2007.
22 Unger JB, Reynolds K, Shakib S, et al. “Acculturation, Physical Activity,
and Fast-Food Consumption Among Asian-American and Hispanic
Adolescents.” Journal of Community Health, 29(6): 467-481, 2004.