Obesity and Hispanic/Latino Americans

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.

  • In 2024, Hispanic adults were only about 10% more likely than the total U.S. population to have a BMI of 30 or greater.1
  • In 2020, among men, adult Hispanic men were least likely to meet federal physical activity guidelines, whereas among women, adult Hispanic women were the second most likely to meet federal physical activity guidelines after White women.2
  • From 2017–2020, Hispanic children (ages 2–19) had the highest obesity prevalence (26.2%) compared to the total population of children.3
    • Hispanic boys had the highest obesity prevalence (29.3%) among boys in the total U.S. population.
    • Hispanic girls had the second highest obesity prevalence (23.0%) among girls in the total U.S. population.

Visit Medline Plus for health information about chronic conditions related to obesity in Spanish and other languages. You can also browse the information by health topics, like Nutrition, to find resources in Spanish.

Looking for curated searches on obesity within minority and tribal populations, including Hispanic/Latino populations, in the United States and its territories? Check out the OMH Knowledge Center Topic Guides.

Adults

Adults ages 18 and over who were obese (Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30.0 or greater), percentage, 2024
HispanicTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
37.533.41.12
Source: National Center for Health Statistics. Percentage of obesity for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2024. National Health Interview Survey. Generated interactively: Aug 20 2025. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NHISDataQueryTool/SHS_adult/index.html
Persons ages 18 and over who were overweight but not obese (BMI of 25.0–30.0), age-adjusted percentage, 2018.
HispanicTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
Male41.439.91.04
Female31.428.41.11
Both Sexes36.234.01.06
Source: CDC, 2019. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-15a.
Persons ages 18 and over who were obese (BMI of 30.0 or greater), age-adjusted percentage, 2018
HispanicTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
Male34.330.91.11
Female35.428.41.25
Both Sexes34.931.11.12
Source: CDC, 2019. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-15a.

Children and adolescents

Children ages 6–11 who were obese, percentage, 2015–2018
HispanicTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
Boys27.520.91.32
Girls25.617.71.45
Both Sexes26.619.31.38
Source: CDC, 2021. Health United States, 2019. Table 27. Obesity in youth is defined as BMI at or above the sex- and age-specific 95th percentile of the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Growth Charts.
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
Hispanic, all racesTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
38.9Not ReportedNot Reported
Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query. https://datatools.ahrq.gov/nhqdr
Children ages 2–17 for whom a health provider gave advice within the past 2 years about healthy eating, percentage, 2020
Hispanic, all racesTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
50.8Not ReportedNot Reported
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query. https://datatools.ahrq.gov/nhqdr
Students in grades 9–12 who were overweight, percentage, 2023
HispanicTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
Female17.115.21.13
Male15.414.31.08
Both Sexes16.214.71.10
Source: CDC. High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. High School Students Who Were Overweight, 2023. Overweight in youth is defined as at or above the 85th percentile but below the 95th percentile for body mass index, based on sex- and age-specific reference data from the 2000 CDC growth charts.
Students in grades 9–12 who were obese, percentage, 2023
HispanicTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
Female14.013.41.04
Male24.618.21.35
Both Sexes19.515.91.23
Source: CDC. High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. High School Students Who Had Obesity, 2023. Overweight in youth is defined as at or above the 85th percentile but below the 95th percentile for body mass index, based on sex- and age-specific reference data from the 2000 CDC growth charts.

Health impact of obesity

Adults ages 18 and over who did not meet federal physical activity guidelines for either aerobic activity or muscle-strengthening, age-adjusted percentage, 2018
HispanicTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
49.542.31.17
Source: CDC, 2020. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-14a.
Adults ages 18 and over who were sufficiently active (met aerobic activity guidelines only), age-adjusted percentage, 2018
HispanicTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
47.854.20.88
Source: CDC, 2020. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-14a.
Adults ages 18 and over who met federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening, age-adjusted percentage, 2018
HispanicTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
21.624.10.90
Source: CDC, 2020. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table A-14a.
Adults ages 18 and over with obesity who had a physician office visit for counseling or education related to diet or nutrition, percentage, 2018
Hispanic, all racesTotal PopulationHispanic /
Total Population Ratio
44.8Not ReportedNot Reported
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.
https://datatools.ahrq.gov/nhqdr

1 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Percentage of obesity for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2024. National Health Interview Survey. Generated interactively: Aug 20, 2025. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NHISDataQueryTool/SHS_adult/index.html (Back to top)

2 NCHS, 2022. Physical activity among adults aged 18 and over: United States, 2020. NCHS Data Brief, no 443. Figure 3. (Back to top)

3 CDC, 2021. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–March 2020 Prepandemic Data Files -- Development of Files and Prevalence Estimates for Selected Health Outcomes. Table 3. (Back to top)


Date Last Reviewed: September 2025