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International Handbook of the Demography of Obesity pp 137–152Cite as

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in U.S. Obesity Prevalence: What Have We Learned from Demographic and Population Health Science?

Part of the International Handbooks of Population book series (IHOP,volume 12)

Abstract

In the following review, we summarize findings from two decades of demographic and population health research investigating racial/ethnic and nativity disparities in childhood and adult obesity in the United States (U.S.). We document current racial/ethnic disparities in the U.S. obesity prevalence among adults and children and discuss important theoretical models that can help explain why these disparities are evident. We then focus attention on some of the primary contributions scholars have made to knowledge about racial/ethnic disparities in obesity. These contributions include a large body of research on the risk of obesity among the Hispanic population, including what is known about immigrants and their children; scholarship on Black women’s particularly high obesity risk; research indicating the different risk of obesity among disparate Asian American subgroups; and evidence about how racial/ethnic obesity disparities appear to be shaping racial/ethnic disparities in longevity and mortality. We conclude this chapter with a discussion of promising areas for future research including a discussion of challenges that much be confronted in order to continue advancing scholarship on racial/ethnic disparities in obesity.

Keywords

  • Adult obesity
  • Childhood obesity
  • Obesity trends
  • Racial/ethnic disparities
  • Immigrant health
  • Obesogenic environments
  • Default American lifestyle
  • Hispanic health paradox
  • Obesity & mortality

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Notes

  1. 1.

    We recognize that Puerto Ricans born in Puerto Rico are U.S. nationals and U.S. citizens but use the term “immigrant” to distinguish those born in the mainland U.S. and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology & Criminology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Michelle L. Frisco, Kelsey Shaulis & Jennifer Van Hook

  2. Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Robert A. Hummer

Authors
  1. Michelle L. Frisco
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  2. Kelsey Shaulis
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  3. Jennifer Van Hook
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  4. Robert A. Hummer
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Correspondence to Michelle L. Frisco .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Ginny Garcia-Alexander

  2. Department of Sociology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Dudley L. Poston, Jr.

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Frisco, M.L., Shaulis, K., Van Hook, J., Hummer, R.A. (2022). Racial and Ethnic Disparities in U.S. Obesity Prevalence: What Have We Learned from Demographic and Population Health Science?. In: Garcia-Alexander, G., Poston, Jr., D.L. (eds) International Handbook of the Demography of Obesity. International Handbooks of Population, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10936-2_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10936-2_8

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