Black Americans most obese group

Health officials believe there are several reasons for the differences. People with lower incomes often have less access to medical care, exercise facilities and more expensive, healthier food. In many places, minorities are disproportionately poor.

But attitudes about weight also are believed to be a factor, said Dr. Liping Pan, a CDC epidemiologist.

"Black and Hispanics are more accepting of high weight," she said, adding that heavy people who are satisfied with their size are not likely to diet or exercise.

Obesity is based on the body mass index, a calculation using height and weight. A 5-foot, 9-inch adult who weighs 203 pounds would have a BMI of 30, which is considered the threshold for obesity.

The data comes from national telephone surveys of hundreds of thousands of Americans in the years 2006 through 2008.

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