BRFSS Brief Number 0904, Overweight and Obesity New York State Adults 2008
- BRFSS Brief Number 0904, Overweight and Obesity New York State Adults 2008 is available in Portable Document Format (PDF,182KB, 4pg.)
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is an annual statewide telephone survey of adults developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administered by the New York State Department of Health. The BRFSS is designed to provide information on behaviors, risk factors, and utilization of preventive services related to the leading causes of chronic and infectious diseases, disability, injury, and death among the noninstitutionalized, civilian population aged 18 years and older.
Introduction
More than one-third of the adults in the United States are estimated to be obese and an additional one-third overweight.1,2
Obesity is associated with a multitude of adverse health outcomes, including elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and some cancers. Moreover, childhood obesity is associated with the onset of cardiovascular disease in adulthood.
Promoting healthy weight through lifelong physical activity and healthy eating practices is a major goal in the effort to prevent and reduce the burden of chronic disease and a focus of the New York State Department of Health Prevention Agenda Toward the Healthiest State.3 Efforts to maintain healthy weight should start early in childhood and continue throughout adulthood.
BRFSS Questions
- About how much do you weigh without shoes?
- About how tall are you without shoes?
Weight and height responses were used to determine body mass index (BMI), calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. Respondents were classified as overweight if their BMI was equal to or greater than 25.0, but less than 30.0. They were classified as obese if their BMI was 30.0 or greater.
Age-adjusted overweight* among New York State adults, by BRFSS survey year
| Year | % Overweight | Lower 95% CI | Upper 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 35.1 | 32.8 | 37.4 |
| 1999 | 36.4 | 34.3 | 38.6 |
| 2000 | 39.1 | 37.1 | 41.1 |
| 2001 | 35.6 | 33.8 | 37.4 |
| 2002 | 36.7 | 35.0 | 38.4 |
| 2003 | 35.3 | 33.8 | 36.9 |
| 2004 | 35.5 | 34.0 | 37.0 |
| 2005 | 37.6 | 36.1 | 39.1 |
| 2006 | 35.3 | 33.6 | 37.0 |
| 2007 | 36.2 | 34.5 | 37.9 |
| 2008 | 35.2 | 33.7 | 36.8 |
- * Overweight, 25.0 ≤ BMI < 30.0
Note: Percentages are age-adjusted to 2000 US census population.
Age-adjusted obesity** among New York State adults, by BRFSS survey year
| Year | % Obese | Lower 95% CI | Upper 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 18.0 |
| 1999 | 17.4 | 15.8 | 19.2 |
| 2000 | 17.8 | 16.3 | 19.4 |
| 2001 | 20.3 | 18.8 | 21.9 |
| 2002 | 20.6 | 19.2 | 22.1 |
| 2003 | 20.8 | 19.5 | 22.2 |
| 2004 | 22.0 | 20.7 | 23.2 |
| 2005 | 22.1 | 20.9 | 23.3 |
| 2006 | 22.9 | 21.5 | 24.4 |
| 2007 | 25.4 | 24.0 | 26.9 |
| 2008 | 25.1 | 23.7 | 26.5 |
| Healthy People 2010§ | 15.0 | n/a | n/a |
- ** Obese, BMI ≥ 30.0.
- § Healthy People 2010 objective 19-2: Reduce the proportion of adults who are obese to 15%.
Note: Percentages are age-adjusted to 2000 US census population.
Overweight and obesitya among New York State adults: 2008 BRFSS
| Population Characteristics | Neither overweight nor obese | Overweightb | Obesec | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| %d | 95% CId | % | 95% CI | % | 95% CI | |
| New York State (NYS) [n=7,538] | 39.7 | (38.2-41.3) | 35.2 | (33.7-36.7) | 25.1 | (23.8-26.5) |
| Sex | ||||||
| Male | 33.0 | (30.5-35.5) | 41.6 | (39.1-44.1) | 25.4 | (23.3-27.7) |
| Female | 46.2 | (44.2-48.2) | 29.0 | (27.3-30.8) | 24.8 | (23.1-26.5) |
| Age (years) | ||||||
| 18-24 | 58.1 | (51.3-64.6) | 23.6 | (18.4-29.7) | 18.3* | (13.7-24.1) |
| 25-34 | 41.7 | (37.3-46.3) | 33.1 | (28.9-37.7) | 25.2 | (21.3-29.5) |
| 35-44 | 37.0 | (33.8-40.3) | 36.9 | (33.6-40.4) | 26.2 | (23.2-29.3) |
| 45-54 | 36.1 | (33.2-39.0) | 35.8 | (33.0-38.8) | 28.1 | (25.5-30.9) |
| 55-64 | 29.5 | (26.5-32.5) | 40.0 | (36.7-43.4) | 30.6 | (27.5-33.9) |
| 65+ | 38.9 | (36.5-41.4) | 39.5 | (37.0-42.0) | 21.6 | (19.6-23.8) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||||||
| White non-Hispanic | 39.3 | (37.7-41.0) | 36.1 | (34.5-37.7) | 24.6 | (23.2-26.1) |
| Black non-Hispanic | 34.0 | (29.5-38.8) | 35.9 | (31.4-40.7) | 30.1 | (26.0-34.5) |
| Hispanic | 42.4 | (36.9-48.0) | 29.6 | (24.9-34.7) | 28.1 | (23.3-33.5) |
| Other non-Hispanic | 48.4 | (42.0-54.8) | 35.2 | (29.2-41.6) | 16.5 | (12.6-21.2) |
| Income | ||||||
| <$15,000 | 38.9 | (33.3-44.9) | 32.1 | (27.0-37.8) | 29.0 | (24.4-34.0) |
| $15,000-$24,999 | 37.1 | (32.6-41.8) | 33.1 | (29.1-37.4) | 29.8 | (25.5-34.5) |
| $25,000-$34,999 | 38.6 | (33.5-43.9) | 36.3 | (31.5-41.3) | 25.2 | (21.2-29.6) |
| $35,000-$49,999 | 35.4 | (31.2-39.9) | 36.9 | (32.7-41.3) | 27.7 | (23.8-31.8) |
| $50,000-$74,999 | 35.3 | (31.3-39.5) | 36.4 | (32.5-40.4) | 28.4 | (24.8-32.2) |
| $75,000 and greater | 41.4 | (38.8-44.0) | 37.9 | (35.3-40.5) | 20.8 | (18.7-23.0) |
| Missinge | 49.1 | (44.0-54.1) | 28.6 | (24.5-33.2) | 22.3 | (18.4-26.8) |
| Educational attainment | ||||||
| Less than high school (HS) | 34.6 | (28.7-41.0) | 34.6 | (29.1-40.5) | 30.8 | (25.6-36.7) |
| High school or GED | 36.9 | (33.7-40.1) | 35.4 | (32.5-38.4) | 27.8 | (25.0-30.7) |
| Some post-HS | 37.7 | (34.7-40.9) | 34.2 | (31.3-37.2) | 28.1 | (25.4-30.9) |
| College graduate | 44.3 | (42.0-46.7) | 35.8 | (33.5-38.1) | 19.9 | (18.1-21.9) |
| Disabilityf | ||||||
| Yes | 28.9 | (26.3-31.6) | 34.5 | (31.7-37.4) | 36.6 | (33.8-39.5) |
| No | 42.7 | (40.8-44.5) | 35.3 | (33.6-37.1) | 22.0 | (20.5-23.6) |
| Region | ||||||
| New York City (NYC) | 43.0 | (40.0-46.1) | 33.8 | (31.0-36.7) | 23.2 | (20.7-26.0) |
| NYS exclusive of NYC | 38.1 | (36.3-39.9) | 35.9 | (34.1-37.6) | 26.0 | (24.5-27.6) |
- Based on categories of body mass index (BMI), calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.
- Overweight, 25.0≤BMI<30.0
- Obese, BMI≥30.0
- % = weighted percentage; CI = confidence interval.
- "Missing" category included because more than 10% of the sample did not report income.
- All respondents who report activity limitations due to physical, mental, or emotional problems OR have health problems that require the use of special equipment.
* This estimate is based on fewer than 50 observations. It is less reliable than estimates in the table based on more than 50 observations and should be interpreted with caution.
References
- Ogden CL, Carroll MD, McDowell MA, Flegal KM. Obesity among adults in the United States – no change since 2003-2004. NCHS data brief no 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
- Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA. 2006 Apr 5; 295 (13): 1549-1555.
- New York State Department of Health Prevention Agenda Toward the Healthiest State
Copies may be obtained by contacting:
- BRFSS Coordinator
New York State Department of Health
Bureau of Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance
Empire State Plaza, Rm. 565, Corning Tower
Albany, NY 12237-0679 - Or by phone or electronic mail:
- (518) 473-0673 or
- BRFSS@health.state.ny.us or www.nyhealth.gov
