Obesity and approaches to weight in an urban African-American community

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of obesity, associated factors, and current approaches to weight in an inner city African-American community. Design: In-home survey by community health interviewers. Setting: Baltimore, Maryland. Participants: 2196 community residents identified in a probability sample of census blocks. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported height and weight and calculated Body Mass Index (BMI), category of BMI, and stated weight goals. Results: Sixty percent of participants were overweight (BMI≥25 kg/m²), and 31% were obese (BMI≥30 kg/m²). In multivariate analysis, women, those earning $15,000-30,000, and those aged 45-60 were more likely to be obese; less likely to be obese were smokers, daily drinkers, and those with "good" or "excellent" health. Sixty-one percent of obese participants reported trying to lose weight, while 36% of normal weight participants were trying to gain weight. Of those trying to lose weight, 35% were using recommended approaches, and 26% received "the professional help they needed to control their weight." Conclusions: Although obesity was prevalent, few were using recommended weight loss strategies and a significant minority of normal weight participants were trying to gain weight, indicating a need for improved weight management and obesity prevention in the African-American community.