Disparities in Obesity: Prevalence, Causes, and Solutions

Obesity rates are rising in the United States; less obvious, but equally alarming, are the increased disparities in the rates. Rates of change for racial/ethnic minorities are significantly greater than those of whites, making it critical for those in the obesity field to better understand the differentially changing food and physical environments that are at the root of these recent trends. The solution to stemming the rising obesity epidemic must be a coordinated multi-level environmental approach, involving multiple solutions from various government, local community, school, health care, and other groups. Only then can disparities in obesity be reduced. (C) 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.