Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Obesity Among Adults
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
Obesity Among Adults by County, New Jersey, 2017-2020
Estimated Percentage of Adults Aged 20 Years and Older (Age-adjusted)
Why Is This Important?
Adults who are obese are at increased risk of morbidity from hypertension, high LDL cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and osteoarthritis.
Definition
Percentage of respondents who have a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30.0 kg/m2 calculated from self-reported weight and height. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters.
Respondents tend to overestimate their height and underestimate their weight leading to underestimation of BMI and the prevalence of obesity.
Data Sources
- Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health
(http://www.nj.gov/health/chs/njbrfs/) - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.html)
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Number of respondents who have a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30.0 kg/m2 calculated from self-reported weight and height. |
| Denominator: | Number of adult respondents for whom BMI can be calculated from their self-reported weight and height (excludes unknowns or refusals for weight and height). |
How Are We Doing?
The age-adjusted prevalence of obese New Jersey adults increased from 23.8% in 2011 to 28.6% in 2020.
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
The age-adjusted prevalence of obesity among New Jersey adults is slightly lower than in the U.S. as a whole. In 2020, the obesity prevalence rate among New Jersey adults was 28.6% compared to 32.2% for U.S. adults.
What Is Being Done?
The New Jersey Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (NPAO) Program within the NJDOH Office of Nutrition and Fitness coordinates efforts to work with communities to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions that address behaviors related to increasing physical activity, breastfeeding initiation and duration, and the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and to decreasing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and high-energy-dense foods, and to decrease television viewing.
More Resources
NJDOH Office of Nutrition and Fitness: https://nj.gov/health/nutrition/