Does Race Play a Role in Obesity?

Unfortunately, no matter how much we try to educate our fellow human beings about tolerance, equality, and choosing not to discriminate based on race, diseases and disorders often refuse to co-operate. 

Obesity is one of those cases. 

Studies have confirmed that while obesity is rising to epidemic levels in all races and in the population as a whole; there is a definite disparity in the obesity rates among African Americans and Hispanics when compared to the Caucasian population in the United States.

Not only are the obesity rates higher in both the African American and Hispanic populations, but consequentially there is also a higher rate of obesity related disease among these populations as well. 

Some interpretations of the data lead to the theory that the higher obesity rates in these two populations could be both racial/ethnic and economic in nature, with lower income levels leading to less expensive and thus less healthy food choices and resulting in more obesity. 

However, the two groups experience higher rates of different obesity related diseases, with Hispanics favoring insulin resistant syndrome, which could also be called pre-diabetes type 2 and African Americans favoring hypertension which indicates the possibility of genetics playing a role as well.