Between the ages of 18 to 29 and 45 to 64, blacks' obesity rate ticks up 21 percentage points, compared with 16 points for Hispanics, 15 points for whites and five points for Asians

Across the four major racial and ethnic groups, blacks have the highest obesity rate (35%) and Asians have the lowest (9%) - a pattern that has been consistent over time. By middle age, nearly half of blacks have hypertension - roughly double the rates of Asians and Hispanics in the same age group. An even higher 70% of retirement-age blacks have or are being treated for high blood pressure, significantly greater than the rates seen for all other groups. Blacks in older age groups are significantly more likely than other Americans to be obese and report having high blood pressure.