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What is the obesity rate for low income women
Executive summary
National and international reporting shows a clear, repeated pattern: obesity prevalence is higher among lower-income women than among higher-income women in the United States and many countries, and women overall have higher obesity rates than men in many datasets (for example, projected global female obesity ~21% by 2025) [1] [2]. Exact percentages for “low‑income women” vary by dataset, by income cutpoints (poverty, <$50,000, education as proxy) and by year; available sources do not give a single, universal obesity rate labeled exactly “low‑income women” but document consistent socioeconomic gradients and specific figures by income brackets and race/ethnicity [1] [3] [4].
1. What the data consistently show: lower income, higher obesity among women
Multiple analyses find that the prevalence of obesity rises as household income and education fall for U.S. women — America’s Health Rankings reports that “the prevalence of obesity is higher with each decrease in income level” for women and that women with household incomes less than $50,000 have higher obesity prevalence than higher‑income women [1]. Population studies and reviews likewise document a pronounced socioeconomic gradient in obesity that is particularly strong among women, with lower‑SES groups carrying higher obesity burdens [5] [4].
2. Why you don’t see one single “low‑income women” number
Public sources measure income in different ways (poverty level, household income thresholds like <$50,000, or education as a proxy), use different surveys (NHANES, BRFSS, Gallup) and different years. The CDC’s NHANES reporting gives detailed age‑ and sex‑specific estimates (e.g., overall adult obesity ~40.3% and women ~41.4% in 2021–2023), and separates by education, showing adults with a bachelor’s degree had lower obesity (31.6%) than less educated adults — but NHANES data tables do not present a single nationwide “low‑income women” figure in the excerpts provided here [3]. Thus researchers report gradients rather than one universally applicable percentage [3] [1].
3. Representative figures and examples from the reporting
- America’s Health Rankings explicitly contrasts women with household incomes under $50,000 to higher incomes and states obesity prevalence increases with each income decrease [1].
- CDC/NCHS NHANES data show age‑adjusted adult obesity of 40.3% (total), 41.4% for women; they also show obesity varies by education (31.6% with bachelor’s or more vs ~44–45% among lower education groups), a proxy often correlated with income [3].
- Research reviews and global reports highlight that the socioeconomic gradient is “more pronounced” in later stages of the obesity epidemic, with rising obesity concentrated among lower‑income groups and particularly women [5] [6].
4. Race, region and rurality reshape the income effect
The income–obesity relationship for women is not uniform: PRB and other analyses note particularly high obesity among Black women and that the income pattern can differ by race and ethnicity (for example, obesity increases fastest among Black women at middle incomes in one analysis) [4]. USDA/ERS reporting shows rural low‑income residents face distinct access problems (convenience stores, distance to grocery stores) that elevate obesity risks — so geography and race intersect with income to determine actual rates [7].
5. Trends and time frame matter: rising burdens globally and in low‑income groups
World Obesity and WHO reporting emphasize that the fastest increases and largest numbers of people with obesity are now in low‑ and middle‑income countries and that, globally, women’s obesity prevalence is projected higher than men’s (projected ~21% in women by 2025) [2] [6]. In the U.S., reporting through 2024–2025 shows high absolute prevalence (around 40% overall) and continuing disparities by SES [3] [8].
6. What this means for someone asking “What is the obesity rate for low income women?”
There is strong, consistent evidence that low‑income women have higher obesity prevalence than higher‑income women in the U.S.; however, available sources here do not provide one single national percentage labeled exactly “low‑income women.” To produce a precise number you need to pick: (a) a data source (NHANES, BRFSS, Gallup, America’s Health Rankings), (b) an income definition (poverty vs <$50,000 vs income quartile), (c) a year and (d) whether to stratify by age/race/region — choices that materially change the result [1] [3] [8].
7. How to get the exact figure you might want
If you want a single percentage, ask which dataset and income threshold you prefer. For example, request “NHANES 2021–2023 obesity prevalence for women below the federal poverty level” or “BRFSS 2024 obesity prevalence for women with household income <$50,000.” Those specific queries can be answered with the right dataset; the sources above identify where those data live but do not include every cross‑tabulated percentage in the excerpts provided [3] [1].
Limitations: this analysis cites the provided sources only and avoids asserting numbers not explicitly given in those excerpts; several sources show clear patterns and partial figures but a single, universally labeled “low‑income women” obesity rate is not present in the supplied reporting [1] [3] [5].