Individuals who are overweight or obese are at a heightened risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, elevated blood lipids, diabetes, and increased LDL cholesterol, all of which are significant contributors to heart disease and stroke.
- In 2023, non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students in grades 9–12 were 2.39 times as likely to be obese as their peers of the total population.1
- Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander female students were 77% more likely to be obese than female students of the total U.S. population.
- Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander male students were 3.26 times as likely to be obese than male students of the total U.S. population.
- In 2024, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults were 27% more likely to be obese than adults of the total U.S. population.2
Visit Medline Plus for health information about chronic conditions related to obesity in multiple languages. You can also browse this information by health topics, like Nutrition, to find resources in other languages.
Looking for curated searches on obesity within minority and tribal populations, including Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations, in the United States and its territories? Check out the OMH Knowledge Center Topic Guides.
Adults
| Adults ages 18 and over who were obese (Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30.0 or greater), percentage, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio |
| 42.4 | 33.4 | 1.27 |
| Persons ages 18 and over who were obese (BMI of 30.0 or greater), percentage, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio |
| 42.4 | 33.4 | 1.27 |
| Adults ages 18 and over who were obese by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NH/PI Ratio | Population / Total Population Ratio | |
| Total | 28.9 | 0.64 | 1.00 |
| All NH/PI | 44.6 | 1.00 | 1.54 |
| Native Hawaiian | 43.0 | 0.96 | 1.49 |
| Pacific Islander | 44.9 | 1.00 | 1.55 |
| Samoan | 61.6 | 1.38 | 2.13 |
| Guamanian/Chamorro | 39.9 | 0.89 | 1.38 |
| Other Pacific Islander | 38.0 | 0.85 | 1.31 |
| Persons ages 18 and over who were overweight but not obese (BMI of 25.0–30.0), age-adjusted percentage, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio |
| 24.4 | 34.3 | 0.71 |
| Adults ages 18 and over who were overweight but not obese by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NH/PI Ratio | Population / Total Population Ratio | |
| Total | 34.2 | 1.08 | 1.00 |
| All NH/PI | 31.6 | 1.00 | 0.92 |
| Native Hawaiian | 30.8 | 0.97 | 0.90 |
| Pacific Islander | 32.9 | 1.04 | 0.96 |
| Samoan | 28.2 | 0.89 | 0.82 |
| Guamanian/Chamorro | 34.7 | 1.10 | 1.01 |
| Other Pacific Islander | 37.8 | 1.17 | 1.11 |
Children and adolescents
| Children ages 6–11 who were obese, percentage, 2015–2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio | |
| Girls | Not Reported | 17.7 | Not Reported |
| Boys | Not Reported | 20.9 | Not Reported |
| Both Sexes | Not Reported | 19.3 | Not Reported |
| Children ages 2–17 for whom a health provider within the past two years gave advice about the amount and kind of exercise, sports, or physically active hobbies they should have, percentage, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio |
| Not Reported | Not Reported | Not Reported |
| Children ages 2–17 for whom a health provider gave advice within the past 2 years about healthy eating, percentage, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio |
| Not Reported | Not Reported | Not Reported |
| Students in grades 9–12 who were overweight, percentage, 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio | |
| Girls | 15.6 | 15.2 | 1.03 |
| Boys | 15.1 | 14.3 | 1.06 |
| Both Sexes | 15.4 | 14.7 | 1.05 |
| Students in grades 9–12 who were obese, percentage, 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio | |
| Girls | 23.7 | 13.4 | 1.77 |
| Boys | 59.3 | 18.2 | 3.26 |
| Both Sexes | 38.0 | 15.9 | 2.39 |
Health impact of obesity
| Adults ages 18 and over who did not meet federal physical activity guidelines for either aerobic activity or muscle-strengthening, age-adjusted percentage, 2018 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio |
| 51.4 | 42.3 | 1.22 |
| Adults ages 18 and over who did not meet federal physical activity guidelines for either aerobic activity or muscle-strengthening, by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NH/PI Ratio | Population / Total Population Ratio | |
| Total | 46.9 | 1.03 | 1.00 |
| All NH/PI | 45.5 | 1.00 | 0.97 |
| Native Hawaiian | 40.6 | 0.89 | 0.87 |
| Pacific Islander | 48.4 | 1.06 | 1.03 |
| Samoan | 43.7 | 0.96 | 0.93 |
| Guamanian/Chamorro | 43.2 | 0.95 | 0.92 |
| Other Pacific Islander | 54.4 | 1.20 | 1.16 |
| Adults age 18 and over who were sufficiently active (met aerobic activity guidelines only), age-adjusted percentage, 2018 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio |
| 44.5 | 54.2 | 0.82 |
| Adults ages 18 and over who were sufficiently active (met aerobic activity guidelines only) by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NH/PI Ratio | Population / Total Population Ratio | |
| Total | 50.0 | 0.97 | 1.00 |
| All NH/PI | 51.6 | 1.00 | 1.03 |
| Native Hawaiian | 57.0 | 1.10 | 1.14 |
| Pacific Islander | 48.0 | 0.93 | 0.96 |
| Samoan | 50.6 | 0.98 | 1.01 |
| Guamanian/Chamorro | 53.7 | 1.04 | 1.07 |
| Other Pacific Islander | 42.7 | 0.83 | 0.85 |
| Adults ages 18 and over who met federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening, age-adjusted percentage, 2018 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio |
| 21.9 | 24.1 | 0.91 |
| Adults ages 18 and over who met federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NH/PI Ratio | Population / Total Population Ratio | |
| Total | 21.4 | 1.01 | 1.00 |
| All NH/PI | 21.1 | 1.00 | 0.99 |
| Native Hawaiian | 21.0 | 0.99 | 0.98 |
| Pacific Islander | 19.9 | 0.94 | 0.93 |
| Samoan | 21.7 | 1.03 | 1.01 |
| Guamanian/Chamorro | 22.6 | 1.07 | 1.10 |
| Other Pacific Islander | 17.8 | 0.84 | 0.83 |
| Adults ages 18 and over with obesity who had a physician office visit for counseling or education related to diet or nutrition, percentage, 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Total Population | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Total Population Ratio |
| Not Reported | Not Reported | Not Reported |
1 CDC. High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. High School Students Who Had Obesity, 2023. (Back to top)
2 CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults. Percentage of obesity for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2024. (Back to top)
Date Last Reviewed: September 2025