Within equivalent levels of socioeconomic status, race still serves as a determinant of health. Children, as a subgroup, are more racially and ethnically diverse than the nation’s population as a whole, and obesity prevalence rates are highest among children and adolescents of color.

• Mexican-American and African-American children ages 6 to 11 are more likely to be obese or overweight than white children. Almost 43 percent of Mexican-American children and almost 37 percent of African-American children are obese or overweight, compared with “only” about 32 percent of white children.³⁷
   
• Data on Native American children is limited and rates vary across tribes and regions, making it difficult to generalize the severity of obesity levels among this population. However, in the Aberdeen Area, which includes tribes in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa, a study of youths ages 5 to 17 found that 48 percent of American Indian males and 46 percent of American Indian females were obese or overweight.³⁸
   
• Hispanic and African-American children are more likely to develop diabetes than white children. White males born in 2000 have a 27 percent risk of being diagnosed with diabetes during their lifetimes, while Hispanic and African-American males have a 45 and 40 percent lifetime risk, respectively. White females born in 2000 have a 31 percent risk of being diagnosed with diabetes during their lifetimes, while Hispanic and African-American females have a 53 and 49 percent lifetime risk, respectively.³⁹

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