Adult Obesity

The causes of obesity are a complex combination of individual behaviors, genetics, and the environment. In addition to diet patterns and physical activity levels, factors such as access to healthy foods, access to parks and recreational areas, nutritional education, and exposure to food marketing contribute to obesity.

Obesity is associated with poorer mental health outcomes and reduced quality of life. It contributes to the development of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer. Obesity has also been shown to increase all-cause mortality rates.¹

The prevalence of obesity is measured by asking respondents to report their weight and height. All respondents report their weight and height. These measurements are then converted to kilograms and meters to calculate the respondent’s body mass index (BMI), which is kg/m. Obesity is defined as a BMI ≥30kg/m2.

Findings from the 2019 Santa Barbara County CHNA

Santa Barbara County is significantly below the HP 2020 target for obesity (25.5% vs. 30.5%). Obesity was highest amongst those with less than a high school education (37.4%) followed by Hispanics (36.1%) and those with a high school education (36.0%). Most impacted demographic subgroups include those with high school or less education, Hispanics, those with household incomes below $75,000, and those age 45-64 years old (see figure below).

Additional adult obesity findings from the 2019 Santa Barbara County CHNA can be found in the Adult Obesity Health Indicator Profile. Follow this link to learn more about the methods for health indicator profile analysis.

Figure 1. 2019 Percentage of Adults Who Are Obese by Demographic Group

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For more information on adult obesity findings from the 2019 Santa Barbara County CHNA, download the full, printable Adult Obesity Health Indicator Profile.

^{1 Borrell, L. N., & Samuel, L. (2014). Body mass index categories and mortality risk in US adults: the effect of overweight and obesity on advancing death. American journal of public health, 104(3), 512-519.}