Percentage distribution of body mass index categories among persons ages 18 to 24, by selected characteristics: 1999 and 2008

NCES 2012-026
December 2011

Youth Indicators 2011
America’s Youth: Transitions to Adulthood

Download Excel Excel format

(45 KB)
Download Standard Error Table Excel format

(30 KB)

Table 43.	Percentage distribution of body mass index categories among persons ages 18 to 24, by selected characteristics: 1999 and 2008

Characteristic	Underweight				Healthy weight		Overweight				Obese
Characteristic	1999		2008		1999	2008	1999		2008		1999		2008
Total	4.4		4.5		58.0	52.8	24.2		26.4		13.4		16.3

Sex
Male	2.2		3.6		56.1	49.9	28.2		30.2		13.5		16.3
Female	6.6		5.4		60.0	55.6	20.2		22.5		13.2		16.4

Age
18–21	4.8		4.7		61.6	56.1	21.8		22.6		11.8		16.5
22–24	3.9		4.2		53.5	48.4	27.3		31.3		15.4		16.1

Race/ethnicity
White	4.5		4.8		58.5	56.4	24.3		25.9		12.7		12.9
Black	4.0	!	3.6	!	54.7	48.7	24.0		23.6		17.3		24.0
Hispanic	3.1		3.7	!	54.8	41.6	28.8		32.9		13.3		21.7
Asian	8.7	!	9.8	!	76.2	60.9	6.1	!	20.8		9.0	!	‡
American Indian/Alaska Native	‡		‡		‡	‡	‡		‡		‡		‡
Two or more races	‡		‡		‡	‡	‡		‡		‡		‡
Other races¹	‡		‡		65.3	48.2	19.1	!	25.6	!	‡		26.2	!

Educational attainment
Less than high school diploma	4.6		3.9	!	55.5	50.6	24.5		25.0		15.5		20.5
High school completion only²	4.7		3.9		57.2	50.6	21.7		27.0		16.3		18.5
Some college	4.2		4.5		59.3	54.7	26.4		25.9		10.1		15.0
Associate's degree	4.4	!	‡		56.4	55.2	27.5		25.9		11.7		15.2
Bachelor's or higher degree	3.4	!	‡		63.5	55.5	22.1		29.1		11.0		7.6
Poverty status³
Poor	4.5		4.1		57.0	52.8	25.3		29.2		13.2		13.9
Near-poor	3.1	!	3.0	!	58.3	48.1	23.7		26.6		14.9		22.3
Nonpoor	4.9		5.5		57.4	53.3	23.5		25.3		14.1		15.9

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 30 percent or greater.

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

¹ Includes Pacific Islanders.

² Includes equivalency certification.

³ Children in families whose incomes are below the poverty threshold are classified as poor; those in families with incomes at 100–199 percent of the poverty threshold are classified as near-poor, and those in families with incomes at 200 percent or more of the poverty threshold are classified as nonpoor. Detail may not sum to totals because of missing values for poverty.

NOTE: The National Health Interview Survey asked young adults ages 18 to 24 to report their height and weight. Body mass indices (BMI) were calculated from these self-reports and respondents were sorted into categories of underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese.
Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 1999 and 2008.