Obesity and Metabolic Syndromes Cluster

Overview

A report by the National Center for Health Statistics found that among the top five leading causes of death, diabetes ranked fifth for both African Americans and Latinos and fourth for Native Americans, but did not rank among the top five for whites.15 Indeed, diabetes affects Mexican American and African Americans at a rate nearly twice that in the white population, and the rates are even higher for Native Americans.16 The 2000 death rate from diabetes was 47.8 for black males per 100,000 and 50.4 for black females, a rate over 50 percent higher than the respective 25.8 and 20.6 death rate for their white counterparts.9

Objectives