One in Five
Houstonians Reported
No Physical Activity in a Week
The data
According to Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, only 72 percent of adults are engaging in physical activity in Houston. This means about 25 percent of adults are not active at all.
The obesity rate among adults in Montgomery County jumped from 20% in 2011 to 34% in 2019 - the biggest increase in the region.
Obesity defined as having body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, is a complex health condition affecting both adults and children. Obesity increases the risk for health conditions such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and more.
What about the obesity
rate among Houston's
population?
Despite some fluctuations over the last decade, obesity rates in the Houston region continue to rise. According to the most recent estimates, one in three adults aged 20 and over in Montgomery County are considered obese — the highest rate among the three counties — and significantly higher than in 2011 when one in five adults were obese (the lowest rate in the region at the time). Fort Bend County has the lowest obesity rate in the region at 28.6%, which is about five percentage points higher than it was in 2011. Obesity rates in Harris County have ticked up to 31% in 2019 from 28% in 2011.
Physical inactivity can have serious impacts on a person's health
Low levels of physical activity can increase the risk for diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity, hypertension, cancer, depression, and anxiety. In addition, physical inactivity is associated with reduced expenditures on health care treatments for circulatory system diseases.
