Although the rate of physical activity has risen over the past decade, research indicates that a larger contributing factor to maintaining a healthy weight is diet.

Adults between ages 20-39 were the least likely to be obese, at 26.7 percent. Men and women in this age group had roughly the same rates of obesity.

Those between age 40-59 had the highest obesity rate, at just under 35 percent. Men in that age range were slightly more likely to be obese –– 36.3 percent compared to 33.5 percent of women.

30 percent of those over age 60 were obese. However, in that age group, the obesity rate was higher among women.

African Americans are significantly more likely to be obese than any other racial or ethnic group, a phenomenon that is largely driven by the particularly high rate of obesity among black women –– just over 45 percent. Hispanic women were the second most likely demographic to be obese, at 33.8 percent. Among whites, however, women are slightly less likely to be obese than men.

The rate hitting a new high stands in contrast to a number of positive developments for curbing obesity. Recent surveys suggest that obesity has plateaued after decades of steady increase, particularly among children. The rise in the incidence of diabetes has also slowed down, leading some researchers to conclude that Americans are adopting healthier diets as a result of increased awareness of the obesity crisis.