Obesity among women is derived from the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). The BRFSS is a health survey
conducted by 50 states, 3 territories, and the District of
Columbia, and is the primary source of information on health-
related behaviors of Americans. Questions are related to chronic
diseases, injuries, and infectious diseases that can be
prevented. States use standard procedures to collect data
through a series of monthly telephone interviews with adults.
The BRFSS questionnaire is developed jointly by Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments and
includes five sections. Obesity is part of a standard core of
questions asked every year. Methodological changes to the BRFSS
in 2011 have affected the trends in prevalence estimates and
they are not comparable to earlier years. The changes include
the addition of cellular phones and improvements in the
statistical weighting methods. More info can be found on the CDC
Web site. Calculations for BRFSS Obesity indicat