OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and distribution features of overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity among rural adult residents in Hazakh and Uygur population in Xinjiang province, 2010. METHODS: Questionnaire-based survey and physical examination were conducted towards the 8611 subjects selected from Hazakh and Uygur residents aged over 18 years old in Yili Xinyuan County and Kashi Jiashi County in Xinjiang province by stratified cluster random sampling method; and thereby the results were analyzed and compared between the two ethnic populations. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight in Hazakh(male: 29.5% (612/2078) and female: 26.4% (789/2991)) was higher than that in Uygur(male: 25.5% (440/1728) and female: 21.9% (397/1814)). The difference showed statistical significance (male: χ(2) = 7.50, female: χ(2) = 12.27, P < 0.01). The prevalence was higher in males than in females among the same ethic population (Hazakh: χ(2) = 5.79, Uygur: χ(2) = 6.28, P < 0.05). The prevalence of obesity in Hazakh(male:18.2% (379/2078) and female:18.1% (540/2991)) was higher than that in Uygur(male: 9.4% (163/1728) and female: 13.2% (240/1814)). The difference showed statistical significance (male: χ(2) = 59.90, female: χ(2) = 19.32, P < 0.01). The female prevalence was higher than male in Uygur (χ(2) = 12.66, P < 0.01); however, there was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence stratified by gender in Hazakh. The prevalence of abdominal obesity in Hazakh(male: 57.0% (1185/2078) and female: 60.2% (1801/2991)) was higher than that in Uygur(male: 46.9% (811/1728) and female: 59.5% (1080/1814)). The difference showed statistical significance (male: χ(2) = 38.54, P < 0.01; female: χ(2) = 0.216, P > 0.05). And the female prevalence was both higher than male in the two ethic populations (Hazakh: χ(2) = 5.15, P < 0.05; Uygur: χ(2) = 56.50, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The prevalence abdominal obesity among rural adult residents in Hazakh and Uygur population was much higher than the average level nationwide in China. Hazakh had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than Uygur.