According to the CDC, "the obesity prevalence was 40.0% among adults aged 20 to 39 years, 44.8% among adults aged 40 to 59 years, and 42.8% among adults aged 60 and older."
Almost all the people I see in the older age group are overweight and most of those could stand to knock off a good 40 lbs. I'm including people around town, in the market, in the senior classes at the YMCA. Everywhere.
44.8 is not 77.
And some of these examinations do try to lump overweight with obese. When that starts, weightlifters run into the stat.
The overall point is hypertension doesn’t require fat. All you have to do is get old. 77% is not 44.8. Not even close.