Prevalence and Related Risk Factors of Overweight and Obesity among the Adult Population in the Balearic Islands, a Mediterranean Region

Abstract

Objective: To assess the prevalence and risk factors of overweight (OW) and obesity (OB) by BMI and abdominal obesity (AO) by waist-to-height ratio, (WHtR) among the Balearic Islands' adult population. Methods: Cross-sectional nutritional survey carried out in the Balearic Islands (2009-2010). A random sample (n = 1,081) of young (18-35 years) and middle-aged adults (36-55 years) were interviewed and anthropometrically measured. OW (BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m²) and OB (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) were defined according to WHO criteria. AO was defined as WHtR ≥ 0.5. Socio-economic and lifestyle determinants were considered. Results: The overall prevalence of OW/OB and AO was 29.4% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 26.9-32.3%), 11.2% (95% CI 9.5-13.2%) and 33.1% (95% CI 30.4-36.0%), respectively. Men showed higher prevalence of OW (35.9%, 95% CI 31.6-40.5%) and AO (37.9%, 95% CI 33.6-42.5%) than women (OW 24.9%, 95% CI 21.7-28.4%; AO 29.7%, 95%CI 26.2-33.4%). Overall prevalence of OB was 11.8% (95% CI 9.1-15.1%) in men and 10.8% (95% CI 8.6-13.5%) in women. Age and no leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) were main risk factors associated with OW/OB and AO. Living with at least one child at home and to be married in men as well as to be unemployed, to be born in South America, and a low level of education in women were associated with AO. Conclusions: Men showed higher prevalence of OW and AO than women. In both sexes, age is the main risk factor associated with OW/OB and AO; in men also the absence of LTPA plays a significant role.

General and Abdominal Obesity Is Related to Physical Activity, Smoking and Sleeping Behaviours and Mediated by the Educational Level: Findings from the ANIBES Study in Spain

“…In our investigation, only educational level was inversely associated with both OB and AO. Our results agree with others and confirm that in developed countries the level of education is inversely associated with increased risk of OW and OB [5], and also with AO as defined by WHtR [24], waist circumference [22,25,26], or waist to hip ratio [27]. Educational level can exert its influence on health and body weight since it is related to knowledge about health and healthy lifestyles [27], including dietary habits and PA [25].…”

A Narrative Review of Obesity and Its Associated Complications in Iranian Women

“…A variety of heredity and early life risk factors (eg, having obese parents and birth weight), sociocultural, economic, environmental, and behavioral factors, as well as urbanization, and modifiable lifestyle risk factors such as low level of physical activity, short sleep duration, and unhealthy dietary habits are involved in developing obesity (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20). The complex impact of genetic and environmental factors may affect individuals' susceptibility to being obese.…”

Childhood Obesity Prevention: Does Policy Meet Research? Evidence-Based Reflections upon the Spanish Case

“…Here we tap into four of them. First, the controversial understanding of obesity itself; [5][6][7] second, the pressure posed by the utterly competitive food industry; [6][7][8][9] third, the very own human nature in biological, psychological, cultural, and social terms; [7][8][9][10][11] and fourth, the current scientific evidence hierarchy and the difficulty to translate it into actual policy [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] which will be the main focus of this paper. In the first Lancet's Obesity Series published in 2011, the globalization of food systems that led to overconsumption, an expectable outcome of market economies, was posed as the main factor responsible for the increasing burden of obesity.…”

“…Notwithstanding that, tackling obesity demands broader, more specific actions than the ones used in these cases, as food is indispensable to life and, anthropologically, its connotations for human beings go beyond nutrition and acquire a psychological, social and cultural meaning (among others) that cannot be overlooked. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] All the previous considered, one might think that enough evidence to tackle obesity is not yet available. However, a quick search on PubMed with the words "obesity prevention" indicates just the opposite.…”

“…From the late nineties, the emergence of evidence-based medicine overflowed the clinical field and policymakers were also required to found their work on sound data. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] The need for evidence-based policy is difficult to argue. However, the actual development of evidence-based policies is certainly challenged by a poor fit between atomized academic research, rigid evaluation standards, and the complex needs of policymakers.…”