Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity, and Abdominal Obesity in a Representative Sample of Portuguese Adults

Abstract

This study determined the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity in the Portuguese adults and examined the relationship between above mentioned prevalences and educational level. Body mass, stature, and waist circumference were measured in a representative sample of the Portuguese population aged 18–103 years (n = 9,447; 18–64 years: n = 6,908; ≥65 years: n = 2,539). Overweight and obesity corresponded to a body mass index ranging between 25–29.9 kg/m2 and ≥30 kg/m2, respectively. Abdominal obesity was assessed as >102 cm for males and >88 cm for females. After adjusting for educational level, the combined prevalences of overweight and obesity were 66.6% in males and 57.9% in females (18–64 years). Respective values in older adults (≥65 years) were 70.4% for males and 74.7% for females. About 19.3% of adult males and 37.9% of adult females presented abdominal obesity. Correspondent values in older adults were 32.1%, for males, and 69.7%, for females. In adults, low educational level was related to an increased risk for overweight (OR = 2.54; 95% CI: 2.08–3.09), obesity (OR = 2.76; 95% CI: 2.20–3.45), and abdominal obesity (OR = 5.48; 95% CI: 4.60–6.52). This reinforces the importance of adjusting public health strategies for educational level.

Walking, body mass index, and self-rated health in a representative sample of Spanish adults

“…Data in the present study showed that the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 34.2% and 12.7% in women, and 52.1% and 12.7% in men, respectively. Although our findings were self-reported, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Spaniards is higher than the average values obtained by self-report in European countries (overweight: 25.6% in women and 36.6% in men; obesity: 10.1% in women and 9% in men) 23 and the Portuguese population 24 . The higher prevalence of overweight/obese men compared with women is consistent with previous findings in the USA and Europe 5,25 , suggesting the need for tailored strategies aimed at obesity reduction and physical activity promotion.…”

Tentativas de Controlo do Peso na População Adulta Portuguesa: Prevalência, Motivos e Comportamentos

“…1 Os últimos dados de prevalência publicados em Portugal indicam que cerca de 67% dos homens e 58% das mulheres adultas portuguesas têm excesso de peso ou obesidade (Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC) ≥ 25 kg/m 2 ). 2 Na etiologia desta patologia estão, não só a predisposição genética mas também mudanças sociais, económicas, culturais e físicas do meio ambiente. 1 Está bem descrito na literatura que a obesidade aumenta o risco de diversas doenças crónicas e as guidelines internacionais para a gestão do peso em adultos indicam que alterações do estilo de vida que conduzam à manutenção de 3-5% do peso perdido acarretam melhorias substanciais nos factores de risco para estas doenças.…”

The Effect of a Physical Activity Program on Decreasing Physical Disability Indicated by Musculoskeletal Pain and Related Symptoms Among Workers: A Pilot Study

“…These types of exercises are not appropriate for health gains in terms of weight, blood pressure, body fat, and waist circumference [10,21,22]. As expected, there were no significant differences in weight, blood pressure, body fat, and waist circumference across groups.…”