A simple estimate of mortality attributable to excess weight in the European Union

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the current burden of mortality attributable to excess weight in the European Union (EU). Methods: Prevalence of overweight (body mass index, BMI 25 -29.9 kg=m 2 ) and obesity (BMI 30 kg=m 2 ) were based on selfreported data from a survey with samples representative of the 15 EU Member States in 1997. Primary source of relative risk (RR) of death by BMI was the first American Cancer Prevention Study (CPS I). Additional calculations were performed to account for effect of smoking (using CPS I data for non-or never-smokers), for pre-existing illness (using the second CPS, CPS II, data for healthy never-smokers) and using RRs derived from European rather than US data (using data from a meta-analysis of prospective studies). Mortality attributable to excess weight was calculated by combining the prevalences of overweight and obesity, the RRs, and the number of deaths in the EU countries. Results: Annual deaths attributable to overweight and obesity totalled approximately 279 000 when RRs for all subjects were used. When RRs for nonsmokers only were applied to the entire population, about 304 000 deaths were attributable to excess weight. In analyses using RRs which controlled for both smoking and history of disease, the number of deaths attributable to excess weight was estimated at about 337 000 based on European data and at about 401 000 based on US data. In the EU, therefore, a minimum of 279 000 deaths were attributable to excess weight (7.7% of all deaths, varying from 5.8% for France through 8.7% for the UK). More attributable deaths occurred among the obese (175 000) than among the overweight (104 000). Around 70% were cardiovascular disease deaths (195 000) and 20% cancer deaths (53 000).

Mortality attributable to cardiovascular risk factors in Spain

“…Excess weight, however, affecting approximately half the adult population in the EU, would also appear to rank among the top causes of death. For illustrative purposes, we can say that if excess weight were based on measured data (instead on selfreported data as reported in this paper), about 400 000 deaths would be attributable to excess weight in the EU (11.3% of all deaths or one in nine deaths) becoming very close to smoking-attributable mortality (Banegas et al, 2003). Moreover, as prevalence of smoking is decreasing whereas that of excess weight is increasing over time, excess weight Percentages express the proportion of deaths by each disease or disease group relative to the total attributable deaths in each column (100%).…”

“…For the purpose of comparison, we can say that at least one in 13 annual deaths in the EU is likely to be related to excess weight (one in 12 in Spain) (Banegas et al, 2003).…”

“…We also estimated mortality attributable to excess weight in Spain and, for the purpose of illustration, we placed this figure in the EU context (Banegas et al, 2003), and compared with the corresponding burden of death attributable to smoking. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was based on self-reported data from a survey with samples representative of the 15 EU Member States in 1997 (Institute of European Food Studies, 1999).…”

“…The prevalence of overweight and obesity was based on self-reported data from a survey with samples representative of the 15 EU Member States in 1997 (Institute of European Food Studies, 1999). Source of RRs of death by BMI was the first American Cancer Societýs Cancer Prevention Study (as referenced in Banegas et al, 2003). The number of deaths by sex and age (Z25 y) in the EU countries was drawn from recent official vital statistics (as referenced in Banegas et al, 2003).…”

“…Source of RRs of death by BMI was the first American Cancer Societýs Cancer Prevention Study (as referenced in Banegas et al, 2003). The number of deaths by sex and age (Z25 y) in the EU countries was drawn from recent official vital statistics (as referenced in Banegas et al, 2003).…”