<p>Association of Overweight, Obesity and Abdominal Obesity with Socioeconomic Status and Educational Level in Colombia</p>

Abstract

Objective: Latin American countries are experiencing a nutritional and demographic transition that predisposes to the spread of the obesity epidemic, especially among the socially and economically disadvantaged. We aimed to describe the prevalence of obesity, overweight and abdominal obesity and their association with household socioeconomic status (SES) and personal educational level in the five major cities of Colombia (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla and Bucaramanga). Materials and Methods: We collected demographic and anthropometric measurements from a population-based, stratified, multi-stage probability sample of individuals aged 2-75 years. Study surveys and anthropometric measurements were administered by highly trained staff. All reported prevalences are expanded to the target population, taking into account the sampling design. Results: The study sample included 1922 participants. In children and adolescents, the prevalence of overweight and obesity were respectively 23% and 8.8%. Overweight was most prevalent in the 2-4 (30.9%), followed by the 5-11 (23.8%) and the 12-17 age group (17.8%). The combined prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity increased with SES (16.8% in the lowest vs 42.8% in the highest stratum). In adults (18-75 years), the prevalence of excess body weight was 57.5% (36.2% overweight, 21.3% obesity), the prevalence of abdominal obesity was 34.4%, all prevalences increased with age. Obesity was far more prevalent among adult women (29.4%) than men (12.6%) (p˂0.001). Adult obesity and abdominal obesity decreased significantly and monotonically with SES and were most prevalent in individuals with the lowest educational level (35.3% and 50.7%, respectively). Almost 40% of overweight adults had abdominal obesity. Conclusion: Obesity and abdominal obesity are highly prevalent in the urban population of Colombia, and much more frequent among adults of lower SES and educational level. Excess body weight affected more often children of higher SES. Public health measures are urgently needed to tackle the spread of the obesity epidemic in Colombia and other Latin American countries, with a focus on low-income and low-educational level segments of society.

The relationship between socioeconomic status and childhood overweight/obesity is linked through paternal obesity and dietary intake: a cross-sectional study in Chongqing, China

“…Additionally, we analyzed a larger sample from urban, suburban, and rural areas to illustrate the prevalence in children in Southwest China, resulting in a more reliable conclusion. We found that children with a better SES (living in urban or suburban areas with a higher father’s education level and higher family income) had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than those with a lower SES, a finding that was consistent with other studies [ 28 , 29 ]; however, this result also contrasted with those of other studies [ 30 ] and requires further study to verify the current findings. Yang Liu et al [ 31 ] found a significant protective interaction effect between paternal education and household wealth on the obesity risk in girls but no significant difference in the childhood obesity prevalence in children with different household wealth levels, fathers’ education levels, mothers’ education levels, or residence registration areas, which was inconsistent with our results.…”

“…The associations between SES and both parental and childhood obesity are controversial. Prior research [ 29 ] revealed a lower SES and educational level increased the risk of adult obesity, while a higher SES was positively correlated with childhood obesity in developed areas. The present study demonstrated that a higher family income and a higher education level are related to an increased risk of parental obesity, and a history of parental obesity contributed to an increased z-BMI, suggesting that children with a high SES (income and father’s education) may gain excess weight because of a history of parental obesity.…”

Regulation of Biochemical Markers by Soymilk and Physical Exercise on Obese Rats

“…Between the 75 th and 105 th day in hyperlipidic swimming rats, the body weight decreases as well as when soymilk was added. This could be explained by its high protein contents; known to build body mass [19,20]. These results are comparable to those obtained on the indicators of overweight and obesity [21], which could be attributed to regular physical exercise combined with soymilk, would normalize body weight and the metabolic dysfunctions induced [22,23].…”

Exploring Dietary Behavior Changes Due to the COVID-19 Confinement in Colombia: A National and Regional Survey Study

“…Conversely, a high proportion of participants were unaware of weight gain (40%), and only 22.3% reported to have gained weight. In Colombia, the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity is of great concern due to its association with non-communicable chronic diseases, which contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of the country's adult population (8,24,25). In fact, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Colombian adults aged over 18 years is 34.6 and 16.5%, respectively, these rates being higher in women.…”