Prevalence in the eligibility for weight loss treatment in a Mediterranean population

Abstract

in two independent population-based cross-sectional surveys. Cardiovascular risk factors, lifestyle measures and anthropometric variables were analysed. The prevalence of subjects meeting the criteria for weight loss treatment according to the National Institutes of Health algorithm significantly increased from 46·4 to 52·9 % in men and from 35·1 to 40·4 % in women from 1995 to 2000. Stratifying this analysis for age groups revealed a significant increase among women aged 25 to 39 years and the older age group (60 to 74 years) of both genders. This increase was mainly observed in men and women with primary school education. The high prevalence of subjects meeting the criteria for weight loss treatment and the increasing secular trend is an important issue for health policy. This trend is more pronounced in older age groups and among the population with a basic educational level. Weight gain: Obesity: Algorithm: WaistOne of the most important health issues in the 21st century is the continuous increase in body weight. Excess body weight is associated with several adverse health outcomes 1 -5 and with an increased mortality risk 6 -9 . Therefore, it is of importance to identify subjects that would benefit from weight loss treatment. Furthermore, monitoring secular changes of the need for weight loss treatment is necessary for the development of adequate strategies for weight control.The Obesity Education Initiative Expert Panel of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), proposed a treatment algorithm that was published by NIH with the aim to give health care professionals a guide to assess and treat obesity 10,11 . This treatment algorithm, based on BMI, waist circumferences (WC) and CVD risk factors, should help health practitioners to identify individuals in need of weight loss. The Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition adopted this algorithm for use in the Spanish population 12 . Indeed, early identification of individuals at high risk of morbidity and mortality related to excessive weight is important for health policy. However, to the best of our knowledge there are no data on the prevalence and secular trends of individuals in need of weight loss based on this treatment algorithm. Hence, the aim of the present study was to identify changes in the proportion of the population from a representative Mediterranean region eligible for weight loss treatment according to the NIH algorithm for men and women aged 25 to 74 years. Subjects and methods Study populationData of two independent and representative population-based surveys conducted in 1995 and 2000 in Girona (Spain) were used for this analysis. Recruitment procedures have been described in detail elsewhere 13 . From 6925 randomly selected and eligible subjects between 25 and 74 years of age, 4908 (2383 men and 2525 women) agreed to participate. Total participation rate reached 71 %. A two-stage sampling method was used in 1995 and 2000: thirty-three and seventeen towns, respectively, were r...

Influence of breakfast on adherence to the Mediterranean diet and weight status among student teachers in Madrid

“…Uno de estos índices es el cuestionario Kidmed, que permite determinar rápida y sencillamente el grado de ADM, lo que, a su vez, permite identificar de manera inmediata a las poblaciones con hábitos alimentarios poco saludables y, por tanto, con riesgo de deficiencias y/o desequilibrios nutricionales (14). Además, una ADM "alta" se ha relacionado con una disminución del riesgo de padecer sobrepeso y obesidad (15,16).…”