Semin Vasc Med 2005; 5(1): 3-14
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-871737
Copyright © 2005 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA. Tel: +1(212) 584-4662.

Epidemiology of Obesity

Jacob C. Seidell1
  • 1Department for Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Free University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
21 June 2005 (online)

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in many parts of the world. In White populations living in the west and north of Europe, Australia, and the United States, the prevalence of obesity is similarly high in men and women. In countries with relatively low gross national product, such as those in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin-America, and Africa, the prevalence is 1.5 to 2 times higher among women than among men. Within affluent societies, the rates of obesity seem to be more common among women at older ages (65 years) and in groups with relatively low socioeconomic status. It can be tentatively concluded that obesity is particularly common in women living in relatively poor conditions.

REFERENCES

  • 1 World Health Organization .Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. WHO Technical Report Series 894 2000
  • 2 Barba C, Cavalli-Sforza T, Cutter J et al.. Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies.  Lancet. 2004;  363 157-163
  • 3 Lean M EJ, Han T S, Seidell J C. Impairment of health and quality of life in men and women with a large waist.  Lancet. 1998;  351 853-856
  • 4 National Institutes of Health . Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. The Evidence Report. National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.  Obes Res. 1998;  6 Suppl 2 51S-209S
  • 5 Seidell J C, Rissanen A. Global prevalence of obesity and time trends. in Bray GA, Bouchard C Handbook of Obesity. Etiology and Pathophysiology. 2nd ed. New York; Marcel Dekker 2004: 93-107
  • 6 Mokdad A H, Ford E S, Bowman B A et al.. Prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and obesity-related health risk factors, 2001.  JAMA. 2003;  289 76-79
  • 7 Flegal K M, Carrol M D, Ogden C L, Johnson C L. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2000.  JAMA. 2002;  288 1723-1727
  • 8 Sturm R. Increases in clinically severe obesity in the United States, 1986-2000.  Arch Intern Med. 2003;  163 2146-2148
  • 9 Torrance G M, Hooper M D, Reeder B A. Trends in overweight and obesity among adults in Canada (1970-1992): evidence from national surveys using measured height and weight.  Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002;  26 797-804
  • 10 Tremblay M S, Katzmarzyk P T, Willms J D. Temporal trends in overweight and obesity in Canada 1981-1996.  Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002;  26 538-543
  • 11 Kuhnlein H V, Receveur O, Soneida R, Egeland G M. Arctic indigenous peoples experience the nutrition transition with changing dietary patterns and obesity.  J Nutr. 2004;  134 1447-1453
  • 12 United Kingdom UK .Health Survey for England. Available at: http://www.publications.doh.gov.uk/stats/trends1.htm Accessed March 15, 2004
  • 13 Molarius A, Seidell J C, Sans S, Tuomilehto J, Kuulasmaa K. Educational level and relative body weight and changes in their associations over ten years-an international perspective from the WHO MONICA project.  Am J Public Health. 2000;  90 1260-1268
  • 14 Visscher T L, Kromhout D, Seidell J C. Long-term and recent time trends in the prevalence of obesity among Dutch men and women.  Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002;  26 1218-1224
  • 15 Lahti-Koski M, Jousilahti P, Pietinen P. Secular trends in body mass index by birth cohort in eastern Finland from 1972 to 1997.  Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001;  25 727-734
  • 16 Bergmann K E, Mensink G B. Anthropometric data and obesity.  Gesundheitswesen. 1999;  61 S115-S120
  • 17 Pomerleau J, Pudule I, Grinberga D et al.. Patterns of body weight in the Baltic republics.  Public Health Nutr. 2000;  3 3-10
  • 18 Haftenberger M, Lahmann P, Panico S et al.. Overweight, obesity, and body fat distribution in individuals aged 50- to 64 year-old participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).  Public Health Nutr. 2002;  5(6B) 1147-1162
  • 19 Martinez J A, Moreno B, Martinez-Gonzales M A. Prevalence of obesity in Spain.  Obes Rev. 2004;  5 171-172
  • 20 Doak C M, Popkin B M. The emerging problem of obesity in developing countries. in Semba RD, Bloem MW Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries. Totowa, NJ; Humana Press 2001: 447-464
  • 21 Cameron A J, Welborn T A, Zimmet P Z et al.. Overweight and obesity in Australia: the 1999-2000 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab).  Med J Aust. 2003;  178 427-432
  • 22 Wilson B D, Wilson N C, Russel D G. Obesity and body fat distribution in the New Zealand population.  N Z Med J. 2001;  114 127-130
  • 23 Hodge A M, Dowse G K, Toelpe P, Collins V R, Imo T, Zimmet P Z. Dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity western Samoa over the 13 year period 1978-1991.  Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1994;  18 419-428
  • 24 Examination Committee of Criteria for . Obesity Disease in Japan.  Circ J. 2002;  66 987-992
  • 25 Yoshiike N, Seino F, Tajima S et al.. Twenty-year changes in the prevalence of overweight in Japanese adults: the National Nutrition Survey 1976-1995.  Obes Rev. 2002;  3 183-190
  • 26 Cole T J, Bellizzi M C, Flegal K M, Dietz W H. Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey.  BMJ. 2000;  320 1240-1243
  • 27 Lobstein T, Baur L, Uauy R. Obesity in children and young people: a crisis in public health.  Obes Rev. 2004;  5 (suppl 1) 4-85
  • 28 Flegal K M, Ogden C L, Wei R, Kuczmarski R L, Johnson C L. Prevalence of overweight in US children: comparison of US growth charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with other reference values for body mass index.  Am J Clin Nutr. 2001;  73 1086-1093
  • 29 Lobstein T, Frelut M -L. Prevalence of overweight children in Europe.  Obes Rev. 2003;  4 195-200

Jaap Seidell

Department for Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences

Free University of Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085

1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands