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Prevalence of obesity in Vienna, Austria: 1986
Author(s) -
Pakesch Georg,
De Zwaan Martina,
Dittrich Regina,
Rasinger Erwin,
Tutsch Gerhard
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/1098-108x(199211)12:3<313::aid-eat2260120312>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - obesity , medicine , underweight , body mass index , demography , population , blood pressure , overweight , gerontology , environmental health , sociology
A representative cross section of 1,435 persons aged 75 years and over were interviewed. Forty‐four percent were men and 56% were women. The sample comprised 0.094% of the civilian population of Vienna. According to Carrow and Webster (International Journal of Obesity, 9, 747–153) the following grades for obesity, defined by ranges of the Body Mass Index (BMI = kg/m 2 ) were used: grade I 25–29.9 kg/m 2 , grade II 30–40 kg/m 2 , grade III >40 kg/m 2 . Six hundred two (42%) were obese to some degree (BMl ⩾25 kg/m 2 ). There were fewer women than men in the grade I obesity group (29.2% vs. 38.5%), but there were more women than men in the more serious grade II obesity group (9.2% vs. 7.8%). The prevalence of obesity continuously increased with age up to 70 years in women and up to 65 years in men. Obesity was more common in persons with lower levels of education and of lower social class. Being single predicted a low prevalence of obesity. Persons with high blood pressure were more likely to be obese than persons with normal blood pressure, especially when they were younger than 40 years. The rate of psychiatric illness was lower in obese subjects than in normal‐weight and underweight subjects. Finally, the association between alcohol intake and obesity was positive in men and negative in women. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.