Self-reported prevalence of obesity among 20,329 adults from large territories of Greece, Serbia and Turkey

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of overweight, obesity and body mass index (BMI) distribution in people living in large territories of Greece, Serbia and Turkey. A cross-sectional multi-national epidemiological survey was designed on the basis of self-reported information on height and weight using the formula kg/m2. Overall, 20,329 individuals, aged 20-68 yrs, 8,973 males and 11,356 females, participated in the study. Of these, 4,032 were selected from northern Greece, 10,069 from southwest Turkey and 6,228 from central Serbia. More specifically, participants from northern Greece were recruited from central Macedonia, from Southwest Turkey from the Kayseri region and from central Serbia from the greater Belgrade area. Our results showed that 12.4% of the population studied was obese and 31.3% overweight. The corresponding figures for participants from Greece were 19.9% and 35.4%, from Turkey 12.0% and 30.9% and from Serbia 8.2% and 29.4%, respectively. Overall, male participants had a higher mean BMI than females. However, Greek females were more obese in comparison with males. The opposite was true of the other two countries. Finally, in both males and females mean BMI tended to increase with age up to 50-59 years, and declined slightly thereafter. In conclusion, the overall prevalence of obesity and overweight in the Balkan peninsula does not differ from that reported in other European countries. However, BMI values between different countries of the Balkan peninsula are fairly variable, Greece leading in the prevalence of obesity with Serbia having the lowest prevalence of obesity. The data from this survey underline the need for health intervention aimed at preventing obesity, especially in Greece.