Abstract
To determine changes in the prevalences of overweight and obesity between 1980 and 1991 in French adults. Two cross-sectional studies were performed in 1980 and 1991 by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economics Studies in representative samples of the non-institutionalized French population using a similar random sampling of households from the last available national population census. Overweight and obesity were defined, based on reported height and weight, by a body mass index (BMI)> or = 25 kg/m2 and > or = 30 kg/m2, respectively. As age and socio-economic class (SEC) distributions changed between 1980 and 1991, results were compared before and after a direct age class and SEC standardization of the 1991 data, according to the 1980 population distribution. 6792 men and 7150 women in 1980, 7250 men and 7856 women in 1991, aged at least 20y, about 1/2500th of the French non-institutionalized adult population. In women, between 1980 and 1991, there were slight increases in the prevalences of obesity (from 6.3% to 7.0%, P<0.08) and of overweight (26.8% and 27.5%, not statistically significant NS). These increases were most pronounced in women aged 20-29y (obesity: 1.4-2.1%, P<0.15; overweight: 8.0-11.5%, P<0.01). In men, the corresponding prevalences were 6.4% and 6.5%, (NS), and 39.4% and 40.8% (NS). After standardization, the increases in the prevalences of obesity and overweight were even higher between 1980 and 1991 in women (the standardized prevalences in 1991 were respectively: 7.8% and 28.9%), but were unchanged in men. There were slight overall increases in the prevalences of overweight and obesity between 1980 and 1991 in both genders, which were most pronounced among young women. Changes in the age and SEC distribution in the French population have limited the increase in the prevalences of overweight and obesity in women. These results, based on reported data, may underestimate the prevalences of overweight and obesity and their increase. Nevertheless, the prevalences of reported obesity are similar to those of other European countries, such as Sweden and The Netherlands, and lower than in the UK, USA and Canada.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: International journal of obesity and related metabolic disorders : journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.