Health and sociodemographic factors associated with body weight and weight objectives for women: 2000 behavioral risk factor surveillance system.
BACKGROUND
The increasing body mass index (BMI) of women in the United States gives rise to concerns about associated comorbid conditions and decreases in life expectancy. Also of concern are underweight women, especially as the result of an eating disorder or undernutrition.


METHODS
Data from a national sample of women aged > or =18 years (n = 98,387) are used to examine the relationship between health and sociodemographic factors (diabetes, physical activity, self-rated health, smoking status, weight loss attempts, age, and education) and body weight (BMI, desired weight). Models are stratified by race.


RESULTS
Roughly 70% of the women in each race/ethnic group (72.0% white women, 68.3% black women, 69.4% Hispanic women) wanted to weigh less, and just under one half of the women were actively trying to lose weight. A notable percentage of women who were classified as obese indicated that they were at their ideal weight and desired no weight change. Most women had not received advice from a health professional in the past year regarding their weight, and most were not engaging in the optimally recommended level of physical activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Results document the range of satisfaction with current weight among adult women and capture low levels of health practitioner involvement in issues of weight. Perception of weight, combined with BMI, will need to be assessed to determine how best to proceed toward an ideal weight and satisfaction with that weight.
Mack
Karin A
KA
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Unintentional Injury, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. kmack@cdc.gov
Anderson
Lynda
L
Galuska
Deborah
D
Zablotsky
Diane
D
Holtzman
Deborah
D
Ahluwalia
Indu
I
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000208:ethnology*; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data