Profile of overweight and obese people in a Mediterranean region.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of excess weight (obesity and overweight) and the related environmental risk factors in a Mediterranean population. Self-perception of body weight, attitudes toward weight-control behaviors, and the associated factors were also examined.


METHODS
A cross-sectional nutritional survey was carried out in the Balearic Islands between 1999 and 2000. A random sample (n = 1200) of the adult population (20 to 60 years old) was interviewed. Dietary questionnaires and a global questionnaire incorporating questions related to sociodemographic and lifestyle variables were utilized. Anthropometric measurements were also obtained.


RESULTS
Nearly one-half of the population of the Balearic Islands is above the normal weight range (BMI > 25). The predictors of overweight and obesity in the Balearic Islands are to be over 40 years old, to be married, to form part of the lowest educational levels, and to have a sedentary lifestyle. A large percentage of excess-weight individuals tend to underestimate their BMI, are not concerned about their weight status, tend to snack more often, and have never dieted.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the likely causes of the rise in obesity prevalence are difficult to elucidate from this study, we have identified the profile of individuals with excess weight in the Balearic Islands as well as their attitudes toward their body image.
Tur
Josep A
JA
Laboratory of Physical Activity Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. pep.tur@uib.es
Serra-Majem
Lluís
L
Romaguera
Dora
D
Pons
Antoni
A
D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D019083:Mediterranean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires