Prevalence of obesity in Taiwan.
In Taiwan, the prevalence and problem of obesity has increased significantly in recent decades and has became an important public health issue. In children (12-15 years), the prevalence of obesity (defined as body weight > 120% of mean body weight with age- and gender-specification) was 12.4%, 14.8% and 15.6% among boys and 10.1%, 11.1% and 12.9% among girls in 1980, 1986 and 1996 respectively. A survey of 1500 12-15-year-old children during 1995-1996 in Taipei city found that about 16.6% of boys and 11.1% of girls were obese, while an additional 11.6% of boys and 10.2% of girls were overweight. In adults, using the criteria defined by the Department of Health in Taiwan [overweight as (body mass index) BMI > or = 24 and obese as BMI > or = 27], the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity was 10.5% and 15.9% for men and 13.2% and 10.7% for women from 1993-1996 to 2000-2001. From these data, we found that the prevalence of obesity in Taiwan has increased steadily from 1980 to 2000 especially in children and in men.
Chu
N-F
NF
Department of Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan. chuepi@mail.ndmctsgh.edu.tw
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight; D015995:Prevalence; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology