title: Quality of life for obese women and men in Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is a complex, multifaceted disease that is widespread and growing in the developing world. People who are obese experience health-related quality-of-life impairments.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered the SF-36 Health Survey questionnaire to 1752 obese adults and 400 normal-weight adults in Izmir City, Turkey. We then compared the mean scores of the two groups by sex in eight quality-of-life domains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differences in scores between obese women and normal-weight women were statistically significant in seven of eight SF-36 domains; differences in scores between obese men and normal-weight men were statistically significant in six of eight domains. Obese women were significantly more impaired than obese men in four of eight domains. Among obese women, 45.0% experienced a reduced quality of life, compared with only 13.2% of normal-weight women. Similarly, 41.3% of obese men experienced a reduced quality of life, compared with only 9.3% of normal-weight men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity is associated with poor levels of health, particularly poor levels of physical and social well-being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 5th Floor, Ege University Hospital, Bornova, Izmir, 35100 Turkey. fuldensarac@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Fulden
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saraç
authors.forename: Sebnem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parýldar
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Duman
authors.forename: Fusun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saygýlý
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tüzün
authors.forename: Candeger
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yýlmaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology