Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower prevalence of obesity among elderly people living in Mediterranean islands: the MEDIS study.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present work was to evaluate the relationships between socio-demographic, clinical, lifestyle and psychological characteristics and the presence of obesity, among elderly individuals without known cardiovascular disease.


METHODS
During 2005-2007, 553 elderly men and 637 elderly women (mean age 74 ± 7 years) from eight Mediterranean Islands in Greece and Cyprus were enrolled. The retrieved information included demographic, bio-clinical and dietary characteristics. The MedDietScore assessed adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern.


RESULTS
The prevalence of obesity was 27% in males and 41% in females (P <0.001), while 48% of males and 39% of females were overweight. The prevalence of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension was higher in the obese elderly than in the overweight or normal (P <0.001). After adjusting for various confounders, one unit increase in the MedDietScore was associated with 88% (P =0.07) lower likelihood of being obese; similarly, physical activity was associated with 81% lower likelihood of obesity (P <0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Roughly seven out of 10 of our elderly were overweight or obese, while the majority of them presented other co-morbidities, too. Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet may reduce the burden of obesity among elderly individuals.
Tyrovolas
Stefanos
S
Department of Nutrition Science-Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
Bountziouka
Vassiliki
V
Papairakleous
Natassa
N
Zeimbekis
Akis
A
Anastassiou
Foteini
F
Gotsis
Efthimios
E
Metallinos
George
G
Polychronopoulos
Evangelos
E
Lionis
Christos
C
Panagiotakos
Demosthenes
D
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003535:Cyprus / Q000453:epidemiology; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008521:Mediterranean Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009043:Motor Activity; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors