title: [Mortality attributable to excess weight in Spain].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Estimate the mortality attributable to higher than optimal body mass index in the Spanish population in 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  Excess body weight prevalence data were obtained from the 2006 National Health Survey, while data on associated mortality were extracted from the National Statistic Institute. Population attributable fractions were applied and mortality attributable to higher than optimal body mass index was calculated for people between 35 and 79 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2006, among the Spanish population aged 35-79 years, 25,671 lives (16,405 males and 9,266 women) were lost due to higher than optimal body mass index. Mortality attributable was 15.8% of total deaths in males and 14.8% in women, but if we refer to those causes where excess body weight is a risk factor, it is about a 30% of mortality (31.6% in men and 28% in women). The most important individual cause was cardiovascular disease (58%), followed by cancer. The individual cause with a major contribution to deaths was type 2 diabetes; nearly 70% in males and 80% in women. Overweight accounted for 54.9% deaths in men and 48.6% in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Excess body weight is a major public health problem, with an important associated mortality. Attributable deaths are a useful tool to know the real situation and to monitor for disease control interventions.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General y Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Severo Ochoa, Madrid, España; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, España. Electronic address: 44javier@gmail.com.
authors.forename: José Javier
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Martín-Ramiro
authors.affiliation: Plan Nacional sobre Drogas, Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad, Madrid, España; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Álvarez-Martín
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gil-Prieto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000401:mortality*; D050177:Overweight / Q000401:mortality; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Attributable mortality; Exceso de peso; Higher than optimal body mass index; Mortalidad atribuible; Obesidad; Obesity