Obesity prevalence among elderly people using different measurement methods: A population-based study
Keywords:
Elderly, obesity, body mass index.Abstract
To estimate obesity prevalence among elderly people using different measurement methods. A crosssectional population-based study was conducted to assess elderly people from September 2010 to May
2011. Obesity prevalence was assessed using different criteria for body mass index (BMI), as proposed by
the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES
III), and by Lipschitz. Central obesity was assessed by using the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist
circumference (WC). Obesity prevalence varied in men and women according to the different criteria: 24.5%
and 45.1% (WHO); 31.6% and 54.9% (Lipschitz); 44.5% and 68.4% (NHANES III), respectively. WC
measurement showed that 26.8% of men and 70.3% of women suffered from central obesity. WHR showed
that the prevalence of central obesity was 50.8% in women and 23.9% in men. Obesity criteria and central
obesity were positively associated (p<0.001). The prevalence of obesity was high, especially among
women.
