Increasing incidence of overweight and obesity over 5 decades
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In this retrospective study covering a very large timespan, trends in the incidence of overweight (25 kg/m2 = BMI < 30 kg/m2), obesity (BMI =30 kg/m2) and stage 2 obesity (BMI =35 kg/m2) over the past 50 years were investigated in Framingham Study participants. Subjects aged 40-55 years and attending 2 examinations 8 years apart in each decade were included in the analysis. The incidences of overweight, obesity, and stage 2 obesity increased across the decades in both sexes. In men, the incidence rates of overweight increased from 21.8% in the 1950s to 35.2% in the 1990s, of obesity from 5.8% to 14.8%, and of stage 2 obesity from 0.2% to 5.4%. For women, the incidence rates of overweight rose from 15.0% to 33.1%, of obesity from 3.9% to 14%, and of stage 2 obesity from 1.7% to 4.4%. These increasing trends of overweight (2-fold) and obesity (>3-fold) over 5 decades remained robust even after adjusting for baseline BMI in each decade.
Abstract
