Prevalence of obesity in Sweden: cross‐sectional study of a representative adult population

Abstract

In order to facilitate research on body weight related diseases, and to plan suitable prevention and intervention programmes, data concerning the prevalence of overweight and obesity are required on a nationwide scale. In this study, data for weight and height from a representative sample (n = 14,549) of adult Swedes (16-84 years of age) were analysed. Data were obtained from the Study on Living Conditions conducted by Statistics Sweden, and body mass indices (BMI, kg m-2) were calculated from these interviews. They were then calibrated, since we had previously found that reported anthropometric measurements must be corrected so as to conform to recorded height and weight values, and we have developed equations accordingly. The overall mean BMI (+/- SE) was 24.02 +/- 0.99 kg m-2 for women and 24.56 +/- 0.88 kg m-2 for men. However, with regard to age, striking differences between the sexes were observed using this cross-sectional approach. Whereas in men there was a moderate increase in BMI with age, there was a sharp increase in women from 45-54 years onwards. If obesity is defined according to WHO recommendations (BMI for men greater than 30.0 kg m-2, and for women greater than 28.6 kg m-2), then 34.5% of all men in our sample were found to be overweight and 6.6% were found to be obese. The corresponding figures for women are 31.2% and 13.1%. Our data suggest that, on a nation-wide scale, overweight and obesity are common in men and women, but in women there is a marked increase from the menopause onward, for reasons that have yet to be clarified.