The epidemiology of obesity and self-defined weight problem in the general population: Gender, race, age, and social class
✍ Scribed by Rand, Colleen S. W. ;Kuldau, John M.
- Publisher
- Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
- Year
- 1990
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 814 KB
- Volume
- 9
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0276-3478
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
As part of a broad health survey, a random sample of 2, I 15 black and white adults, aged 18-96, were interviewed on weight and weight concerns. Significant age, gender, race, and social class differences were found. Forty-six percent of black women, 28% of black men, 18% of white women, and 16% of white men were overweight. Prevalence of obesity was lowest among the youngest and oldest respondents. Three-fourths of respondents at least 20 Ib overweight considered themselves too heavy, as did one-fourth of respondents who were not overweight. White women who reported "no weight problem" had a mean weight well below the lower limit of the normal weight range, whereas white men, black men and black women reporting "no weight problem" has mean weights above the normal weight range. Culture acceptance of overweight is discussed.
Many Americans weigh too much. Although estimates of the prevalence of obesity depend upon the criterion used, most surveys indicate that 1 of 5 U.S. adults is at least 20% overweight (e.g., Van Itallie, 1985). Prevalence of overweight varies according to age, sex, race, and social class. For example, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I1 (1976)(1977)(1978)(1979)(1980) indicated that 5.5% of black men compared with 12.7% of white men in their early twenties were overweight, with the highest prevalence of overweight (61.2%) occurring in 45-54-year-old black women (Van Itallie, 1985). Prevalence of overweight among black women at all ages was greater