Trends in obesity in young adults in The Netherlands from 1974 to 1986.

  • 1 August 1991
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 15  (8) , 513-21
Abstract
Data from two screening projects on cardiovascular risk factors were used to investigate trends in body mass index (BMI; weight(kg)/height(m)2) and in the prevalence of obesity in The Netherlands between 1974 and 1986. In the period 1974-80 about 30,000 men and women aged 37-43, with a mean age of 40, were screened. In the period 1981-6 about 80,000 men aged 33-37, with a mean age of 35, were examined. In men, an increase in mean BMI of about 0.5 kg/m2 was observed between 1974 and 1980, which was reflected in an increase in the prevalence of a BMI between 27 and 30 kg/m2 of about 4 percentage points. In the period 1981-6, no change in mean BMI was observed in men, although there was a slight decrease in the percentage of men with a BMI between 25 and 27 kg/m2 (about 2 percentage points). In women, no change in mean BMI or in the prevalence of different grades of obesity was observed in the period 1974-80. The prevalence of grade I obesity (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2) was 40-45 per cent in men aged 40 and 25-30 per cent in women aged 40 in the period 1974-1980. The prevalence of grade II obesity (BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2) during that period was 5-6 per cent in men and 7-8 per cent in women. The prevalence of grade I and grade II obesity in men aged 35 was 35-40 per cent and 5-6 per cent respectively during the period 1981-6. The prevalence of grade II obesity in The Netherlands is comparable with that in some other Western European countries, but much lower than in the United States and Canada.

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