High prevalence of overweight and obesity in women of Islamshahr, Iran

This study determined the prevalence of overweight, overall and central obesity in female adolescents and women and their possible association with marital status, occupation, literacy, parity, daily meal and snack consumption. The study was a cross-sectional, random survey of households. Rural and urban areas of Islamshahr district in Iran were selected and 1003 female adolescents and women aged 10-65 years were studied. The frequency of overweight and obesity were similar in rural and urban areas. On the basis of body mass index (BMI), more than 19% of adolescents were overweight or at risk of it and 66.8% of adult females were overweight or obese. Frequency of central obesity [waist to hip ratio (WHR) >= 0.85] was 35.7% in all females. The mean BMI was significantly higher in married women and in women with less than 8 years of formal education. The mean WHR was significantly higher in women with less than 8 years of education or with more than 6 parity female adults. In addition, the mean BMIs and WHRs were significantly higher in women without any daily snack consumption. Overweight and obesity was very common in adult females of Islamshahr thus prevention of overweight and obesity through a healthy diet and increased physical activity should now be an important priority area.