Obesity Prevelance in West Black Sea Region: The Melen Study

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity in the West Black Sea region of Turkey and to display the associated chronic diseases, especially Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in this population.
Material and Method: We evaluated 2222 (1418 female, 804 male, mean age: 50) participants in Yigilca. The medical histories were recorded and physical examinations were done in all participants. Body weight categories were defined according to the body mass index (BMI) as follows: BMI <18.5 lean, 18.5-24.9 normal, 25-29.9 overweight, ≥30 obese and ≥40 morbidly obese. According to waist circumference measurements, >94 cm in males and >90 cm in females were accepted as the cut-off points for abdominal obesity.
Results: The mean BMI of the participants was 30.6 in females and 27.5 in males. According to BMI, obesity prevalence was 53.1% in females and 26.9% in males. The mean obesity prevalence was 43.5% in general. Abdominal obesity prevalence was 63% in females, 46% in males and 57% in all participants. Obesity prevalence increased with age in both sexes. Especially 3/4 (75%) of females and 1/3 (33%) of males aged 50-59 years were obese. Postmenopausal females had very high (64%) obesity prevalence but the rate was %43 in premenopausal women. While DM prevalence was 12.6% according to patient history, DM prevalence increased to 18.8% by adding patients with fasting glucose >126 mg/dl.
Discussion: Obesity, especially abdominal obesity and DM prevalence was found to be at exaggerated rates in both sexes being highest in postmenopausal females.