Obesity among Hungarian elderly

Rurik, I. and Sandholzer, H. (2009) Obesity among Hungarian elderly. Acta Alimentaria, 38 (3). pp. 361-367. ISSN 0139-3006

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Abstract

The epidemiological importance and serious health consequences of obesity is one of the most important medical issues. This cross-sectional study, including retrospective elements, aims to measure the occurrence and to seek for the possible reasons of obesity among elderly people in Hungary. The 266 elderly subjects (109 man over and 157 women over 60 years) were consecutive selected in primary care setting. Questionnaire on eating habits and life style, dietary record, medical check-up, anthropological measurements were performed. During the aging the meal frequency becomes more regular. People with lower body mass index ate frequently than overweight (BMI: 25–30 kg/m2) or obese persons (BMI>30 kg/m2). Obese people represented a smaller proportion in the older decades. According to the retrospective body-weight analysis the increase of body weight was significantly higher in the obese group then in the overweight category and by normal weighted people. Daily energy intake was high in both genders. In the obese group the ratio of people educated in primary school only, was much higher. The food choices were influenced by economic reasons in two-third of the studied population. Thirty percent of obese people had obese parents and 24% of them had obese children. Unfavorable nutritional habits and sedentary life style may have a prior responsibility for obesity. Prevention and medical intervention should be started in time at primary health care level.

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