Heathy Heard Program : Obesity in center of Iran

Background : Obesity is one of the important hygienic problems of both industrial and developing countries . Objective : To determine the prevalence of obesity in two groups of men and women . Methods:Through a cross- sectional study 12600 people from Isfahan, Najaf-Abad and Arak provinces were studied in Isfahan Healthy Heart Program (in 2000 – 2002). Two equal ratios of both sexes were selected using random - clustering sampling. A questionnaire consisting demographic formation and also clinical information such as weight, height, waist and hip circumference was filled out for each person . Findings: In this study 23/44 ± 1/9% of all studied women and 9/28 ± 1/7% of all studied men had BMI > 30 and 33/33 ± 2/4% of women and 30/28 ± 20% of men had BMI >25. On the other hand 39/05 ± 2/61% of all women and 55/02 ± 2/73% of all men had normal BMI. This ratio was 43/25 ± 3/5% and 34/9 ± 1/7% for rural and urban women respectively . Also the highest rate of waist and hip circumferences was seen in men aged > 66 years (94/2 ± 11/2% and 99/8 ± 8/9% respectively ) . While in women the highest rate of hip circumference is 104/22% ± 10/9% in age group 35-44 years and the highest rate of waist circumference is 98/00% ± 13% that was seen in 45-54 and 55- 64 years. Conclusion: Every program of nutrition and life style for all age groups should be done similarly in both sexes.The lack of difference of BMI in rural and urban areas was because of the fact that they did not live differently and jnst in Arak which mostly had a traditional context, a small difference was seen.