Obesity: An Inevitable Consequence of Urbanization

Background: Today, obesity is a key healthcare problem on a global scale including Iran. The present study aimed at determiningthe prevalence of overweight and obesity in Hormozgan province, Iran to propose effective healthcare programs and strategies toreduce this dilemma in future.Objectives: The current study conducted in the South of Iran aimed at exploring the prevalence of overweigh and obesity in malesand females in terms of social variables affected by demographic variables such as age, gender, marital status, education level, smoking,and physical activity.Methods: In the current cross sectional, observational study, a sample of ۵۰۰۰ eligible males and females above ۱۸ years old wereselected based on a multi-stratified clustering sampling method. The data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire consistingof variables such as weight, height, drug consumption, and physical activity. Statistical analysis was performed.Results: The present study findings revealed that ۳۱.۸% of the population in Hormozgan province was overweight, while only ۱۵.۲%were obese. The highest percentage of obesity (۱۸.۳%) was observed among the subjects aged ۳۵ - ۴۴ years. The prevalence of obesityamong females was higher in urban population.Conclusions: The current study results showed that the urban married middle-aged females had the highest rate of obesity, whichrequires appropriate educational planning and utilization of efficient models in the realm of females’ health.

Keywords:

Prevalence , Obesity , Overweight , Body Mass Index , Hormozgan Province