Obesity Epidemiology

Abstract

During the past twenty years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. An estimated 30% of adults in the US are obese; in 1980, only 15% were. The issue is gaining greater attention with the CDC and with the public health world in general. This book offers practical information about the methodology of epidemiologic studies of obesity. The book is structured in four main sections. The first section considers issues surrounding the definition of obesity, measurement techniques, and the designs of epidemiologic studies. The second section addresses the consequences of obesity, looking at epidemiologic studies that focus on cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. The third section looks at determinants obesity, reviewing a wide range of risk factors for obesity including diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviors, sleep disorders, psychosocial factors, physical environment, biochemical and genetic predictors, and intrauterine exposures. The final section addresses the analytical issues and challenges for epidemiologic studies of obesity.