Objective: To estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Cantabria (Spain).
Methods: In the framework of the CANHTABRIA study, carried out in 2002-2004, measurements of height and weight were performed on a representative sample of 1197 subjects aged 18 years or over.
Results: The overall prevalence of overweight was 37.6% (95%CI: 34.2-41); 43.8% (95%CI: 37.2-50.5) in males, and 32.4% (95%CI: 28.6-36.1) in females (p<0.01). Prevalence of obesity was 22.3% (95%CI: 19.1-25.5); 23.2% (95%CI: 16.9-29.5) in males, and 21.5% (95%CI: 18.3-24.8) in females. Compared to persons with higher education, individuals with lowest level of education had two-fold higher prevalence of overweight and obesity.
Conclusions: The Increase in weight is a public health problem in Cantabria as it affects 6 out of 10 adults of the general population, mainly males and individuals with low educational level.