Introduction: The prevalence of obesity has increased among adults living in developed or developing countries. In Brazil, obesity among adults affected at least 10% of population from 2008 to 2009.
Objectives: Based on data from VIGITEL, we will estimate the incidence and persistence of obesity among Brazilian adults from 2006 to 2009.
Methods: We used complete cases with demographic, socioeconomic, and anthropometric data of samples from 2006 to 2009. All estimates were adapted for the Brazilian population in 2007. The relative risk (RR) for incidence and persistence of overweight or obesity was estimated by the Poisson multiple regression. All estimates were adjusted for smoking behavior, age, and practice of physical activity.
Results: The incidence of overweight among individuals with low or normal weight at the age of 20 is estimated in 40% for males and 30% for females. The persistence of obesity, in turn, is estimated in 65% for males and 47% for females. The gradient of obesity as a function of schooling is virtually inexistent in males. Among females, the gradient is negative, with linear and statistically significant associations.
Conclusion: These characteristics, combined with the increase of obesity among young adults found in other studies, show the urgent need to use more effective public policies, which reduce public exposure to foods of poor nutritional quality and develop initiatives to promote physical activity.