Abstract
Objectives
Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of multiple acute and chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and cancer. In order to improve targeting of resources for weight loss intervention, this study identified subgroups in a generalizable population who currently have the lowest rates of weight loss.
Methods
This is a population-based retrospective observational study that assessed measured weight loss in 2014 among adolescents (13-17 years old) and adults (25 years and older) members of Clalit Health Services (Clalit), the largest health maintenance organization in Israel, who were documented as obese (95 percentile and above for adolescents and BMI≥30 for adults) between 2010 and 2014.
Results
There are more than 14,000 adolescents and 420,000 adults, 9.8% and 23.6% of the population in 2014 respectively, who were documented as obese between 2010 and 2014. Of those, in 2014, 13.2% adolescents and 13.5% adults no longer met the criteria for obesity. This change in BMI differed by age for both boys and girls, from 2.2% for those aged 13 to 17.4% for those aged 17, and from 3.8% for those aged 13 to 20.9% for those aged 17, respectively. Among adults, transition from obesity was the lowest among women in the 45-54 year age group (10.5%). Those with the lowest socioeconomic status also had lower rates compared to the highest socioeconomic status (11.4% vs. 15.4%, respectively for adolescents and 11.9% vs. 16.7% for adults).
Conclusions
As of 2014, less than 20% of the obese population has lost sufficient weight to not be considered obese. Members from low socioeconomic status and midlife-age women have the lowest reducing weight rates. Therefore, healthcare providers and weight loss interventions should consider focus on those populations.
Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of multiple acute and chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and cancer. In order to improve targeting of resources for weight loss intervention, this study identified subgroups in a generalizable population who currently have the lowest rates of weight loss.
Methods
This is a population-based retrospective observational study that assessed measured weight loss in 2014 among adolescents (13-17 years old) and adults (25 years and older) members of Clalit Health Services (Clalit), the largest health maintenance organization in Israel, who were documented as obese (95 percentile and above for adolescents and BMI≥30 for adults) between 2010 and 2014.
Results
There are more than 14,000 adolescents and 420,000 adults, 9.8% and 23.6% of the population in 2014 respectively, who were documented as obese between 2010 and 2014. Of those, in 2014, 13.2% adolescents and 13.5% adults no longer met the criteria for obesity. This change in BMI differed by age for both boys and girls, from 2.2% for those aged 13 to 17.4% for those aged 17, and from 3.8% for those aged 13 to 20.9% for those aged 17, respectively. Among adults, transition from obesity was the lowest among women in the 45-54 year age group (10.5%). Those with the lowest socioeconomic status also had lower rates compared to the highest socioeconomic status (11.4% vs. 15.4%, respectively for adolescents and 11.9% vs. 16.7% for adults).
Conclusions
As of 2014, less than 20% of the obese population has lost sufficient weight to not be considered obese. Members from low socioeconomic status and midlife-age women have the lowest reducing weight rates. Therefore, healthcare providers and weight loss interventions should consider focus on those populations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | A661 |
| Journal | Value in Health |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2015 |