OBESITY AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE

It is well known that there is a connection between body weight and se veral diseases. Little attempts have been made, however, to evaluate t he influence of body weight on a person's well-being and quality of li fe. The authors report on a representative study in Germany in which h ealth and quality of life of overweight and adipose persons were deter mined by a validated instrument (SF-36).The results reveal connections between a higher body mass index and impairment of the physical, soci al and psychic well-being. Physical impairments as a function of BMI a nd age have been found mainly in middle-aged persons (30-64 years). Th e SF-36 is suitable to describe impairments caused by overweight, and possibly to document and evaluate changes associated with weight loss (e.g. during a weight reduction).