PREVALENCE AND SECULAR TRENDS IN OBESITY IN PACIFIC AND INDIAN-OCEAN ISLAND POPULATIONS

Prevelance and secular trends in obesity in Pacific and Indian Ocean i sland populations, Obes Res. 1995;3(suppl 2):77s-87s. Surveys conducte d in 10 Pacific island populations and in the multiethnic populations of Mauritius and Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean have provided data on t he prevalence of obesity, potential etiological factors and medical ha zards associated with obesity, The results indicate that the prevalenc e of obesity (by body mass index. (BMI)) in some of these populations is among the highest in the world, Obesity related to degree of modern ization is more common in urban than in rurallocations and tends to be found more often in women, In two populations where longitudinal data were available, there were dramatic increases in prevalence over rela tively short time periods, Obesity contributed to the risk of non-insu lin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDIM) and was associated with other risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in all populations, but no relationship could be found with total mortality in three ethnic g roups for whom data were available, A genetic susceptibility to obesit y combined with social pressures that favor high energy intakes and re duced physical activity are believed to be important in these populati ons. The challenge for the future lies in developing culturally approp riate programs for preventing obesity and thus reducing associated mor bidity, while continuing to research its behavioral and genetic determ inants.