DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF BODY-MASS INDEX IN JAPANESE ADULTS IN A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE FROM THE NATIONAL-NUTRITION-SURVEY 1990-1994

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of obesity and reference percen tile curves of body mass index (BMI; kg/m(2)) in Japanese adults. DESI GN: Cross-sectional nationwide surveys (The National Nutrition Survey, Japan) carried out in 1990-1994. A sample of 23 556 males and 28 751 females aged 15-84 y was used for this analysis. RESULTS: The prevalen ce of grades 1 (BMI: 25.0-29.9), 2 (30.0-39.9) and 3 ( greater than or equal to 40.0) overweight, was estimated to be 24.3%, 1.84% and 0.019 % in males, respectively, and 20.2%, 2.87% and 0.032% in females, resp ectively, subjects aged 35-64 y after standardization to the age-distr ibution of the standard world population (WHO, 1993). The age-standard ized prevalence of obesity (for BM greater than or equal to 26.4, a cr iterion of the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity; and greater tha n or equal to 30.0 was 13.6% and 1.86% in males, respectively, and 13. 5% and 2.90% in females, respectively, subjects aged 35-64 y. CONCLUSI ONS: The standardized prevalence of obesity (BMI greater than or equal to 30.0) in Japanese adults was quite low compared with the data in w estern populations.