The burden of disorders associated with overweight and obesity is a major public health problem. It is therefore important to better identify these concomitant disorders and how their frequencies vary with sex and age.
A survey was carried out during a 5 month-period from September 2001 to January 2002) among 4 727 general practitioners distributed throughout France in 18 102 patients with a body mass index (BMI)>25 kg/m2. The practitioners evaluated the presence of concomitant disorders using a closed questionnaire. The patients assessed global discomfort linked to overweight using an analog visual scale. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the concomitant disorders and self-reported discomfort depending on age, gender and BMI were performed.
The survey population comprised 66.8% of women (W) and 33.2% of men (M). Mean age was 48.0 +/- 13.2 years and mean BMI was 34.6 +/- 6.1, with no differences between the two sexes. The most frequent concomitant disorders were back pain (44.6%), hypertension (44.2%), dyslipidemia (39.9%), knee osteoarthritis (30.8%), lower limb edema (24.3%), hypersudation (23.8%), skin fold mycosis (22.8%) and type 2 diabetes (21.6%). In multivariate analyses, the distribution of these disorders varied with sex: hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypersudation were more frequent in men, whereas knee osteoarthritis, back pain, and skin fold mycosis were more frequent in women. The prevalence (odd ratio, OR) of back pain and dyslipidemia did not increase with higher BMI and the prevalence of back pain did not increase with age. Overall discomfort related to overweight was rated as 61.3 +/- 19.9 mm on a 0 to 100-mm scale. Discomfort was less marked in men, decreased with age and increased with BMI (and with the consultations in the Paris area).
This study shows the complexity of relationships between concomitant diseases, overall discomfort, BMI, age and sex (in the population of overweight and obese patients) and should improve the management of such patients and their complications.