Obesity prevalence among veterans at Veterans Affairs medical facilities

Das, Sandeep R.; Kinsinger, Linda S.; Yancy, William S.; Wang, Anthea; Ciesco, Eileen; Burdick, Mary; Yevich, Steven J.

doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2004.12.007

« Previous Next »American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Volume 28, Issue 3 , Pages 291-294, April 2005

Obesity prevalence among veterans at Veterans Affairs medical facilities

Sandeep R. Das, MD, MPH
- Preventive Medicine Residency Program, Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Linda S. Kinsinger, MD, MPH
- Veterans Affairs National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Address correspondence to: Linda S. Kinsinger, MD, MPH, Veterans Administration National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, 3000 Croasdaile Drive, Durham NC 27705
William S. Yancy Jr, MD, MHS
- Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
Anthea Wang, MD, MPH
- Preventive Medicine Residency Program, Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Eileen Ciesco, MHA
- Veterans Affairs National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Durham, North Carolina, USA
Mary Burdick, PhD, RN
- Veterans Affairs National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Durham, North Carolina, USA
Steven J. Yevich, MD, MPH
- Veterans Affairs National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Background

Obesity is a significant public health problem in the United States. Comprehensive obesity prevalence data among veterans have not been previously reported.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional analysis of 1,803,323 veterans receiving outpatient care at 136 Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities in 2000. Measured weight, height, and demographic data were used to obtain age-adjusted prevalences of body mass index (BMI) categories, which were stratified by gender and examined by age and race/ethnicity.

Results

Of 93,290 women American veterans receiving care at VA medical facilities during 2000, 68.4% were at least overweight (body mass index [BMI]≥25 kg/m²), with 37.4% classified as obese (BMI≥30 kg/m²), and 6.0% as class-III obese (BMI≥40 kg/m²). Of 1,710,032 men, 73.0% were at least overweight, 32.9% were obese, and 3.3% were class-III obese. Among women, obesity prevalence increased into the sixth and seventh decade of life before prevalence began to decline. Among men, prevalence was lowest for those aged <30 and >70. By race/ethnicity, Native American women (40.7%) and men (35.1%) had the highest prevalence of obesity, while Asian-American women (12.8%) and men (20.6%) had the lowest.

Conclusions

There is a substantial burden of obesity among veterans using VA medical facilities. A comprehensive approach for weight management by the Veterans Health Administration is needed.