Obesity, overweight and under weight in suburban northern Nigeria

Background: Weight has long been known to be a determinant of health and disease. Both overweight and underweight are associated with health consequences. We report the results of a community survey of underweight, obesity and overweight in two suburban communities in northern Nigeria. Methods: We studied an adult population sample in suburban northern Nigeria. Obesity was defined as BMI >30KgM-2 while overweight was defined as BMI > 25.0 but <30.0; and underweight was defined as BMI <18.5 KgM-2. Results: 317 subjects participated in the study, 267 (84.23%) were males and 50 (15.77%) females. Forty-one (13.1%) of the subjects had obesity, overweight occurred in 58 (18.5%) while underweight occurred in 21(6.7%) subjects. Conclusion: Both over-nutrition and under-nutrition are common in these communities with the former being more prevalent. Concerted efforts should be made to appropriately control the prevalence of overweight and obesity. (Int J Diabetes Metab 15:68-69, 2007)