Obesity patterns among women in a slum area in Brazil

High-energy diet and sedentary lifestyle fail to completely explain the epidemic of obesity in developing countries. in this cross-sectional survey,the prevalence and patterns of overweight/obesity were assessed among women in a slum in brazil. using anthropometric measurements,shorter form of the international physical activity questionnaire (ipaq),and a 24-hour diet recall questionnaire,data were collected from 632 women aged 20-60 years. the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 29% and 17% respectively. physical inactivity was found in 17% of the women; 12% of them had short stature,and 44% had energy intake below the recommended dietary allowance. results of multiple logistic regression showed that overweight/ obesity differed significantly (p<0.05) in the following aspects: abdominal circumference,energy intake,and short stature. a high prevalence of overweight/obesity was found in a very poor community associated with high-energy intake and short stature. © international centre for diarrhoeal disease research,bangladesh.