Panama scientists aid world obesity study

SCIENTISTS at Panama’s  Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies (ICGES) have been part of the most comprehensive research to date to measure global obesity.

The results show a new challenge in public health: in the last four decades, the number of obese men on the planet has tripled, while it has more than doubled in women.

Panama Doctors Jorge Motta. and Julio Zuniga, were part of the group of scientists, which carried out the analysis published this week in The Lancet.

In 2014 there were 266 million men and 375 million obese women with a body mass index (BM)I of 30 kg / m2 or more, according to the study.

The research evaluated the BMI  trends of adults from 200 countries from 1975 to 2014, with  more than 19.2 million participants.

The mega study was led by scientists from Imperial College London, along with members of the WHO  and about 700 international researchers. Theinternational research was published on the eve of the International Day of Prevention and Combatting  Obesity Day will be marked in Panama on Monday , April 4.

The research shows that  the number of men with obesity in the world increased from 3.2% in 1975 to 10.8% in 2014, while the number of obese women has increased from 6.4% to 14.9%, with a BMI of 30 kg / m2 or more, says the publication.

Scientists involved in the study predict that if this trend continues 18% of men and 21% of women of the world population will be obese by 2025.

it was determined that 2.3% of men and 5% of women suffer from severe obesity; that is, they have a BMI of 35 kg / m2 or more.

These parameters increase the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

The research also showed that many obese are concentrated in China and the United States, while the latter is the country with  the highest number of people with severe obesity on the planet.

“For ICGES participation is, a recognition of the research work carried out. The institute has been involved in  the study of non-communicable diseasesfor  the last 10 years ” said Motta, .and  the institution has a new generation of scientists who form a department dedicated exclusively to the study of noncommunicable diseases.

LOCAL SITUATION
In Panama, obesity is more  prevalent  among women than men and more  in urban areas  than in indigenous and  rural areas,” said Dr. Motta.

In 2008, the Living Standards Survey showed that the prevalence of obesity in men was 17% 16.9% and 24%  and women 23.8%.

In 2010, the prevalence study of Risk Factors Associated with Cardiovascular Disease (made in Panama and Colon) found that 61.5% of the adult population analyzed in both provinces was overweight, registering obesity in 30% of women in the sample , and 18% men.

HEALTH CARE COSTS
Given the worldwide increase in obesity public health costs associated with obesity are a worrying aspecy said Motta.

“Obesity is not only associated with cardiovascular disease, but also has associations with cancer. Therefore we are  seeking changes in human behavior, including  some kind of physical  activity activity and we must also begin to look very carefully at  industrialized food “