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  • Introduction
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Editors' introduction

International Journal of Obesity volume 31, pages S1–S2 (2007)Cite this article

It is now well known that obesity is a serious health problem that poses a significant challenge to both individual health and to public health. The latest data from WHO show that worldwide there are some 1.6 billion adults who are overweight with a body mass index (BMI) above 25 kg/m2. Of these, at least 400 million adults are obese, with a BMI above 30 kg/m2. The latest prevalence figures for obesity within the European region confirm that in most countries, the number of obese women surpasses the number of obese men, sometimes as much as 2 to 1.

However, what is not generally recognized is the fact that obesity also has a greater impact upon health outcomes for women than for men. This impact is seen in the physical, reproductive, psychological and social well-being of women compared to men.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit for Dietary Studies, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Centre for Health and Society, Copenhagen, Denmark

    B L Heitmann

  2. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

    W P T James

  3. Director, Public Health Policy Group, London, UK

    W P T James

  4. The International Obesity Task Force, London, UK

    W P T James

Authors
  1. B L Heitmann
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  2. W P T James
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Heitmann, B., James, W. Editors' introduction. Int J Obes 31 (Suppl 2), S1–S2 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803728

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803728

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