Do The Spanish Have A Problem With Obesity?

Yes, obesity is a major cause of concern in Spain, as it is in most other developed countries. The Spanish public health department has published certain alarming statistics which take into account the three key factors that influence obesity, namely the age, height and weight of a person, in order to ascertain the magnitude of the problem of obesity in the country.

The Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity (SEEDO) conducted a comprehensive nutritional survey that had a sample size of 9, 885 respondents in the age group of 25 to 60 years. These people were residents of eight regions in Spain, namely Andalucia, the Balearic Islands, Basque Country, the Canary Island, Catalonia, Galicia, Madrid and Valencia. It was found that a total of 14.5 per cent of Spaniards were obese, which comprised 15.75 per cent of women and 13.39 per cent of men. The highest rates of obesity were found in the age group of 55 years. About 21.58 per cent of the males in the age group of 55 years and 33.9 per cent of the females in the age group of 55 years were found to be obese.