Prevalence of overweight and obesity among residents in Fangshan district, Beijing

Objective To understand the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Fangshan district in Beijing. Methods The household questionnaire survey was conducted among 969 residents aged 18 years in Fangshan selected randomly by multi stage stratified samplings. Results The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in this population were 38.7% and 20.3%, which were higher than the national average levels. The prevalence rate of overweight was obviously higher in males than in females. The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity increased with age and were higher in urban area than in rural area. Conclusion The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Fangshan were similar to other districts in Beijing, but higher than the national average levels. It is necessary to promote healthy life style and behavior in the community population to prevent and control of overweight, especially in urban middle aged and elderly population.