Prevalence of and factors associated with overweight and obesity among a group of Iraqi women

We studied the prevalence and factors associated with overweight and obesity among 200 non-pregnant Iraqi women ( 18 years) attending 2 outpatient clinics in Baghdad. The women were interviewed using a questionnaire and had their body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) calculated. Only 24% of the women were normal weight: 39%, 25% and 12% were overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m^2), obese ( 30 kg/m^2) and morbidly obese ( 40 kg/m^2) respectively. While the mean WHR was normal, the mean waist circumference was higher than normal. Factors significantly associated with overweight and obesity were older age, history of previous laparotomy and type of clothing worn (gown) inside the home.