The aim of the present work was to evaluate the relationships between sociodemographic, clinical, lifestyle and psychological characteristics and the presence of obesity, among older individuals without known cardiovascular disease. During 20052007, 553 older men and 637 older women from eight Mediterranean Islands in Greece and Cyprus were enrolled. The retrieved information included demographic, bio-clinical and dietary characteristics. The MedDietScore assessed adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern.
According to the results, the prevalence of obesity was 27% in males and 41% in females, while 48% of males and 39% of females were overweight. The prevalence of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension was higher in the obese elderly than in the overweight or normal. After adjusting for various confounders, one unit increase in the MedDietScore was associated with 88% lower likelihood of being obese; similarly, physical activity was associated with 81% lower likelihood of obesity.
Roughly seven out of 10 of our sample were overweight or obese, while the majority of them presented other co-morbidities, too. Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet may reduce the burden of obesity among older individuals.