62% of insured people are overweight: study

Oman Insurance Company polled 3,200 of its health care members for survey

More than half of the people polled by Oman Insurance Company were found to be overweight, a new survey has found.

At least 62 per cent of the insurance company’s health care members are overweight, with various nationalities more or less impacted by weight issues.

The study compiled by LivFit team at Oman Insurance Company (OIC) analysed more than 3,200 responses received as part of their free online health risk assessment.

According to the study findings, 66 per cent of Indians and 70 per cent of Pakistanis were found to be overweight; the percentage was comparatively lower for Filipinos, at 54 per cent.

The overweight level was determined using Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in metres. People with a BMI between 25 and 30 are considered overweight and a BMI of 30 and above is obese.

Gender, lifestyle factors

Interestingly, within the male population, 67 per cent were overweight compared to 59 per cent among women. The link between physical activity and weight was reflected through the analysis.

The study also found that 19 per cent of the people in the healthy weight group said they don’t exercise even 2.5 hours a week; the number rose to 27 per cent for overweight population.

Apart from lack of physical activity, common causes of obesity include poor diet and overall lifestyle choices,” said Dr Yasser Khalifa, head of Medical Insurance at OIC. “Our wellness programme LivFit motivates people to start making positive lifestyle changes, like walking for 20 minutes every day, stop the intake of carbonated drinks or to take the stairs.”

Unfortunately, the majority of the overweight population is still unaware of their health condition: the survey revealed that only 20 per cent of overweight respondents have been diagnosed for this condition by doctors.

Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, stroke, diabetes and cancers of the kidney and breast.