Study: 26.6% of Dominican population obese

Santo Domingo.- 26.6percent of Dominican Republic´s population is within the parameters of obesityaccording to a study of the Dominican Research on Cardiovascular Risk Factorsand Metabolic Syndrome (EFRICARD II).

The research was conductedby Dr. Rafael Pichardo, Ángel González, Wilson Ramírez, Feliz Escaño, CarmenRodríguez and Ramón Jimenez, whose results were presented in coordination witha lecture by nutritionist Taiana Ubiñas and Max Insurance Brokers.

"The term obesityis understood as a chronic condition characterized by increased weight causedby excessive accumulation of fat to an extent that compromises thehealth," Ubiñas said.

"A curious fact isthat obesity in the country is higher in women at 29 percent and 21.7 percent inmen," the expert said during the first of a series of health activities byMax Brokers for its collaborators throughout 2016.

Other data obtainedfrom the document reveals that obesity in the general population is 31.7%, and morepresent in men with 34.3 percent and 30.3 percent in women.

"These data arereferenced to the body mass index (BMI) of people. It´s allowing us todetermine the degree of normality or obese patients and is calculated bydividing weight in kilos over the individual height squared."