Geographical and socioeconomic distribution of overweight and morbidity in a rural Swedish county.

This report overweight is based on a cross-sectional study in Skaraborg County, Sweden, in 1977. Mean values of Body Mass Index (BMI) are higher in this county than in other areas studied in Sweden and abroad. In correlation analysis the strongest association was found between overweight and hypertension. This is of particular interest since other studies have shown that Skaraborg county, has one of Sweden's highest proportions of treated hypertensives and also higher mortality during the 1970s in hypertension and obesity related diseases. The BMI varied between the municipalities of the county. Overweight was most common in the agricultural municipalities. The mean value of the BMI was higher among workers and persons with less formal education. This is contradictory to earlier Swedish studies with regard to men but not women. Physically demanding jobs accounted for more overweight individuals whereas high physical activity during leisure time was correlated with low body weight.