[The magnitude of fatness: prevalence and type of obesity in people registered at a health center]. / La magnitud de la gordura: prevalencia y tipo de obesidad en la población adscrita a un centro de salud.

OBJECTIVE: To determine prevalence and type of obesity; and, secondarily, to determine the prevalence of factors of cardiovascular risk in obese patients. DESIGN: Descriptive observational study. SETTING: Catchment area of an urban Health Centre. PARTICIPANTS: People over 14 and of both sexes registered at the Health Centre. INTERVENTIONS: 270 people were contacted, of whom 191 (70.7%) were finally studied for weight, size and Quetelet index. When this index was 25 or over, the waist/hip index was studied. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity for the whole population registered at the Health Centre was 13.5% (15.4% in men, 12.1% in women). Prevalence increased with age, and was highest for both sexes in the 65-74 age-group (28%). The type of obesity prevalence has resulted 84.6% for android type and 15.3% for gynecoid. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is a first-order problem, not only because of its high prevalence and the greater frequency of the male type, but because of the high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in obese people.