Sir, – In a recent article by Dr Muiris Houston ("Ireland's label as future 'fat man' of Europe comes as a shock", May 6th), the accuracy of the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2030 obesity prevalence estimates were questioned.
Quite rightly, Dr Houston pointed out that analyses which include an element of self-reporting of height and weight will be biased, leading to a general underestimate of body mass index (BMI) and therefore an underestimate of the prevalence of overweight and obesity.
However, the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda), which is a nationally representative study of the health, social and economic circumstances of the over-50s in Ireland, collects both self-reported and objectively measured height and weight from approximately 8,500 adults.
Tilda has shown that in 2011 83 per cent of men and 74 per cent of women in this age group were overweight or obese based on their measured BMI.
These figures are similar to those observed in the over-50s age group in the United States, commonly quoted as the “fattest” of the high-income nations.
As this particular age group did not have high rates of obesity in childhood or early adulthood, it is likely that younger Irish age cohorts will surpass these levels of being overweight and obesity. Therefore, the WHO projections are entirely plausible, if immediate measures are not taken to tackle the obesity crisis.
Tilda is currently reassessing the over-50s cohort, which will enable analysis of the four-year trend in overweight and obesity in this age group. – Yours, etc,
Prof ROSE ANNE KENNY,
Dr SIOBHAN LEAHY,
The Irish Longitudinal
Study on Ageing (Tilda),
Lincoln Gate,
Trinity College Dublin,
Dublin 2.