| Abstract: | In order to assess the prevalence of obesity in families of extremely obese individuals, we conducted a mail survey of a national obesity organization. Thirty-nine percent (N=981) of the questionnaires were completed and returned. Respondents were excluded from further analysis if they were adopted, male, their gender could not be determined, provided incomplete information about their parents or their own height and weight, or were less than 22 or greater than 63 years of age. The analyses included 729 probands and their families. Both the prevalence and the extent of obesity were high in the families members. The average family members' body mass index (BMI=kg/m2 was 30, and 78% of the families studied had at least one other obese (BM1>30 kg/m2) first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child). Although obesity was common in the families, survey respondents were generally the heaviest members of their families, having an average BMI of 47 kg/m2. Correlations among first- degree relatives were similar to those found for average weight groups, suggesting that obesity and BMI are similarly influenced by family genetic factors in this extremely obese population. |
