More than scales and tape measures needed to address obesity in South Africa

Figures & data

Table 1: Patients’ perception of self compared with actual BMI

Factor		How do you see yourself? (%)		Total
		Overweight	Normal weight
Actual body mass index (kg/m^2)	25–30	4.0	2.0	6.0
	31–35	21.0	9.0	30.0
	36–40	20.0	4.0	24.0
	41–45	18.0		18.0
	46–50	12.0	1.0	13.0
	51–55	7.0	1.0	8.0
	> 60	1.0		1.0
Total		83.0%	17.0	100.0

Table 2: Perception of happiness compared to actual BMI

Factor		Are you happy with your weight? (%)			Total (%)
		Yes	No	Not sure
Actual body mass index	25–30	1.0	4.0	1.0	6.0
	31–35	9.0	20.0	1.0	30.0
	36–40	4.0	20.0		24.0
	41–45		18.0		18.0
	46–50	1.0	12.0		13.0
	51–55		8.0		8.0
	> 60		1.0		1.0
Total		15.0	83.0	2.0	100.0

Table 3: Perception of obesity as a health risk and the knowledge of their medical condition.

Factor			I don’t know	I Know	Total
Is obesity a health risk?	Yes	Count	0	96	96
		% of total	0.0	96.0	96.0
	No	Count	0	3	3
		% of total	0.0	3.0	3.0
	Don’t know	Count	1	0	1
		% of total	1.0	0.0	1.0
Total		Count	1	99	100
		% of total	1.0	99.0	100.0

Table 4: Chi-square tests showing the association between perception of obesity and the health risks.

Factor	Value	df	Asymp. sig. (2-sided)
Pearson’s chi-square	100.000^a	2	.000
Likelihood ratio	11.200	2	.004
Linear-by-linear association	56.333	1	.000
No. of valid cases	100

Table 5: Perceptions of obesity and ethnicity

Ethnicity	Large		Unattractive
	Yes (%)	No (%)	Yes (%)	No (%)
Zulu	57	7	3	61
Indian	28	2	0	30
Coloured	1	0	0	1
White	1	0	0	1
Swazi	2	0	0	2
Xhosa	2	0	0	2
Total	91	9	3	97

Table 6: Perceptions of obesity and gender

Gender	Large		Unattractive
	Yes (n, %)	No (n, %)	Yes (n, %)	No (n, %)
Female	74	8	1	81
	90.24	9.76	1.22	98.78
	81.32	88.89	33.33	83.51
Male	17	1	2	16
	94.44	5.56	11.11	88.89
	18.68	11.11	66.67	16.49
Total	91	9	3	97
	91.00	9.00	3.00	97.00
	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00

Table 7: Perceptions of obesity and education

Education	Large		Unattractive
	Yes (n, %)	No (n, %)	Yes (n, %)	No (n, %)
No formal	1 1.10 100.0	0 0.0 0.00	0 0.00 0.00	1 1.03 100
Primary	17 18.68 94.44	1 11.11 5.56	1 33.33 5.56	17 17.53 94.44
Matric	36 39.56 92.31	3 33.3 7.69	2 66.67 5.13	37 38.14 94.87
Tertiary	36 39.56 90.0	4 44.44 10.0	0 0.00 0.00	40 41.24 100
Other	1 1.10 50	1 11.11 50.0	0 0.00 0.00	2 2.06 100
Total	91 100.00 91	9 100.0 9.0	3 100.00 3.00	97 100.00 97.00

Table 8: Comparison between BMI and diabetes.

Factor		Do you have diabetes mellitus (%)		Total (%)
		Yes	No
Body mass index	25–30		6.0	6.0
	31–35	6.0	24.0	30.0
	36–40	4.0	20.0	24.0
	41–45	3.0	15.0	18.0
	46–50	4.0	9.0	13.0
	51–55	1.0	7.0	8.0
	> 60		1.0	1.0
Total, n = 100		18.0	82.0	100.0

Table 9: Comparison between BMI and hypertension.

Factor		Do you have hypertension (%)		Total (%)
		Yes	No
Body mass index	25–30		6.0	6.0
	31–35	8.0	22.0	30.0
	36–40	7.0	17.0	24.0
	41–45	7.0	11.0	18.0
	46–50	6.0	7.0	13.0
	51–55	6.0	2.0	8.0
	> 60	1.0		1.0
Total, n = 100		35.0	65.0	100.0