NEW HAVEN, CT — Obesity is increasing among veterans, and the implications are potentially dire because the condition is associated with a range of serious health conditions, according to new research.
The study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research called for more assessment, monitoring and treatment to reverse the trend.1
Researchers from the VA New England Mental Illness Research and Education Clinical Center in West Haven CT, and the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, in New Haven, CT, provide an updated estimate of the prevalence of obesity in U.S. military veterans while also revealing a myriad of sociodemographic, military, physical and mental health, and lifestyle characteristics associated with it.
To reach their conclusions, the study team analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 3,122 U.S. veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS).
Results indicated that 32.7% of veterans are obese and that the rates are highest for younger and non–white veterans. Interestingly, the rate also was substantially increased for veterans receiving VHA care.
“This is a higher rate than previous estimates in U.S. veterans and is somewhat surprising, since most military servicemembers are fit while serving and are predominantly men, who tend to have lower rates of obesity than women,” pointed out lead author Elina Stefanovics, PhD.
A study published last year in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that, among nearly five million VHA primary care patients, obesity prevalence was 41% — 44% for women and 37% for men — and overweight prevalence was 37%.2
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define obesity as body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. A BMI from 25.0 to <30, is considered overweight. Extreme obesity is a BMI greater than 40.
The recent study reported that obesity was associated with:
- greater trauma burden;
- elevated rates of a broad range of health conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease,
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
- nicotine dependence;
- poor physical and mental functioning and quality of life, and
- decreased engagement in an active lifestyle.
“The findings further document the substantial burden of a range of health issues and functional difficulties associated with obesity in this population,” added senior author Robert Pietrzak, PhD, MPH of the National Center for PTSD. “Collectively, these findings underscore the importance of multi-component interventions, such as integrated primary and mental healthcare approaches, in managing obesity and related conditions in this population.”
1Stefanovics EA, Potenza MN, Pietrzak RH. The physical and mental health burden of obesity in U.S. veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. J Psychiatr Res. 2018 May 22;103:112-119. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.05.016. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29807318.
2Breland JY, Phibbs CS, Hoggatt KJ, Washington DL, et al. The Obesity Epidemic in the Veterans Health Administration: Prevalence Among Key Populations of Women and Men Veterans. J Gen Intern Med. 2017 Apr;32(Suppl 1):11-17. doi: 10.1007/s11606-016-3962-1. PubMed PMID: 28271422; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5359156.
