Objective: analysis of the prevalence and factors of obesity among the adult population in Italy.
Materials: microdata from the Multipurpose Survey on Households "Aspects of daily life 2007", carried out by Istat on a sample of nearly 19 thousands households.
Methods: multiple logistic regression.
Results: the risk of obesity is associated to individuals sociodemographic characteristics. Physical and cultural activity are negatively associated with obesity. The stratified analyses highlight differences by gender and age in the factors associated to higher risks of obesity.
Conclusions: the prevention and treatment of obesity require the cooperation of several specialists, not exclusively from the health-sector.