ABSTRACT
There has been a marked increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity across the world in both industrialized and non-industrialized countries. In the US, 64% of the adult population is overweight and about 30% are obese (body mass index, BMI > 30). Also in Europe more than 50% of the population between 35 and 65 years of age is overweight or obese. Obesity and especially visceral obesity is strongly associated with arterial hypertension documented throughout different racial groups, ethnic groups, age levels, gender, and socioeconomic status. In most industrialized countries there is an almost linear relationship between body weight and blood pressure (BP) level; in fact just examining the general cause of hypertension shows that 78% of its risk in men is associated with obesity and this same figure reaches almost 65% in women. The therapeutic value of weight reduction in controlling BP is documented in almost every study examining this relationship.
