The Counterweight programme: Prevalence of CVD risk factors by body mass index and the impact of 10% weight change

Summary Objectives To examine relationships between body mass index (BMI), prevalence of physician-recorded cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in primary care, and changes in risk with 10% weight change. Methods The Counterweight Project conducted a baseline cross-sectional survey of medical records of 6150 obese (BMI≥30kg/m 2 ), 1150 age- and sex-matched overweight (BMI 25 to 2 ), and 1150 age- and sex-matched normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 2 ) controls, in primary care. Data were collected for the previous 18 months to examine BMI and disease prevalence, and then modelled to show the potential effect of 10% weight loss or gain on risk. Results Obese patients develop more CVD risk factors than normal weight controls. BMI≥40kg/m 2 exhibits increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), odds ratio (OR) men: 6.16 ( p p p p 2 , OR men: 3.26 ( p p 2 in men, OR 4.48 ( p 2 in women, OR 3.98 ( p A 10% weight loss from the sample mean of 32.5kg/m 2 reduced the OR for type 2 DM by 30% and CVD by 20%, while 10% weight gain increased type 2 DM risk by more than 35% and CVD by 20%. Conclusion Obesity plays a fundamental role in CVD risk, which is reduced with weight loss. Weight management intervention strategies should be a public health priority to reduce the burden of disease in the population.