Background: Body mass index can be used to group individuals in terms of their height and weight as obese. However, such a distinction fails to account for the variation within this group across other factors such as health, demographic and behavioural characteristics. The study aims to examine the existence of subgroups of obese individuals. Methods: Data were taken from the Yorkshire Health Study (2010-2012) including information on demographic, health and behavioural characteristics. Individuals with a body mass index of greater than or equal to 30 were included. A two-step cluster analysis was used to define groups of individuals who shared common characteristics. Results: The cluster analysis found six distinct groups of individuals whose BMI was greater than or equal to 30. These subgroups were: heavy drinking males, young healthy females; the affluent and healthy elderly; the physically sick but happy elderly; the unhappy and anxious middle aged, and a cluster with the poorest health. Conclusion: It is important to account for the important heterogeneity within individuals who are obese. Interventions introduced by clinicians and policy makers should not target obese individuals as a whole, but tailor strategies depending upon the subgroups that individuals belong to.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)