Table 1.

The distributions of the variables by BMI groups

	Body mass index (kg/m2)a
	Women (N = 4760)					Men (N = 1338)
	Normal weight	Overweight	Obese	Severely obese	Total	Normal weight	Overweight	Obese	Severely obese	Total
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Total	53	32	11	3	100	39	45	12	4	100
Age (years)
40	25	17	17	14	21	22	18	11	4	18
45	24	20	18	19	22	22	20	15	21	20
50	22	22	20	21	22	19	20	20	38	20
55	21	26	32	32	24	26	27	37	23	28
60	9	15	14	14	12	12	16	19	15	15
Married/cohabiting	69	70	67	60	69	79	79	76	65	78
Socioeconomic position
Managers/professionals	37	45	47	53	41	9	9	9	17	9
Semi-professionals	22	18	16	13	20	20	20	21	15	20
Routine non-manual	33	24	22	19	28	49	44	35	35	45
Manual workers	9	13	16	16	11	21	27	36	33	26
Physically strenuous work	34	41	43	44	38	16	14	17	19	15
Mentally strenuous work	75	76	77	74	76	74	75	70	71	74
Smoker	21	23	20	21	21	24	24	33	27	25
Drinking problem	15	16	14	14	15	22	23	32	19	23
Physical activity (MET)
Inactive	18	25	38	48	24	20	25	44	56	26
Moderately active	38	42	41	34	40	33	32	31	25	32
Vigorously active	29	26	17	16	26	27	23	17	13	23
Highly active	15	8	4	2	11	21	20	8	6	18
Poor physical functioning	9	20	33	44	17	15	20	43	67	23
Somatic health problem	17	26	29	37	22	16	22	29	42	21
Psychotropic medication before baseline	19	23	26	21	21	11	14	21	25	14

^a Body mass index was categorised into four groups: normal weight 18.5–24.9 kg/m², overweight 25–29.9 kg/m², obese 30–34.9 kg/m² and severely obese ≥35 kg/m²