Objective   To offer scientific bases aiming at controlling obesity, to investigate the epidemiology of overweight and obesity among adults in cities and suburban areas of Liaoning province.

  Methods   Residents of 4 cities and their suburban areas, and staffs from two large enterprises are investigated by self-filled structured tables.WHO diagnosed standard for overweight and obesity and the age distribution of national census in 1990 were used to calculate the age-adjusted prevalence rates.

  Results   Data collected from 37 070 adults show that age-adjusted prevalence rates of overweight and obesity are 24.77% and 2.87% respectively for males, significantly higher than the nation's average levels while 17.24% and 1.96% for females, significantly lower than that of nation's average.Prevalence rates of overweight for both males and females increase gradually with age, showing significant difference each other.Occupational characteristic of obesity in males shows that merchant and traffic transportation men have the highest rates, while unemployed and farmers have the lowest.As for females the rates of overweight in housewife and farmer are significantly higher than in other occupational groups.Education in females has a negative effect on rates of overweight and obesity, but shows opposite in male.

  Conclusion   The age-adjusted prevalence rates of overweight and obesity of males are significantly higher in Liaoning than the nation's average levels.Age, sex, occupation, and education have significant impacts on these rates.