本篇研究的目的是調查台灣東南部原住民肥胖及代謝症候群的盛行率。自2007 年5 月至2008 年4 月共有1226 位年滿20 歲以上( 男生658 人; 女生568 人) 前來馬偕紀念醫院台東分院就診的原住民加入此研究，我們測量其體重、身高、腰圍、並抽血做生化檢查( 包括總膽固醇、低密度膽固醇、高密度膽固醇、三酸甘油脂、空腹血糖)，同時以問卷收集參與者的個人健康相關資料。本篇研究定義體重過重是身體質量指數(BMI) ≧ 24Kg/m2 且<27 Kg/m2，肥胖是身體質量指數≧ 27Kg/m2；男性腰圍≧ 90 公分，女性腰圍≧ 80 公分為腹部肥胖；代謝症候群的診斷則是根據國家膽固醇教育計劃第3 次成人治療報告(NCEP ATPIII) 亞洲修正版。研究結果顯示男生的過重和肥胖的盛行率分別為25.8% 及39.8%，女生則為21.7% 及41.5%；77.3% 的女性有腹部肥胖高於男性的49.7% (p<0.001)。而我們也發現全部原住民中代謝症候群盛行率為58.7%，其中女生(68.5%) 高於男性(50.3%, p<0.001)，同時從40-49 歲年齡群開始女生代謝症候群盛行率便高於男生。總而言之，在台灣東南部20 歲以上的原住民中約有2/3 體重過重或肥胖，過半數的人有代謝症候群。與其他族群相比之下，年輕原住民女性有較高的腹部肥胖盛行率，這也可能使她們在停經前就有較高比例的人罹患代謝症候群，進一步導致嚴重的健康問題。

The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the aboriginal population based in southeastern Taiwan. One thousand two hundred and twenty-six subjects
older than 20 years of age (658 male; 568 female) were recruited between May 2007 and April 2008. A simple questionnaire was carried out to take their back ground information and medical history. Biochemistry
study including cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), blood pressure (BP), and fasting plasma glucose were tested on each participant.
Their weight, height, and waist circumference were also taken. Overweight and obesity were defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≧ 24 and ≧ 27kg/m2, respectively. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference
≧ 90cm for men and ≧ 80cm for women, respectively. The diagnosis of MetS was based on the Adult Treatment Panels of The Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP ATPIII)modified for Asians. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 25.8% and 39.8% for men, and 21.7%and 41.5% for women, respectively. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 49.7% for men and 77.3% for women (P<0.001). The overall prevalence of MetS was 58.7%, with a higher prevalence (68.5%) in women
than men (50.3%) (p<0.001). A crossover point of the prevalence between men and women in the group aged 40-49 was noticed. About two-thirds of the aborigines older than 20 years of age in southeastern Taiwan were either overweight or obese, and more than half of the population had MetS. In comparison to other ethnic groups, young women had a higher prevalence of abdominal obesity, which could lead to a higher prevalence of MetS before menopause and could constitute an emerging public health problem.