AbstractObjectiveThe study aimed to highlight the determinants of overnutrition (overweight plus obesity) in fishing communities and establish if these were the same as reported elsewhere in Ghana.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingThe study was conducted in Idun, Ola and Duakor fishing communities in Cape Coast, Ghana.SubjectsAdults (n 252) aged 20 to 50 years.ResultsResults showed that 32 % of participants were overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 25·0 kg/m²). Participants’ mean age was 31·7 (sd 1·0) years, they had 13·7 (sd 8·1) mean years of formal education, their median monthly income was $US 7·4 (interquartile range $US 3·3, 20·0) and their median daily energy intake was 7·3 (interquartile range 5·3, 9·8) MJ. Significant associations (P < 0·05) were found between BMI and gender, age, years of education, fat intake and marital status. Females were almost eight times more likely to be overweight/obese than males (adjusted OR = 7·7; 95 % CI 3·6, 16·4). Persons aged ≥40 years were about six times more likely to be overweight/obese than those aged 20–29 years (adjusted OR = 6·1; 95 % CI 2·6, 14·1). Married people were nearly three times more likely to be overweight/obese than singles (adjusted OR = 2·8; 95 % Cl 1·4, 5·7). People with more than 13 years of formal education (adjusted OR = 0·3; 95 % CI 0·1, 0·9) and people with >30 % fat contribution to daily energy intake (adjusted OR = 0·3; 95 % CI 0·1, 0·6) had reduced odds of being overweight/obese.ConclusionsOvernutrition was prevalent in the fishing communities and associated with factors such as age, gender, marital status, educational status and fat intake.