Evaluation of the automatic quantification of left ventricular function using ECG gated 99mTc-MIBI myocardial SPECT

OBJECTIVE: To compare temporal changes in body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) and prevalence of obesity (BMI > 25 and > 30 kg/m2) among adult Kuwaitis between two periods 14 y apart. DESIGN: Comparison of two independent cross-sectional samples of Kuwaitis studied in 1980-1981 and 1993-1994. SUBJECTS: 2067 (896 men and 1171 women) and 3435 (1730 men and 1705 women) adult Kuwaitis (aged > or = 18 y), drawn from primary health care (PHC) clinics and studied for nutritional assessment and for prevalence of obesity in 1980-1981 and 1993-1994, respectively. MEASUREMENTS: BMI, which is the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared (kg/m2), was based on measured weight and height. Obesity was defined as BMI > 25 kg/m2 (grade 1) and BMI > 30 kg/m2) (grade 2). RESULTS: Mean BMI increased significantly (P < 0.001) by 10.0% and 6.2% (2.5 and 1.7 kg/m2) among men and women, respectively. Prevalence of obesity (BMI > 25 and > 30 kg/m2) increased by 20.6% and 15.4% and by 13.7% and 8.4% among men and women, respectively. After controlling for sociodemographic differences between the two study periods, BMI was 2.0 and 1.6 kg/m2 higher in 1993-1994 than in 1980-1981 among men and women respectively. The risk of obesity (BMI > 25 and > 30 kg/m2) also increased among both genders between the two periods (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.7-2.7 and OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.5-2.4, for men and OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.6-3.0 and OR = 1.4, 95% CI 2.2 CI-1.0-1.9, for women). CONCLUSION: BMI and prevalence of obesity increased among Kuwaitis between 1980-1981 and 1993 and 1994 probably due to the effects of modernization, affluence, increased food consumption and the concomitant changes to sedentary lifestyles. The rate of temporal changes in BMI and obesity were higher, by comparison, in Kuwait than in selected other countries.     

Assessing obesity: classification and epidemiology

Obesity is generally defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 and higher. Overweight is defined as a BMI between 25 and 30 kg/m2. The prevalence varies considerably between countries, and between regions within countries. It is estimated that more than half of adults aged 35-65 living in Europe are either overweight or obese. Overweight is more common among men than among women but obesity is more common among women. The prevalence of obesity in Europe is probably in the order of 10-20% in men and 15-25% in adult women. In most European countries who have reliable data on time-trends the prevalence of obesity seems to be increasing. In most European countries, obesity is usually inversely associated with socio-economic status, particularly among women. New classifications of overweight may be based on cut-off points for simple anthropometric measures which reflects both total adiposity as well as abdominal fatness.     

Combined effect of short stature and socioeconomic status on body mass index and weight gain during reproductive age in Brazilian women

Short stature, a marker for undernutrition early in life, has been associated with obesity in Brazilian women, but not in men. We tested the hypothesis that weight gain during the reproductive years could explain this gender difference. A national two-stage household survey of mothers with one or more children under five years of age was conducted in Brazil in 1996. The subjects were women aged 20 to 45 years (N = 2297), with last delivery seven months or more prior to the interview. The regions of the country were divided into rural, North/Northeast (urban underdeveloped) and South/Southeast/Midwest (urban developed). The dependent variables were current body mass index (BMI) measured, BMI prior to childbearing (reported), and BMI change. Socioeconomic variables included mother's years of education and family purchasing power score. A secondary analysis was restricted to primiparous women. The prevalence of current overweight and overweight prior to childbearing (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) was higher among shorter women (<1.50 m) compared to normal stature women only in the urban developed region (P < 0.05). After adjustment for socioeconomic variables, age, parity, BMI prior to childbearing, and age at first birth, current BMI was 2.39 units higher (P = 0.008) for short stature women living in the urban developed area compared with short stature women living in the urban underdeveloped area. For both multiparous and primiparous women, BMI gain compared to the value prior to childbearing was significantly higher among short stature women living in the urban developed region (P <= 0.04). These results provide clear evidence that short stature was associated with a higher BMI and with an increased risk of weight gain/retention with pregnancy in the developed areas of Brazil, but not in the underdeveloped ones.     

High temporal, geographic, and income variation in body mass index among adults in Brazil

OBJECTIVES: Population-based data on body mass index for developing countries are scarce. Body mass index data from two Brazilian surveys were examined to determine regional and temporal variations in the prevalences of underweight, overweight, and obesity. METHODS: Nationwide surveys in 1974/75 and 1989 collected anthropometric data in Brazil from 55,000 and 14,455 households, respectively. Trained interviewers used the same methods to measure weight and stature in both surveys, and survey designs were identical. Prevalences of underweight, overweight, and obesity were determined for persons 18 years of age and older. RESULTS: In the 1989 survey, body mass index varied greatly according to region of the country, urbanization, and income. In the wealthier South, the prevalence of overweight/obesity was the highest and the prevalence of underweight was the lowest; in the poorer rural Northeast, these patterns were reversed. For both surveys, overweight/obesity was more common among women than among men and peaked at age 45 to 64 years in both sexes. Over the 15 years between surveys, the prevalence of both overweight and obesity increased strikingly. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to findings in developed countries, obesity in Brazil was positively associated with income and was much more prevalent among women than among men. For Brazilian women, the overall prevalence of overweight was nearly as high as that among women in the United States.     

Can the influence of childhood socioeconomic status on men’s and women’s adult body mass be explained by adult socioeconomic status or personality? Findings from a national sample.

Objectives: On the basis of a life-course risk-chain framework, the authors examined whether (a) residual associations between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and adult obesity and body mass index (BMI) would be observed in women but not men after adjusting for adult SES, (b) adult Big Five personality traits would be associated with adult body mass in both genders, and (c) personality would explain unique variation in outcomes beyond child and adult SES. Design: National survey (Midlife Development in the United States study; N = 2,922). Main Outcome Measures: BMI and obesity. Results: (a) In both genders, association between childhood SES and adult obesity were accounted for entirely by adult SES, but its effect on adult BMI was observed only in women; (b) higher conscientiousness was associated with lower obesity prevalence and BMI in both genders, although more strongly in women, and in men, greater obesity prevalence was associated with higher agreeableness and neuroticism; and (c) personality explained unique outcome variation in both genders. Conclusions: Early social disadvantage may affect adult weight status more strongly in women owing to gender differences in the timing and nature of weight-management socialization. Personality may enhance or detract from risks incurred by childhood or adulthood SES in either gender, necessitating the consideration of dispositional differences in prevention and intervention programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Body weight and risk of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction among women: a case-control study from northern Italy

BACKGROUND: The relationship between nonfatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and self-reported body weight and body mass index (BMI; Quetelet index, kg/m2) has been investigated. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted between 1983 and 1992 in northern Italy on 432 women with nonfatal AMI and 867 controls in hospital for acute, noncardiovascular, nonneoplastic, nondigestive, non-hormone-related conditions. Odds ratios (OR), with their 95% confidence intervals (CI), were computed by unconditional multiple logistic regression analysis, including terms for age, education, and smoking, plus history of selected diseases. RESULTS: Women with body weight and BMI in the highest quartile had an increased risk of AMI after allowance for age, education, and smoking status (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.2, and OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.4, respectively). Compared with leaner women, the risk was higher among women with BMI above the median, in association with a history of diabetes (OR 5.2) or hyperlipidemia (OR 6.0). Hypertensive women had similar OR in the two strata of BMI (OR 5.1 and 4.8). The association of BMI with risk of AMI was apparently stronger among women younger than 50 years and among less educated women, but was similar among smokers and never smokers. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm that AMI among women is related to excess BMI, with a population attributable risk of 17%. The excess risk was substantial among overweight women with history of diabetes or hyperlipidemia, stressing the importance of controlling body weight among these women.     

Recent progress in research on plant polyphenol oxidase

The study objective was to determine circulating levels of the appetite-controlling neuropeptides, neuropeptide Y (NPY), galanin, and leptin, in subjects with eating disorders. The study group consisted of 48 obese women aged 19 to 45 years, 15 women with anorexia nervosa aged 18 to 23 years, and 19 lean healthy women aged 18 to 42 years (control group). The obese women were divided into four groups: (A) body mass index (BMI) = 25 to 30 kg/m2, n = 9 (overweight); (B) BMI = 31 to 40 kg/m2, n = 23 (moderate obesity); (C) BMI greater than 40 kg/m2, n = 9 (severe obesity); and (D) BMI = 31 to 40 kg/m2, n = 7 (moderate obesity + non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [NIDDM]). Plasma NPY, galanin, and leptin concentrations were measured in peripheral blood samples with radioimmunoassay methods. Plasma NPY levels in obese women (groups A, B, C, and D) were significantly higher as compared with the control group (P < .01, P < .001, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively). The highest plasma NPY concentrations were observed in obese women with NIDDM. Plasma galanin levels were significantly higher in groups B, C, and D (P < .001, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively). Plasma leptin concentrations were significantly higher in groups C and D as compared with the control group (P < .001 and P < .001, respectively). Plasma NPY and galanin concentrations in women with anorexia nervosa did not differ from the levels in the control group. However, plasma leptin concentrations were significantly lower in anorectic women than in the control group (P < .01). Our results indicate that inappropriate plasma concentrations of NPY, galanin, and leptin in obese women may be a consequence of their weight status, or could be one of many factors involved in the pathogenesis of obesity.     

Prevalence and risk factors of obesity in adults

INTRODUCTION: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Pelotas, Southern Brazil, with the objective of determining the prevalence of obesity and identify associated, variables as this condition increased markedly in the country between 1974 and 1989. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One thousand and thirty-five adults between 20 and 69 years of age were studied. Obesity was defined as a Body Mass Index--BMI--equal to or over 30 Kg/square meter). The multivariate analyses took into account the hierarchical model of the variables associated with obesity for both men and women. RESULTS: The prevalence for the overall population was of 21% (CI 18-23). It was higher among women--25% (CI 22-29) than for men--15% (CI 12-18). Socioeconomic status was positively associated with obesity among men, whereas the opposite situation was reported for women, with those belonging to the poorest social strata presenting increased BMI. Reported obesity in their parents was associated with increased BMI in the subjects, and this association remained statistically significant even after compensating for the effect of possible confounding variables. Self-reported diabetes and arterial hypertension doubled the risk of obesity, whereas non-smoking was associated with obesity only among women. Variables which were not associated with obesity after adjusting for confounders were alcohol consumption, marital status and parity. Women having more daily meals were less prone to obesity, even after controlling for confounders, and this association was not quite significant for men (p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of obesity was higher among women, and important differences in risk factors were noticed when the population was considered by sex.     

Incidence of NIDDM and the effects of gender, obesity and hyperinsulinaemia in Taiwan

Our aim is to determine non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) incidence in Taiwan and examine its relation to obesity and hyperinsulinaemia in Chinese men and women. A total of 995 men and 1195 women aged 35-74 years free from diabetes in two townships in Taiwan were followed up with a second examination. At baseline general and metabolic data were recorded, and detailed anthropometric parameters and plasma glucose and insulin were assessed. World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria of fasting glucose 7.8 mmol/l or greater was utilized for defining diabetes. The age-standardized incidence rate based on the United States population in 1970 was 9.3/1000 (CI 5.8-12.8) in men and 9.3/1000 (CI 6.2-12.4) in women and the based on the WHO population in 1976 was 8.9/1000 (CI .5-12.3) in men and 8.9/1000 (CI 5.9-11.9) in women for the Chinese who had a mean BMI slightly greater than 24 (kg/m2). The predictability of the plasma glucose level was greater than that of the insulin level and the obesity indices. NIDDM incidence increased approximately threefold with each 0.67 mmol/l increase in plasma glucose level in men and women. The present study demonstrated the essential relationship of not only BMI but also central obesity indices (such as subscapular and waist circumference) to the incidence of NIDDM among men and women and a stronger relationship between NIDDM incidence and obesity in women than in men. The predictive effects of obesity indices and fasting plasma insulin values on NIDDM risk were independent of each other in men. Obesity and hyperinsulinaemia each without the presence of the other can lead to an increased risk of NIDDM. In women the NIDDM incidence increased more than additively in those with both obesity and hyperinsulinaemia compared to those with single obesity or hyperinsulinaemia. A slightly higher incidence of NIDDM in Taiwan than in western countries was found. The importance of obesity is indicated for predicting NIDDM in the community. Hyperinsulinaemia was found to play a significant role in predicting NIDDM incidence independent of obesity in men and synergistically with obesity in women.     

Association between an excessive body mass index and coronary heart disease risk factors in military personnel

The purpose of this study was to document the extent of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors in military personnel (412 men, 50 women) classified as seriously overweight (body mass index [BMI] 27.0-29.9 kg/m2) or obese (BMI > or = 30 kg/m2) and to evaluate the utility of the BMI to discriminate among individuals with an adverse CHD risk profile. Mean body weight and BMI greatly exceeded Canadian norms, whereas mean heights were average. There were low but significant correlations between BMI and resting and submaximal exercise (stage A of the Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test) heart rates and blood pressures, while the correlation with predicted VO2max was negative. Except for blood glucose level (GLU) in men, there were no significant correlations between BMI and various biochemical indices. Compared to "overweight" men, the percentage of "obese" men with abnormal values for risk factors were higher, particularly for an adverse exercise blood pressure response and low predicted VO2max. In summary, the correlations between BMI and the various CHD risk factors, except for GLU and the exercise parameters, were minimal or moderate at best. It was concluded that in overweight and obese individuals, BMI does not appear to be a particularly sensitive indicator of body fat and risk factors.     

Obesity and body fat distribution in New Zealanders: a pattern of coronary heart disease risk

AIMS: To describe the prevalence of obesity and the body fat distribution of New Zealanders. To discuss this in the context of the coronary heart disease risk. METHODS: Body weight and height, body mass index (BMI), waist:hip ratio (WHR) and six skinfold measurements were determined for 3204 randomly selected New Zealanders who responded to an invitation to a health check (response rate 56%). RESULTS: In the study sample BMI generally increased with age. Fifty five percent of men and 38 per cent of women aged 18-64 had a BMI exceeding 25, and of these 13 per cent and 10 per cent were obese (BMI > 30). WHR was greater in men than in women of all ages, and a third of the men and a quarter of the women had values exceeding 0.9 and 0.8 respectively. Central skinfold measurements (subscapular, suprailiac and abdominal) were lowest in young men, but rose markedly with age and were similar to women above age 35. Limb skinfolds were lower in men. CONCLUSIONS: This survey indicates that a large percentage of New Zealanders are overweight or obese and their excess body fat tends to be centrally distributed, especially in men. Obesity is thus a significant health problem in New Zealand.     

Obesity in primary care patients in Kelantan, Malaysia: prevalence, and patients' knowledge and attitudes

This study measured the body mass index (BMI), and assessed attitudes and knowledge about obesity, of 197 male and 217 female patients aged 20-59 years attending the primary care clinic of the university hospital in Kelantan, Malaysia. There was no significant difference between the mean BMI of males (23.7) and females (24.2). In the overweight group (BMI 25-29.9) were 60 men (30%) and 66 women (30%). In the obese group (BMI 30 and above) were 12 men (6%) and 22 women (10%). Both diabetes mellitus and hypertension were associated with significantly higher BMI's. Knowledge about obesity was lacking. Sixty-three (15%) failed to recognize that obesity is bad for health. When asked the causes of obesity, 88 (21%) failed to mention either diet or lack of exercise. "Being happy" was suggested as a cause by 32 (8%). When asked if certain foods would cause obesity if eaten in excess, 45 (11%) said "No" for fatty foods, and 164 (40%) said "No" for sweet foods. Concerning appearance, 30 (15%) men regarded an obese man as normal or even handsome, while 49 (23%) women regarded an obese woman as normal or beautiful. Obesity is common among our adult patients, and is associated with some of their common health problems. However, a substantial minority do not regard obesity as unhealthy, do not relate it to diet or lack of exercise, do not recognize important groups of fattening foods, and do not regard obesity as unattractive.     

The role of Ly49A and 5E6(Ly49C) molecules in hybrid resistance mediated by murine natural killer cells against normal T cell blasts

Due to affluence and a sedentary life style a great deal of people in the western countries are affected by coronary heart disease (CHD). The relation between CHD and certain risk factors pertaining to life style is evaluated in this study. A primary purpose is to study certain crucial risk factors for women. The main variables are age, smoking, overweight (measured by BMI), blood pressure and exercise. This prospective study is based on self-reported data from the nation-wide Swedish Level of Living Survey and on data from the national Cause of Death Register. The data were analysed separately by sex using a proportional hazards model. The sample was divided into two strata: those with heart disease and/or diabetes initially, and all the rest. A sample of 2546 men and 2760 women between 45 and 74 years of age was followed from 1980 to the end of 1990. During this period 189 men and 75 women died of coronary heart disease (CHD). It was found that high blood pressure raised the relative risk (RR) of death from CHD by almost 60% in both men and women. Male smokers (> 14 cigarettes a day) had about 60% (significant) and female smokers (> 10 cigarettes a day) 150% (significant) excessive mortality from CHD. Different levels of overweight among women were strongly related to excess mortality from CHD, ranging between 100 and 300%. Among men there was no such relation. Lack of physical activity showed only a weak (non-significant) increased risk of death due to CHD. Diabetes was also found to be an important risk factor for mortality from CHD, especially among women, being seven times as high as among non diabetics. A test of sex differences revealed that there were two significant interactions, namely between sex and overweight, and between sex and age. Background variables in relation to mortality from all cardiovascular diseases (CVD) were also studied. There were of course many similarities between the effects of the background variables in both the disease groups, but there were interesting differences too, e.g. overweight turned out to be a significant risk factor also for men and physical inactivity for women.     

Introduction. Early identification and assessment of emerging health technology

The association between obesity and risk of coronary artery disease is well established. The distribution of body fat was shown to be related to serum lipids and lipoproteins in a group of healthy men, but the association between body fat and haemostatic factors is less clear. The aim of the present study was to determine the association of overall adiposity (OVRAD, percent total fat mass contributing to body weight) and body mass index (BMI, weight/height2) with lipids and haemostatic factors in order to evaluate which of these was more associated with circulating procoagulant factors. The total fat mass was estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and OVRAD computed for 28 male and 36 healthy female subjects, whose median age were 44.2 years and 48.4 years respectively. In addition, the BMI was computed for each of them from their weight and height measurements. Fasting samples were analysed for serum lipids (total, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride) and plasma fibrinogen, factor VII coagulant (FVII:C) activity, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activities. The men and women had similar median BMI (23.9 kg/m2 and 23.1 kg/m2 respectively), but the median fat mass of women (19.6 kg) was higher than that of men (16.9 kg). Age, BMI and OVRAD exhibited statistically significant correlations with lipids and haemostatic factors in both men and women. However, when BMI was adjusted for age and OVRAD, the statistically significant associations were no longer apparent in men or women. In contrast, OVRAD adjusted for age and BMI still exhibited statistically significant associations with FVII:C activity (R = 0.38, p = 0.05), triglyceride (R = 0.51, p = 0.008), LDL-cholesterol (R = 0.45, p = 0.02) and HDL/Total cholesterol ratio (R = -0.63, p <0.001). It is concluded that OVRAD, a fat mass-based index, rather than BMI, a weight-height based index, is better associated with circulating coronary risk factors.     

Physical activity, change in blood pressure and predictors of mortality in older South Africans--a 2-year follow-up study

OBJECTIVE: A 2-year follow-up study of a cohort of 200 historically disadvantaged older South Africans was conducted to: (i) characterise current levels of habitual physical activity; (ii) relate physical activity to current risk factors for chronic disease; and (iii) identify risk factors associated with 2-year mortality. The baseline sample, drawn in 1993, was found to have a high prevalence of hypertension (71.7%). RESEARCH DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: A baseline sample of 200 persons aged > or = 65 years, resident in the Cape Peninsula, was randomly drawn by means of a two-stage cluster design. Baseline measurements included: anthropometry, waist/hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, serum ferritin, haemoglobin and fasting plasma glucose levels, plasma lipid profiles, oral glucose tolerance test and self-reported health status. Subjects were revisited after 2 years, at which time an adapted version of the Yale Physical Activity Survey was administered and measurements of blood pressure and anthropometry were repeated. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Spearman's rank-order correlations were used to describe relationships between various current risk factors and physical activity. Logistic regression was used to determine predictors of 2-year mortality from baseline data. RESULTS: At follow-up, 142 of the subjects (66 men, 76 women) were traced and measurements collected. Thirty-two subjects were reported to have died by relatives living in the same household (22 men, 10 women). Levels of reported physical activity in the survivors were two-thirds lower than those reported in a sample of North Americans of similar age. There was an inverse association between age and physical activity (r = -0.31; P < 0.0005) and a positive association between BMI and physical activity (r = 0.29; P < 0.005). There was, however, no association between physical activity and systolic or diastolic blood pressure. In men, BMI in the lower tertile (P = 0.07) and serum ferritin levels were positively associated with increased mortality. Serum albumin levels were protective over the 2-year follow-up period (OR = 0.85; P < 0.05). In women, being diabetic (OR = 4.88; P = 0.06) and having a waist/hip ratio in the upper tertile (OR = 3.26; P = 0.06) were associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity levels in this sample of older historically disadvantaged South Africans were habitually low. Simple anthropometric assessments incorporating weight and waist/hip ratio, together with serum albumin measurements, may be useful to screen general health risk for older adults at primary care level and provide indications for social or medical intervention. Further, strategies for earlier detection and effective management of diabetes, particularly in older women, may reduce premature mortality in this population.     

Sagittal abdominal diameter as a practical predictor of visceral fat

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationships between the supine sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) and visceral fat, as well as to evaluate intra- and inter-observer reliability of sagittal diameter measurement. PATIENTS: Twenty-eight women ranging in age from 27-78 y with a body mass index (BMI) ranging from 16.9-48.1 kg/m2 and 23 men ranging in age from 32-75 y with BMI ranging from 20-41.6 kg/m2. MEASUREMENT: Body fat distribution was measured by waist circumference, waist to hip ratio (WHR), SAD, anthropometrically assessed and a single slice of computed tomography (CT) at the L4-L5 level. RESULTS: In both genders, a significant association was found between visceral adipose tissue (AT) and SAD, as evaluated by CT (women r = 0.80; men r = 0.83, P < 0.001), and SAD by anthropometry (women r = 0.76; men r = 0.82, P < 0.001), as well as between visceral AT and waist circumference (women r = 0.76, men r = 0.86, P < 0.001) and WHR (women r = 0.57, P < 0.01, men r = 0.80, P < 0.001). A significant association was also found between subcutaneous AT and SAD by anthropometry (women r = 0.79, men r = 0.74, P < 0.001). After adjusting for BMI, the association between subcutaneous AT and SAD was no longer significant in men and only moderately significant in women (r = 0.42, P < 0.05), while the association between visceral AT and SAD by anthropometry remained significant in both genders (women r = 0.63, P < 0.001; men r = 0.66, P < 0.001). When the subjects were divided into two groups according to BMI (lean to moderately overweight women with BMI < 28 and men with BMI < 30 and obese women with BMI > 28 and men with BMI > 30) we found that the relationships between SAD by anthropometry, as well as SAD by CT and visceral AT, were higher in lean to moderately overweight subjects than in those who were obese. High inter-observer correlation was found concerning SAD measurement (r = 0.99, P < 0.001). Intra- and inter-observer precision as evaluated by coefficient of variation and intraclass correlation coefficient for SAD measurement was very high. CONCLUSION: Our study shows the usefulness of SAD by anthropometry to predict visceral fat and its very high inter- and intra-observer precision.     

Male-female differences in the relationship between obesity and lipids/lipoproteins

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of gender on the relationship between obesity measures and lipids/lipoproteins. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, matched observational study of adult men and women. SUBJECTS: 225 spousal pairs from Cincinnati, Ohio (age range, 28-66 years; mean +/- SD (yr), 44.0 +/- 6.7 (men), 42.1 +/- 5.9 (women). MEASUREMENTS: Body mass measures, lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, physical activity levels, cigarette use and dietary variables. RESULTS: Correlations between the lipids/lipoproteins and body mass index (BMI) were stronger in women than in men for cholesterol (r = 0.24 vs 0.10), LDL-c (r = 0.27 vs 0.12), triglycerides (TG) (r = 0.48 vs 0.23) and the ratio cholesterol/HDL-c (r = 0.47 vs 0.28). Utilizing statistical regression models which included potentially confounding environmental factors, BMI and WHR both contributed significant information to describe cholesterol, HDL-c, TG and cholesterol/HDL-c values in women, whereas WHR alone provided information for these lipids/lipoproteins in men. CONCLUSION: The association between BMI and lipids/lipoproteins appears to be stronger in women than in men. In women, in contrast to men, BMI and WHR, measures which are easily attainable in the clinical setting, provide separate, independent information in the explanation of these lipid/lipoprotein levels.     

Body mass index and environmental supports for physical activity among active and inactive residents of a U. S. Southeastern county.

Objective: This study examined the associations between body mass index (BMI) and environmental supports for physical activity in active and inactive adults based on national recommendations for physical activity and walking. Residents of a southeastern community (N = 1,111; ages 18-75 years) were contacted using a random-digit-dial method and were asked about neighborhood and community social and environmental supports for physical activity. Main Outcome Measure: Physical activity was measured using the 2001 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) physical activity module. Results: There was a positive association between higher physical activity and walking levels and lower BMI levels. Trusting neighborhoods having recreational facilities present, and using trails were each associated with twice the odds of being overweight versus obese among those not meeting the national physical activity recommendations. Using trails was also associated with 2.7 times the odds of being overweight as opposed to obese among participants who were not regular walkers. Conclusion: Improving environmental supports for access and use of trails and recreational facilities may be important for future environmental interventions aimed at reducing obesity among inactive individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Weight changes in caregivers of Alzheimer's care recipients: Psychobehavioral predictors.

Relationships of changes in body mass index (BMI) were examined with changes in psychobehavioral variables in spouse caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (n?=?81) and matched spouses of controls (n?=?86). Men caregivers had significantly greater BMI and obesity than men controls at both times. Over 15–18 months, women caregivers gained significantly more weight than did women controls. A trend for greater obesity occurred in women caregivers than in women controls at follow-up. Although weight gain was not related to psychobehavioral variables in controls, in men caregivers decreased perceived control and increased fat intake explained significant variance in weight gain. In women caregivers, increased anger control and increased calories explained weight gain. Such caregivers may be at risk for health problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)