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PubMed2003

Thermogenesis induced by a high-carbohydrate meal in fasted lean and overweight young men: insulin, body fat, and sympathetic nervous system involvement.

OBJECTIVE: This dietary trial was designed to evaluate the effect of an experimental short-term fasting period followed by a high-carbohydrate meal on energy expenditure, thermogenesis, and sympathetic nervous system activity in normal (body mass index < 25 kg/m(2)) and overweight (body mass index > 27 kg/m(2)) men who were healthy, non-diabetic or with no other endocrine disease, non-smokers, not taking oral prescription medications, and with a stable body weight for the previous 3 mo. METHODS: Fasting and fed energy expenditures and diet-induced thermogenesis were measured after a high-carbohydrate meal in seven overweight and six lean young male subjects by indirect calorimetry. Heart rate, urinary excretion of catecholamines, serum glucose, and insulin were also measured over the experimental fasting (7.5 h) and postprandial (4 h) periods. RESULTS: After carbohydrate intake, overweight men showed a significantly higher energy production (kJ/kg of fat-free mass) than did lean individuals, and the diet-induced thermogenesis (percentage of energy intake) was positively correlated with body fat (kg), percentage of body fat, fat-free mass (kg), and fasting pre-meal serum insulin levels. Postprandial cumulative energy expenditure was directly associated with postprandial insulin response and with mean postprandial heart rate values. No significant differences in urinary catecholamines were found between lean and overweight men at basal conditions or during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight individuals showed similar short-term sympathetic nervous system responses induced by an experimental fasting period. Although diet-induced thermogenesis after carbohydrate intake was not statistically different between lean and overweight men, the postprandial insulin response and body fat content seemed to be involved in sympathetic nervous system activity.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2003

Increase of inflammatory state in overweight adults with combined hyperlipidemia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Elevated levels of acute phase reactants are found in patients with cardiovascular disease. It is suggested that adipose tissue is a determinant of a low level of inflammatory state in overweight persons. The aim of the study was to determine, whether combined hyperlipidemia, which is an important factor of atherosclerosis, has influence on the inflammatory response in overweight adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: Levels of soluble cell adhesion molecules sICAM-1, sE-selectin and sP-selectin, PAI-1 Ag (by Elisa test), orosomucoid (ORM) and transferrin (TRF) (by microturbidimetry) and fibrinogen (FBG) according to Clauss were examined in peripheral blood of overweight adults (n 33, body mass index 27.1 +/- 1.8 kg/m2) with combined hyperlipidemia and in equal numbers of age, sex and BMI matched non-hyperlipidemic group. Overweight adults with combined hyperlipidemia had significantly higher plasma levels of sICAM-1 (376.5 +/- 107.4 ng/mL vs 239.3 +/- 60.4 ng/mL; p < 0.001), sE-selectin (70.4 +/- 20.2 ng/mL vs 48.5 +/- 25.6 ng/mL; p = 0.005), sP-selectin (228.2 +/- 88.6 ng/mL vs 123.1 +/- 45.3 ng/mL; p < 0.001) and positive acute phase proteins ORM (0.82 +/- 0.16 g/L vs 0.64 +/- 0.20 g/L; p = 0.005), FBG (3.42 +/- 0.54 g/L vs 2.74 +/- 0.57 g/L; p = 0.037) and PAI-1 Ag (97.9 +/- 40.6 ng/mL vs 56.4 +/- 25.6 ng/mL; p < 0.05), and a decrease of negative acute phase protein TRF (2.14 +/- 0.40 g/L vs 2.77 +/- 0.45 g/L; p < 0.001) compared to the results in overweight non-hyperlipidemic controls. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that overweight adults have an increase of inflammatory response dependent on hyperlipidemia. It was apparent from the elevation of sE--selectin, sP--selectin and sICAM-1 and from an increase of systemic inflammatory response according to the increase of "positive" acute phase proteins (APRs) and the decrease of "negative" APR protein levels in these patients.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed2002

Eating attitudes and temperament attributes of normal and overweight college students.

The aim of the present investigation was to compare temperament and eating attitudes in overweight versus "normal" weight samples of college students. In Study 1, the responses of women of normal and overweight status on measures of temperament and eating attitudes were analyzed. Overweight women were shown lower on self-rated "activity" and "oral control." Given the suggestive nature of the results, a larger sample including both women and men was obtained for Study 2. The results of the first study were replicated for the women, and overweight men were additionally found lower in "emotional distress" and "fear," with weight status related to all three aspects of eating behavior. That is, differences by weight status were discerned for both women and men on oral control, with overweight men also higher in "dieting" and "bulimia-food preoccupation." Further research on overweight men versus women, their perceptions of their own temperaments, and their attitudes toward eating, may be beneficial in understanding more about risk factors for the development of obesity.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Are household factors putting immigrant Hispanic children at risk of becoming overweight: a community-based study in eastern North Carolina.

North Carolina has one of the fastest growing populations of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. The prevalence of overweight among Hispanic children in the state has increased to 17%. Therefore, the objectives of this descriptive, exploratory study were to identify potential risk factors for childhood overweight at the household level among 128 immigrant Hispanic families with school-aged children living in Eastern North Carolina. Data concerning parental beliefs about overweight children, family participation in physical activity, and household availability of higher-calorie foods were collected using a structured, close-ended interview form. Forty-seven percent of parents believed that overweight children are unhealthy, 11% that if a child is overweight, it is God's will, and over 90% believed that overweight children should be taken to a nutritionist or physician for help with weight reduction. The activities undertaken by families four to seven times per week were watching television (70%), listening to music (69%), and reading (61%). Cookies, cold cereals, crackers, whole milk, ice cream, cheese, hotdogs, peanut butter, soft drinks, fruit drinks, chips, and pudding were regularly available in a majority of households. Regression analysis indicated that household income, parental education, and rural versus urban residence had no significant impact on frequency of family participation in physical activity or household availability of higher-calorie foods. Findings suggest a need for bilingual community health professionals to develop culturally sensitive wellness programs targeted at immigrant Hispanic families that promote greater engagement in moderate-intensity physical activity and more frequent consumption of lower-calorie foods.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

When ideology hurts: effects of belief in the protestant ethic and feeling overweight on the psychological well-being of women.

Two studies addressed the relationship between Protestant ethic (PE) ideology and psychological well-being for self-perceived overweight and normal weight women. In Study 1, PE beliefs interacted with self-perceived weight status: For very overweight women, higher PE beliefs were related to lower psychological well-being, whereas the opposite pattern emerged for normal weight women. The relationship of PE to well-being was not mediated by beliefs about controllability of weight or dislike of the overweight. In Study 2, either a PE ideology or an inclusive ideology was primed within the context of the stigma of overweight. For overweight participants, priming PE ideology led to decreased psychological well-being, whereas priming an inclusive ideology led to increased psychological well-being. Normal weight participants were unaffected. PE ideology as a vulnerability factor for the psychological well-being of the overweight is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Summary of the 2000 Surgeon General's listening session: toward a national action plan on overweight and obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To provide insight into discussions at the Surgeon General's Listening Session, "Toward a National Action Plan on Overweight and Obesity," and to complement The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: On December 7 and 8, 2000, representatives from federal, state, academic, and private sectors attended the Surgeon General's Listening Session and were given an opportunity to recommend what to include in a national plan to address overweight and obesity. The public was invited to comment during a corresponding public comment period. The Surgeon General's Listening Session was also broadcast on the Internet, allowing others to view the deliberations live or access the archived files. Significant discussion points from the Listening Session have been reviewed by representatives of the federal agencies and are the basis of this complementary document. RESULTS: Examples of issues, strategies, and barriers to change are discussed within five thematic areas: schools, health care, family and community, worksite, and media. Suggested cooperative or collaborative actions for preventing and decreasing overweight and obesity are described. An annotated list of some programmatic partnerships is included. DISCUSSION: The Surgeon General's Listening Session provided an opportunity for representatives from family and community groups, schools, the media, the health-care environment, and worksites to become partners and to unite around the common goal of preventing and decreasing overweight and obesity. The combination of approaches from these perspectives offers a rich resource of opportunity to combat the public health epidemic of overweight and obesity.

Body Mass Index↗
PubMed2004

The role of overweight and obesity in calcium oxalate stone formation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the influence of overweight and obesity on the risk of calcium oxalate stone formation. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: BMI, 24-hour urine, and serum parameters were evaluated in idiopathic calcium oxalate stone formers (363 men and 164 women) without medical or dietetic pretreatment. RESULTS: Overweight and obesity were present in 59.2% of the men and in 43.9% of the women in the study population. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between BMI and urinary uric acid, sodium, ammonium, and phosphate excretion and an inverse correlation between BMI and urinary pH in both men and women, whereas BMI was associated with urinary oxalate excretion only among women and with urinary calcium excretion only among men. Serum uric acid and creatinine concentrations were correlated with BMI in both genders. Because no association was established between BMI and urinary volume, magnesium, and citrate excretion, inhibitors of calcium oxalate stone formation, the risk of stone formation increased significantly with increasing BMI among both men and women with urolithiasis (p = 0.015). The risk of calcium oxalate stone formation, median number of stone episodes, and frequency of diet-related diseases were highest in overweight and obese men. DISCUSSION: Overweight and obesity are strongly associated with an elevated risk of stone formation in both genders due to an increased urinary excretion of promoters but not inhibitors of calcium oxalate stone formation. Overweight and obese men are more prone to stone formation than overweight women.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Lack of association between human G-protein beta3 subunit variant and overweight in Japanese workers.

We examined the association of the G-protein beta3 subunit gene (GNB3) C825T polymorphism with overweight in Japanese workers. This cross-sectional study used multivariate analysis to investigate whether a polymorphism in the C825T polymorphism was associated independently with overweight when factors such as age and lifestyle were taken into account. The study in 1453 men and 1172 women involved identifying subjects with the C825T genotype using the polymerase chain reaction, followed by restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis. Overweight was defined as a BMI > or = kg/m(2). Genotype distributions for C825T in overweight men (CC = 80, CT = 162, TT = 80) and women (CC = 52, CT = 91, TT = 40) were not significantly different from normal-weight men (CC = 278, CT = 588, TT = 265) and women (CC = 242, CT = 549, TT = 198). The allele distributions were also not significantly different between either sex. The power of the study was estimated as 98% in men and 81% in women based on the allelic frequencies reported in a previous positive study in Chinese subjects. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the genotype was not significantly associated with overweight. In conclusion, this study indicated that the GNB3 C825T polymorphism is not a significant factor for overweight in Japanese people.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Relationships of psychiatric disorders with overweight and obesity in an adult general population.

OBJECTIVE: To explore relationships of smoking and risk drinking status, nicotine and alcohol dependence, and anxiety, depressive, and somatoform disorders with overweight and obesity. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A probability sample was drawn that was representative for the adult general population, 18 to 64 years of age, in one region of Germany; the participation rate was 70.2%. After excluding those who were pregnant or had a current eating disorder according to the DSM-IV, 4063 individuals remained. Overweight and obesity were defined according to the BMI that was assessed in the face-to-face in-home standardized interview (Composite International Diagnostic Interview) on psychiatric disorders. RESULTS: Men with a former nicotine dependence had higher odds of being overweight than men who never had a nicotine dependence (adjusted odds ratio, 1.5; confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.1). Men at current risk for drinking and current alcohol-dependent or abusing men had lower odds of being overweight compared with men who never were alcohol dependent, abusing, or at risk for drinking (adjusted odds ratio, 0.3; confidence interval, 0.8 to 0.9). Effect sizes were small. No relationship of overweight with depressive, anxiety, or somatoform disorders was found in the multivariate analysis. DISCUSSION: There is a relationship between being overweight and nicotine and alcohol dependence or abuse among men but not among women. Even though one reason for women to refrain from quitting smoking is the fear of weight gain, these results do not support this. This information could help convince women to try to quit smoking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Additive interactions of maternal prepregnancy BMI and breast-feeding on childhood overweight.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the interactions of maternal prepregnancy BMI and breast-feeding on the risk of overweight among children 2 to 14 years of age. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The 1996 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, Child and Young Adult data in the United States were analyzed (n = 2636). The weighted sample represented 51.3% boys, 78.0% whites, 15.0% blacks, and 7.0% Hispanics. Childhood overweight was defined as BMI >/=95th percentile for age and sex. Maternal prepregnancy obesity was determined as BMI >/=30 kg/m(2). The duration of breast-feeding was measured as the weeks of age from birth when breast-feeding ended. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, children whose mothers were obese before pregnancy were at a greater risk of becoming overweight [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.6, 6.4] than children whose mothers had normal BMI (<25 kg/m(2); p < 0.001 for linear trend). Breast-feeding for >/=4 months was associated with a lower risk of childhood overweight (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4, 1.0; p = 0.06 for linear trend). The additive interaction between maternal prepregnancy obesity and lack of breast-feeding was detected (p < 0.05), such that children whose mothers were obese and who were never breast-fed had the greatest risk of becoming overweight (OR, 6.1; 95% CI, 2.9, 13.1). DISCUSSION: The combination of maternal prepregnancy obesity and lack of breast-feeding may be associated with a greater risk of childhood overweight. Special attention may be needed for children with obese mothers and lack of breast-feeding in developing childhood obesity intervention programs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Epidemiology of overweight and obesity among school children and adolescents in three provinces of central Italy, 1993-2001: study of potential influencing variables.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated among the school children and adolescents of three provinces of central Italy, and the role of several possible influencing factors was analysed. DESIGN, SUBJECTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Body mass index (BMI) was measured in 44 231 subjects, age 3-17.5 y, and a household questionnaire was filled out by the parents of 12 143 subjects to collect the following data: subjects, only child or firstborn status, prematurity, birth weight, type of feeding until the fifth month, menarche status in girls; parents, age at the time of the subject's birth; BMI (mean of the two parents) at the time the subject was measured, mother's age of menarche, socioeconomic status. BMI was measured in a subgroup of 10 795 subjects 1 y later to study the yearly sex- and age-related variations from the categories of normal weight to overweight or obesity and vice versa. All females aged 11-14 y were asked if they had their menarche. RESULTS: Striking differences in the proportions of overweight and obesity resulted from the use of two different criteria for defining cutoff points. The overall prevalence of overweight was 13.2 and 20.7% in males, and 13.7 and 18.6% in females, and the overall prevalence of obesity varied between 24.2 and 6.3% in males, and between 22.9 and 6.1% in females, respectively. Parents' BMI, birth weight, firstborn status and post-menarche status in girls showed a significant association with overweight and/or obesity in logistic regression models. CONCLUSIONS: A large prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed in school subjects from three provinces of central Italy. From the comparisons of the prevalence rate, the new internationally agreed criteria seem more appropriate for epidemiological studies in this population. SPONSOR: University of Perugia, Region of Umbria, Commune of Perugia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Body mass index, overweight and obesity among Kuwaiti intermediate school adolescents aged 10-14 years.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the levels of overweight and obesity among Kuwaiti intermediate school adolescents aged 10-14 y. The study comprised a multistage stratified random sample of 14659 adolescents (7205 males and 7454 females), which constitutes approximately 17% of the target population of this school level. METHODS: Weights and heights of the adolescents were measured, from which the body mass index (BMI), which is the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared (kg/m2), was calculated. Overweight and obesity were defined as BMI >85th and >95th centiles, respectively, of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference data. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity among males were 30.0 and 14.7%, respectively (P<0.001). The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity among females were 31.8 and 13.1%, respectively (P<0.001 and P<0.01). There was no consistent rise or decline in overweight and obesity in both genders with respect to age. However, the overall prevalence of overweight was lower in males than in females but obesity was higher in males than in females. CONCLUSION: When compared to the NCHS reference population, the BMI of Kuwaiti adolescents exceeded that of the Americans in each centile category > or = 50th centile. Health education programmes should be instituted to control this syndrome in order to prevent future risk of obesity-related diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Obesity, overweight and thinness in schoolchildren of the city of Florianópolis, Southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of obesity, overweight (including obesity) and thinness in children of the city of Florianopolis (southern Brazil). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: Representative sample of 7-10-y-old schoolchildren of the first four grades of elementary schools (1432 girls, 1504 boys). METHODS: Measurements of weight, height and triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) were taken following standard techniques. The body mass index (BMI) was computed as weight/height2. Nutritional status was defined using two references: (1) the Must et al reference for BMI and TSF to define thinness, overweight and obesity (5th, 85th and 95th percentiles, respectively); (2) the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) BMI cutoffs to define overweight and obesity. RESULTS: Using BMI, according to the Must et al, and IOTF references, the prevalence of obesity was 10.6 and 5.5%, respectively; overweight (including obesity) affected 26.2 and 22.1% of children, respectively. According to the Must et al reference, the prevalence of thinness was 3.2%. Using TSF rather than BMI, according to the Must et al references, fewer children were classified as obese (8.0%) or overweight (20.2%) and more children were classified as thin (4.9%). CONCLUSION: This study supports the previously reported high frequencies of childhood overweight and obesity in developing countries. The data allow comparisons with other studies carried out in Brazil and other parts of the world.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1997

Overweight and obesity in infants of mothers with long-term insulin-dependent diabetes or gestational diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the development of body weight and frequencies of overweight and obesity in infants of long-term insulin-dependent diabetic mothers as compared to those of gestational diabetic mothers. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SUBJECTS: Two hundred infants of mothers with pregestational insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDM) and 117 infants of gestational diabetic mothers (IGDM) born between 1980 and 1990 at the Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Berlin-Kaulsdorf, Germany. MEASUREMENTS: Birth weight, birth length, plasma insulin, interscapular skinfold, symmetry index (SI) and body mass index (BMI) at birth; SI and BMI in childhood (1-9y of age). RESULTS: Neonatally, mean relative weight (SI) was found to be increased in both groups of infants. It was positively correlated to interscapular skinfold (P < 0.001) and insulin (P < 0.005). However, IDM had higher insulin levels (P < 0.001) and a higher frequency of obesity (P < 0.05) than IGDM at birth. Throughout childhood frequencies of overweight (SI > 1.1) were elevated in both IDM as well as IGDM. In IDM the percentage of obesity (SI > 1.2) displayed a significant increase from 11.2% in children 1-4y old up to 25.8% at 5-9y (P < 0.05). Similar frequencies and a highly significant increase of overweight during childhood of IDM (P < 0.005) were observed when BMI > or = 95th percentile was used to determine overweight. Relative weight in childhood was positively correlated to relative weight at birth (P < 0.05). Large-for-gestational-age infants displayed a significantly higher percentage of overweight (SI > 1.1) in childhood than appropriate-for-gestational-age infants (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Infants of mothers with diabetes during pregnancy are predisposed to develop overweight and obesity during childhood. These alterations seem to be related to insulin and relative body weight at birth. Pathophysiological mechanisms which might be involved into the development of these changes are discussed. Prophylactic measures are recommended to reduce morbidity in infants of diabetic mothers.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1997

Body mass index variations by age and sex, and prevalence of overweight in Japanese adults.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the reference value of BMI for Japanese subjects and to estimate the prevalence of overweight based on this reference value. DESIGN: Epidemiological analysis with the LMS method, which provides a way of obtaining normalized BMI distributions. SUBJECTS: 7508 Japanese subjects aged 18-69 y in 1993. MEASUREMENTS: Height, age and body weight. CALCULATION: BMI was calculated and tables for percentiles of BMI were plotted against age and sex. Furthermore, the prevalence of overweight was estimated based on 85th percentile of BMI in the men and women 20-29 y of age, who were considered the reference group. RESULTS: The geometric mean BMI and the prevalence of overweight in men was highest in the 30-39 y age group. For women the maximum BMI and prevalence of overweight occurred in the decade 50-59 y. The cut-off points for overweight in this sample were 24.7 kg/m2 for men and 22.6 kg/m2 for women. These are considerably lower than the figures of 27.8 kg/m2 and 27.3 kg/m2 estimated for Americans. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of obesity in Japanese populations should be estimated using ethnic specific values of BMI, rather than those drawn from Caucasians who tend to have higher BMI in each age group. The prevalence of overweight is increased as age increased in both sexes, especially in women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of overweight and thinness in high-school girls in Kerman, Iran.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of obesity and thinness is unknown among Iranian high-school age girls. We determined the prevalence of overweight and underweight among Iranian high-school girls from Kerman (south-east province of Iran). DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of indicative cluster sample. MEASUREMENTS: Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), chest, waist, abdomen, hip and thigh circumference of 1000 Iranian high-school girls aged 14-21 y (mean (standard deviation, s.d.) 16.2 (1.3)) were measured. The criteria for very underweight, underweight, desirable weight, grade 1, 2 and 3 overweight used in the present study were: BMI in kg/m2 < 15, 15-19.9, 20-24.9, 25-29.9, 30-39.9 and > or = 40, respectively. RESULTS: 4.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4%-6.1%) were grade 1 overweight (BMI = 25.0-29.9), 0.7% (95% CI: 0.3%-1.4%) were grade 2 overweight (BMI = 30-39.9), and none were grade 3 overweight (BMI > or = 40), while 54.6% (95% CI: 51.5%-57.7%) were underweight (BMI = 15-19.9) and 1.6% (95% CI: 0.9%-2.6%) were very underweight (BMI < 15). The mean (s.d.) BMI was 19.8 (2.9) (95% CI: 19.6-20.0). The mean (s.d.) waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), abdomen-to-hip ratio and chest-to-hip ratio values were 0.8 (0.06) (95% CI: 0.8-0.81), 0.8 (0.07) (95% CI: 0.8-0.81) and 0.9 (0.07) (95% CI: 0.9-0.91), respectively, in this sample. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a low prevalence of overweight among Iranian young women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Lay definitions of ideal weight and overweight.

OBJECTIVE: To describe lay definitions of ideal weight and overweight, to determine whether they correspond with current health definitions, and to examine the relationship between lay definitions and weight-control behaviour. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of adults from Victoria, Australia. SUBJECTS: 1342 men and women, aged 18 y and older from across the weight spectrum. MEASURES: Questionnaire-based measures of current height and weight to determine body mass index (BMI); weight that is considered to be ideal; weight that is considered to be overweight; current weight-control behaviour. RESULTS: The BMI at which women considered themselves to be at their ideal weight was significantly lower than that for men. For both men and women, the BMI defined as ideal increased with age and with current weight. The average BMI at which women considered themselves to be overweight was significantly lower than that for men, and was well within the acceptable BMI range. Just over two-thirds of men, defined overweight at a level higher than the current cutoff of 25 kg/m2. For both men and women, the BMI defined as overweight increased with age and with current weight. CONCLUSION: Lay definitions of ideal weight and overweight deviate substantially from health definitions. Public health initiatives should stress that many women are already a healthy weight, and encourage these women to focus their efforts on weight maintenance rather than weight loss. Since so few men have weight goals that are consistent with current health recommendations, it will be important to raise their awareness of what constitutes a healthy weight.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Overweight and obesity among Alaskan Eskimos of the Bering Straits Region: the Alaska Siberia project.

OBJECTIVE: To document the height, weight, BMI and prevalence of obesity for Eskimo residents of four villages of the Bering Straits Region of Alaska. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: 454 Non-pregnant residents over 24 y of age, with at least one Eskimo grandparent participated in one cross sectional survey within each village. MEASUREMENTS: Height, weight, calculation of BMI (kg/m2), proportion of 'overweight' (BMI 25-29.9), and proportion of 'obese' (BMI>/=30). RESULTS: For women and men, respectively, mean heights were 153.4 and 165.2 cm; weights were 64.2 and 71.6 kg; and BMI were 27.2 and 26.2 kg/m2 after age standardization. For women, 27.9% were overweight, and 32.8% were obese compared with 36.2% and 15.6%, respectively, for men. Alaskan Eskimo participants of the Alaska Siberia Project had a significantly lower proportion of total overweight (BMI>/=25, 54.9% for women, and 32.0% for men) compared with the three sites of the Strong Heart Study, which ranged from 65.9 to 80.2% for women and 53.6 to 66.7% for men. Compared with American men of all races, the proportion of overweight and obese participants was similar for Eskimo men. The proportion of obese was significantly higher for Eskimo women compared with American women of all races, but the proportion of overweight was similar. CONCLUSION: Although the prevalence of obesity among the Alaskan Eskimos is lower than for American Indians, the high proportion of overweight observed in this study is of concern for Alaskan Eskimo adults, especially for women.

Adult↗