Measures Of Body Fat Research Articles

Characterization and prevalence of obesity among normal weight college students.

Normal weight obesity (NWO) describes individuals who have a normal weight body mass index (BMI), but have an unhealthy amount of body fat. Based on the life-long habits that develop during college, exploring NWO among a college-aged population may be essential in identifying and preventing obesity that develops in early adulthood. This study aimed to characterize NWO among young adults with normal weight BMI. 94 college students (Mean±SD: Age: 19.6±1.5yrs; BMI: 21.9±1.8kg/m2) enrolled during the Fall semester (Aug-Oct) were assessed for body composition by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry to determine body fat percentage, fat mass, lean mass and trunk fat; lifestyle habits were characterized from validated questionnaires. Mean arterial pressure and metabolic biomarkers [total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins, non-high density lipoproteins, and glucose] were evaluated for cardiometabolic health. NWO was defined using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for body fat percentage. Data was analyzed by group (NWO vs NWL) and sex. with independent t-tests toinvestigate continuous data, and chi-square test of independence for categorical data. Rates of NWO for the total sample were 13.8%. Males (n=30) had a higher rate of NWO (26.7%) compared to females (n=64; 7.8%). NWO individuals had higher fat mass (p=0.024), trunk fat (p<0.001), and larger waist to hip ratio (p<0.001) than normal weight lean. NWO also engaged in less vigorous physical activity (p=0.043). The occurrence of NWO among otherwise healthy college students is evident. Identification of these individuals may be an effective component for obesity prevention and treatment. Determining feasible methods to measure body fat in this population is essential, as BMI may mask obesity in a young adult population.

Body Fat Is a Predictor of Physical Fitness in Obese Adolescent Handball Athletes

We examined the relationships between body fat (BF) and field measures of physical fitness in adolescent handball players. Twenty nine players (age: 16.6 ± 1.72 years; body mass: 79.8 ± 17.0 kg; height: 1.70 ± 0.12 m; body fat: 27.7 ± 8.67%) from Qatar handball first league performed a series of anthropometric and fitness tests related to their performance in sprinting (i.e., 15 m and 30 m sprint), jumping (i.e., countermovement and squat jumps), throwing (i.e., 3 kg medicine ball seated front throw) and running (i.e., agility T-Half and Yo-Yo intermittent recovery level 1 tests). Significant differences between obese and non-obese groups, classified based on age-stratified %BF norms, were found, with the largest difference being attributed to aerobic performance on the Yo-Yo test. Results indicated no significant relationships between anthropometric variables and sprinting or jumping abilities. %BF predicted a significant 8–15% portion in running performances of agility and aerobic capacity, while the latter were mainly explained by body height and mass. %BF was the only and strongest predictor of throwing performance, being an important determinant of performance in handball. Optimizing %BF should be considered as a training and nutrition goal in order to improve sport performance.

Importance of Measured Body Fat, Visceral Adiposity Index, and Lipid Accumulation Product Index in Predicting Cardiometabolic Risk Factors.

Background: Obesity, which is defined as excessive fat accumulation in the body, is an important public health problem. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare measured body fat and the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and lipid accumulation product (LAP) index used to predict cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors. Methods: This study was performed retrospectively by scanning the files of 817 participants who had bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) results and routine blood tests. The VAI and the LAP index were calculated using the appropriate formulas. Results: Of the 817 participants included in the study, 67.9% (n = 555) were female, 32.1% (n = 262) were male, and the mean age was 36.14 ± 11.4 (18-65) years. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 29.90 ± 6.6 kg/m2 and 24.2% (n = 198) of the participants were of normal weight (BMI <25 kg/m2), while 75.8% (n = 619) were overweight or obese (BMI ≥25 kg/m2). Body fat quantity was higher in females than in males. As BMI increased, the body fat quantity measured by BIA also increased (P < 0.001). The mean LAP index of men was higher than the mean LAP index of women in both the normal-weight group and the obese group (P = 0.025 and P = 0.033, respectively). One unit increase in visceral fat percentage resulted in a 77.9% increase in CMR. Conclusions: It may not be sufficient to use only BMI to predict obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases. According to the study findings, it was determined that the increase in visceral fat percentage significantly increases the CMR.

Periods of Susceptibility: Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Children’s Body Composition

Background/Aim: Some epidemiological studies suggest that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure may increase adiposity and obesity risk in children. However, we are unaware of any studies extending these findings into adolescence or identifying potential periods of heightened susceptibility. Thus, we estimated associations of five repeated measures of pre- and postnatal PFAS exposure with body composition in adolescence.Methods: We studied 212 mother-offspring pairs from the HOME Study, a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort study that enrolled pregnant women in Cincinnati, OH from 2003-2006. We quantified serum perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) concentrations in mothers at ~16 weeks gestation and their children at birth and ages 3, 8, and 12 years. At 12 years, we assessed children’s adiposity using anthropometry and dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). We used multiple informant models to estimate covariate-adjusted associations of ln-transformed PFAS with adiposity measures for each exposure period, and tested the difference in these associations.Results: Prenatal serum concentrations of all four PFAS were positively associated with body fat, but there was no clear pattern for postnatal PFAS exposures. For instance, each ln-transformed increase in prenatal PFOA and PFHxS was associated with higher android (PFOA: β=1.9%, 95%CI: 0.0, 3.8; PFHxS: β=2.0%, 95%CI: 0.2, 3.9) and visceral fat percent (PFOA: β=1.9%, 95%CI: -0.2, 3.9; PFHxS: β=2.4%, 95%CI: 0.5, 4.4). Associations were generally stronger for central adiposity measures compared to peripheral ones. In multipollutant models, prenatal PFOA and PFHxS were more strongly associated with body fat than PFOS and PFNA. We observed evidence suggesting that prenatal PFOA was more strongly associated with greater adiposity in girls, but not boys.Conclusions: Prenatal, but not postnatal, serum concentrations of PFAS, particularly PFOA and PFHxS, were positively associated with measures of central body fat in adolescence.

Índice de masa corporal y su relación con el índice aterogénico en los estudiantes de la carrera de laboratorio clínico, UNESUM, 2019

The body mass index is indicated as a first-level measure of body fat and is the primary measure for diagnosing overweight and obesity, as they are public health problems worldwide. While the atherogenic index is a study that predicts the risk of suffering some cardiovascular disease derived from cholesterol values. The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between the body mass index and the atherogenic index in the students of the Clinical Laboratory career, UNESUM, period May-September 2019. Our research was correlational, analytical in 82 career students who participated in voluntary sampling selected for overweight and obesity, signed an informed consent and at all times we used ethical principles. The following diagnostic tests were used: Cholesterol, triglycerides, by colorimetric enzymatic methods, HDL cholesterol previously by precipitation and then by enzymatic method, and LDL cholesterol. By correlating the atherogenic indices with the body mass index, a moderate positive statistical relationship was obtained. The relationship between the body mass index and the atherogenic index was evaluated, giving as a result that within the maximum risk 28.0% are students with obesity, 8.0% with normal weight and 64.0% are overweight. While in the minimum risk 25.0% are students with obesity, 7.1% have their normal weight, 67.9% are overweight and the group that has a moderate risk is made up of 27.6% obese students and 72.4% overweight students. It is advisable to have a healthy lifestyle, from proper nutrition to constant physical activity. In addition to performing routine laboratory tests to measure blood lipid levels and thus counteract this latent problem and associated risk factors among them: atherosclerosis.

Body fat percentage prediction in older adults: Agreement between anthropometric equations and DXA

It is difficult to measure body fat percentage in clinical settings. Equations using anthropometric measures are more feasible and can be used to estimate body fat. However, there is a need to analyze their accuracy in older adults. Our study aims to validate the use of anthropometric equations to estimate body fat percentage in older men and women. This study evaluated data from 127 Brazilian individuals aged between 60 and 91 years. Weight, height, skinfold thickness and waist and hip circumferences were measured. Seventeen anthropometric equations were tested using the crossed validity criteria suggested by Lohman and the graph analysis proposed by Bland and Altman and by Lin was also performed. The gold-standard method for comparing the anthropometric equations was the dual-energy absorptiometry X-ray (DXA). The average body fat percentage was 30.2±8.6% in men and 43.4±7.9% in women (p<0.001). In men, the equations which used skinfold thickness presented amplitude of 11.48%, while in women, amplitude's constant error (CE) was 22.88%. The equations based on circumferences and BMI presented CE variation from-5.3% to 29.68% on the estimation of body fat percentage, which means that a same male individual can have the total body adiposity diagnosed with 34.98% of variation, depending on the selection of the employed equation. For women this CE variation was 12.44%. Overall, all the equations yielded different results from the DXA. However, the best equations for male were the one of Lean etal. (1996), which uses the waist circumference, and for women the one of Deurenberg etal. (1991), developed from the body mass index. The need of developing specific equations for older adults still remains, since even the two best equations showed considerable limitations on predicating body fat percentage.

Prevalence of Female Athlete Triad Risk Factors and Iron Supplementation Among High School Distance Runners: Results From a Triad Risk Screening Tool.

Background:Investigations of the female athlete triad (Triad) in high school athletes have found that 36% had low energy availability, 54% had menstrual abnormalities, and 16% had low bone mineral density (BMD). Limited data are available showing the prevalence of these risk factors in high school distance runners or regarding best practice on screening for the Triad in the adolescent population.Purpose:To (1) evaluate the prevalence of Triad risk factors and iron supplementation in high school distance runners and (2) pilot a screening tool for Triad risk score.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:The study population included female high school athletes who participated in cross-country/track. Participants completed a survey including questions regarding dietary habits, menstrual history, and bone stress injury (BSI) history. They then underwent evaluation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, free triiodothyronine (T3), and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan to measure body fat and BMD through use of age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched Z scores. Triad scores were calculated. Relationships were analyzed using Spearman correlation coefficient.Results:There were 38 study participants (mean age, 16.9 years). Average body mass index was 19.8 kg/m2. Disordered eating or eating disorders were reported in 76.3% of runners; in addition, 23.7% reported delayed menarche, 45.9% had a history of amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea, 42.1% had low BMD (Z score < –1.0), and 15.8% reported prior BSI. Low free T3 was significantly associated with higher Triad risk scores (r S = –0.36; P = .028). More than 42% of athletes were supplementing iron.Conclusion:The prevalence of Triad risk factors in high school distance runners was high. Free T3 was inversely associated with Triad score, which may serve as an indicator of low energy availability. Nearly half of the athletes were using iron supplementation.

Effects of body composition on the procoagulant imbalance in obese patients.

Obesity is associated with increased thrombotic risk and hypercoagulability whose main driver is an excess of coagulation factor VIII relative to protein C. The aims of this study were to evaluate the association between factor VIII, protein C, factor VIII-to-protein C ratio and bioimpedance parameters of body composition in obese patients. We analysed blood from 69 obese patients and 23 non-obese healthy controls. Plasma levels of factor VIII, protein C, and factor VIII-to-protein C ratio were correlated with total fat, visceral fat, and muscle mass. Compared to controls, obese patients had significantly higher factor VIII (110.5% vs 78.05%, p < 0.001), protein C (120.99% versus 110.51%, p = 0.014), and factor VIII-to-protein C ratio (0.93 versus 0.73, p = 0.002). In obese patients, factor VIII correlated with body-mass index, body fat percentage, muscle mass percentage, and fat-to-muscle ratio, whereas protein C had significant relationships with body fat percentage, muscle mass percentage and fat-to-muscle ratio, but not with body-mass index. Factor VIII-to-protein C ratio > 1 was significantly associated with body-mass index (odds ratio 1.08, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.14) and fat-to-muscle ratio (odds ratio 2.47, 95% CI 1.10 to 5.55). Factor VIII-to-protein C ratio strongly correlated with D-dimer levels in the overall population (rho 0.44, p < 0.001) and obese patients (rho 0.41, p < 0.001). In obese patients, bioimpedance measures of body fat and muscle mass percentage were associated with factor VIII and protein C. Factor VIII-to-protein C ratio was strongly associated with fat-to-muscle ratio and only modestly related to BMI.

Body fatness and mTOR pathway activation of breast cancer in the Women\u2019s Circle of Health Study

Energy imbalance has an important role in breast cancer prognosis. Hyperactive mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is associated with breast tumor growth, but the extent to which body fatness is associated with mTOR pathway activities in breast cancer is unclear. We performed immunostaining for mTOR, phosphorylated (p)-mTOR, p-AKT, and p-p70S6K in tumor tissue from 590 women (464 African Americans/Blacks and 126 Whites) with newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer in the Women’s Circle of Health Study. Anthropometric measures were taken by study staff, and body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Linear regressions were used to estimate percent differences in protein expression between categories of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, fat mass, fat mass index, and percent body fat. We observed that BMI ≥ 35.0 vs. <25 kg/m2 was associated with 108.3% (95% CI = 16.9%–270.9%) and 101.8% (95% CI = 17.0%–248.8%) higher expression in p-mTOR and normalized p-mTOR, i.e., p-mTOR/mTOR, respectively. Quartiles 4 vs. 1 of waist/hip ratio was associated with 41.8% (95% CI = 5.81%–89.9%) higher mTOR expression. Similar associations were observed for the body fat measurements, particularly in patients with estrogen receptor-negative (ER−) tumors, but not in those with ER+ tumors, although the differences in associations were not significant. This tumor-based study found positive associations between body fatness and mTOR pathway activation, evident by a p-mTOR expression, in breast cancer. Our findings suggest that mTOR inhibition can be a treatment strategy to prevent the recurrence of these tumors in obese individuals.

Objective aerobic fitness level and neuropsychological functioning in healthy adolescents and emerging adults: Unique sex effects

ObjectiveResearch suggests positive relationships between aerobic fitness and cognition in older adults; however, limited research has adequately investigated the relationship between objectively measured aerobic fitness and broad cognitive functioning in healthy adolescents and young adults without psychiatric or physical health disorders. Further, studies to date have disproportionately examined males and failed to examine sex differences. Here we examine the relationship between aerobic fitness and neuropsychological functioning in physically healthy youth and whether sex moderates these findings. DesignSixty-four healthy emerging adults (16-25 years-old; 32 female) underwent measurement of objective aerobic fitness (VO2 max) and neuropsychological assessment. Exclusion criteria included: left-handedness, prenatal medical issues or alcohol/illicit drug exposure, Axis-I psychiatric disorders, major medical disorders including metabolic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, major neurologic disorders, LOS greater than 2 min, intellectual disability or learning disability, regular substance use (e.g., greater than bi-weekly use of cannabis) or positive drug toxicology testing. MethodMultiple regressions examined VO2 max, sex, sex*VO2interaction in relation to neurocognition, controlling for objectively measured body fat percentage. ResultsPrior to including body fat percentage, higher VO2 max related to improved working memory (Letter-Number Sequencing; p = .03) and selective attention (CPT-II hit response time standard error; p = .03). Aerobic fitness significantly interacted with sex, as higher-fit males had better performance on two sustained attention tasks while females did not demonstrate this pattern (CPT-II variability standard error, p = .047; Ruff 2&7 Total Speed, p = .02). Body fat percentage was positively slower cognitive flexibility (D-KEFS color-word switching/inhibition, p = .046). ConclusionsVO2 independently predicted better working memory and selective attention. Increased aerobic fitness level related to increased performance on sustained attention tasks in males but not females. Therefore, aerobic fitness may be positively related to better cognitive functioning in physically healthy adolescents and emerging adults without metabolic conditions. Further research into factors (e.g., intensity or type of activity) that may relate to beneficial outcomes by sex are needed.

Evaluation of nutritional status of foreign students at King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The current study was conducted to assess the nutritional status and associated risk factors among foreign students residing at King Saud University for different periods and to explore its correlations. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the spring semester of 2018. A total of 400 male students aged 18-35 years had participated in the current study after signing a written consent form according to Helsinki Declaration. A structural questionnaire was used to collect data on daily food intake and habits and socio-economic characteristics. Nutrients of food intake were assessed using the Esha programme and compared with that of dietary requirement intake (DRI). A body composition analyser was used to measure body fat (BF), visceral fat (VF) and BMI. Spearman correlation coefficients and simple regression analysis were performed to determine associations between variables. Foreign students residing for different periods (<6 months: 200 students and >6 months: 200 students) were used as subjects. The students who stayed <6 months consumed lower level of some nutrients than that of the DRI compared with those stayed >6 months. Overweight and obesity were more common among students who stayed >6 months with high values of BF and VF. Several risk factors were positively or negatively correlated with the students' nutrition proxies. Most of the students who stayed >6 months are suffered from overweight. Some independent variables were found to be significantly correlated with the students' nutrition proxies either positively or negatively.

A 2\xa0year physical activity and dietary intervention attenuates the increase in insulin resistance in a general population of children: the PANIC study

Aims/hypothesisWe studied for the first time the long-term effects of a combined physical activity and dietary intervention on insulin resistance and fasting plasma glucose in a general population of predominantly normal-weight children.MethodsWe carried out a 2 year non-randomised controlled trial in a population sample of 504 children aged 6–9 years at baseline. The children were allocated to a combined physical activity and dietary intervention group (306 children at baseline, 261 children at 2-year follow-up) or a control group (198 children, 177 children) without blinding. We measured fasting insulin and fasting glucose, calculated HOMA-IR, assessed physical activity and sedentary time by combined heart rate and body movement monitoring, assessed dietary factors by a 4 day food record, used the Finnish Children Healthy Eating Index (FCHEI) as a measure of overall diet quality, and measured body fat percentage (BF%) and lean body mass by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. The intervention effects on insulin, glucose and HOMA-IR were analysed using the intention-to-treat principle and linear mixed-effects models after adjustment for sex, age at baseline, and pubertal status at baseline and 2 year follow-up. The measures of physical activity, sedentary time, diet and body composition at baseline and 2 year follow-up were entered one-by-one as covariates into the models to study whether changes in these variables might partly explain the observed intervention effects.ResultsCompared with the control group, fasting insulin increased 4.65 pmol/l less (absolute change +8.96 vs +13.61 pmol/l) and HOMA-IR increased 0.18 units less (+0.31 vs +0.49 units) over 2 years in the combined physical activity and dietary intervention group. The intervention effects on fasting insulin (regression coefficient β for intervention effect −0.33 [95% CI −0.62, −0.04], p = 0.026) and HOMA-IR (β for intervention effect −0.084 [95% CI −0.156, −0.012], p = 0.023) were statistically significant after adjustment for sex, age at baseline, and pubertal status at baseline and 2 year follow-up. The intervention had no effect on fasting glucose, BF% or lean body mass. Changes in total physical activity energy expenditure, light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, total sedentary time, the reported consumption of high-fat (≥60%) vegetable oil-based spreads, and FCHEI, but not a change in BF% or lean body mass, partly explained the intervention effects on fasting insulin and HOMA-IR.Conclusions/interpretationThe combined physical activity and dietary intervention attenuated the increase in insulin resistance over 2 years in a general population of predominantly normal-weight children. This beneficial effect was partly mediated by changes in physical activity, sedentary time and diet but not changes in body composition.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01803776Graphical abstract

Abstract 3483: Measures of overall and central adiposity in relation to risk of obesity-related cancers among normal weight men and women in the UK Biobank

Abstract Background: Within the normal BMI (body mass index (BMI) of 18.5-24.9kg/m2) category, some individuals may be at increased risk of developing obesity-related cancers. Towards this end, studies have shown positive associations between body fat, particularly in the abdominal region, and cancer-associated metabolic disturbances among normal weight individuals. However, little is known about the association between body fat distribution and risk of obesity-related cancers among normal weight individuals. Thus, in this study, we examined the association of overall and central adiposity, assessed using bioelectrical impedance (BIA)-derived and anthropometric measures, with risk of selected obesity-related cancers among normal weight persons. Methods: The study included normal weight individuals aged 40-70 years who were enrolled in the UK Biobank cohort between 2006 and 2010. BIA-derived and anthropometric body fat measures were taken at baseline by trained staff. Incident tumors were ascertained via linkage to UK cancer registries. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations of the body fat measures with risk of cancers of the breast, endometrium, ovary, colorectum, pancreas, and kidney, and with multiple myeloma. Results: The overall incidence of obesity-related cancers was 2.2 per 1000 person-years of follow-up (N= 2364 incident obesity-related cases among 152,489 subjects with a median follow-up time of 7 years). All measures of central and peripheral adiposity demonstrated linear positive dose-response relationships with risk of postmenopausal invasive breast cancer and with endometrial cancer. For all of the body fat measures, postmenopausal women in the highest quartile showed increased invasive breast cancer risk, after adjusting for potential confounders, compared to women in the lowest quartile, with hazard ratios ranging from 1.29 (95% CI: 1.11-1.50) for the ratio of trunk fat to leg fat mass to 1.59 (95% CI: 1.31-1.93) for trunk fat mass index (TFMI; calculated as trunk fat mass (kg)/height (m)2). For endometrial cancer, only the TFMI (HR: 1.80, 95% CI:1.12-2.88) and waist circumference (HR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.04-2.80) were positively associated with risk. A waist-to-hip ratio in the highest quartile was also positively associated with colorectal cancer risk among males (HR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.03-2.37). None of the body fat measures were associated with risk colorectal cancer risk among women or with risk of the remaining cancers. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that elevated levels of central and/or overall adiposity may be associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, endometrial cancer and probably colorectal cancer (males), among normal weight individuals. Evaluating body composition in those with a normal BMI can potentially identify individuals at increased risk for cancer providing an opportunity for interventions to reduce risk. Citation Format: Rhonda S. Arthur, Mimi Kim, Andrew Dannenberg, Thomas Rohan. Measures of overall and central adiposity in relation to risk of obesity-related cancers among normal weight men and women in the UK Biobank [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3483.

Associations of BMI and Body Fat with Urine Metabolome in Adolescents Are Sex-Specific: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Epidemiologic studies examining the relationship between body composition and the urine metabolome may improve our understanding of the role of metabolic dysregulation in body composition-related health conditions. Previous studies, mostly in adult populations, have focused on a single measure of body composition, body mass index (BMI), and sex-specific associations are rarely explored. We investigate sex-specific associations of two measures of body composition—BMI and body fat (BF)—with the urine metabolome in adolescents. In 369 participants (age 16–18, 49% female) of the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed (DONALD) study, we examined sex-specific associations of these two measures of body composition, BMI and BF, and 1407 (467 unknown) 24 h urine metabolites analyzed by untargeted metabolomics cross-sectionally. Missing metabolites were imputed. We related metabolites (dependent variable) to BMI and BF (independent variable) separately using linear regression. The models were additionally adjusted for covariates. We found 10 metabolites associated with both BMI and BF. We additionally found 11 metabolites associated with only BF, and nine with only BMI. None of these associations was in females. We observed a strong sexual dimorphism in the relationship between body composition and the urine metabolome.

Level of agreement between objectively determined body composition and perceived body image in 6- to 8-year-old South African children: The Body Composition-Isotope Technique study.

To assess the level of agreement between body size self-perception and actual body size determined by body mass index (BMI) z-score and body fatness measured by the deuterium dilution method (DDM) in South African children aged 6–8 years. A cross-sectional sample of 202 children (83 boys and 119 girls) aged 6–8 years from the Body Composition–Isotope Technique study (BC–IT) was taken. Subjective measures of body image (silhouettes) were compared with the objective measures of BMI z-score and body fatness measured by the DDM. The World Health Organization BMI z-scores were used to classify the children as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. DDM-measured fatness was classified based on the McCarthy centile curves set at 2nd, 85th and 95th in conjunction with fatness cut-off points of 25% in boys and 30% in girls. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26. Of 202 children, 32.2%, 55.1%, 8.8%, and 2.4% perceived their body size as underweight, normal, overweight, and obese, respectively. Based on BMI z-score, 18.8%, 72.8%, 6.9%, and 1.5% were classified as underweight, normal, overweight, and obese, respectively. Body fatness measurement showed that 2.5%, 48.0%, 21.8%, and 29.7% were underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese, respectively. The application of silhouettes and BMI z-scores resulted in either overestimation or underestimation of own body size. Overall, the levels of agreements (kappa, κ) between body size perception, body fatness, and BMI for age respectively, were small (κ = 0.083, p = 0.053 and κ = 0.154, p<0.001). Level of agreement between body size perception, body fatness, and BMI z-score was poor. The use of silhouettes made children either overestimate their own body size while being underweight or underestimate their own body size while being overweight or obese. Given the potential health implications associated with misclassification of body size during childhood, correct self-assessment of body size is important, and may be key to the adoption of weight control strategies directed at curbing the escalating obesity epidemic in the country. Scalable measures to allow for more accurate self-assessment are urgently needed–one approach is behavior change communication at all levels.

PERIODONTITIS AND OBESITY: A CROSS SECTIONAL SURVEY

Background: The objective of this study is to determine whether there is an association between periodontitis and obesity among adults involved in this study. Methods: In 2018, 200 subjects, &gt; 19 years of age, who participated in this study were selected for analysis from the Department of Periodontology, Government Dental College and Hospital Ahmedabad. Participants underwent periodontal examination and anthropometric measurements and were asked to complete a socioeconomic status and overall health status questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) have been used as overall body fat and upper body fat measurements. As established by the World Health Organization (WHO), standard BMI and WC cut off points were used. The Community Periodontal Index assessed the periodontal status and defined periodontitis as "code 3". Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, adjusting to the following variables: sex; age; household income; bedtime toothbrushing habits; use of dental floss; use of interproximal toothbrush; presence of active tooth decay; number of permanent teeth decayed, missing or filled; diabetes mellitus and smoking status. Results: It was found that an association exit between periodontitis and high WC using the cut off points established by the WHO. Obese individuals with BMI average 25 had an adjusted odds ratio of 0.991 (0.806 to 1.220) for periodontitis. But it was found that a significant association between periodontitis and abdominal obesity. The adjusted odds ratio for periodontitis for obese subjects was 1.358 (confidence interval 1.003 to 1.839) after adjustment for all covariates. Conclusions: A high WC denoting abdominal obesity was found to be associated to periodontitis, while BMI which often tends to misclassify as obese does not, appears to be associated with periodontitis. This finding shows a significant correlation between abdominal obesity and periodontitis.

DNA methylation and adiposity phenotypes: an epigenome-wide association study among adults in the Strong Heart Study.

Elevated adiposity is often posited by medical and public health researchers to be a risk factor associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other diseases. These health challenges are now thought to be reflected in epigenetic modifications to DNA molecules, such as DNA methylation, which can alter gene expression. Here we report the results of three Epigenome Wide Association Studies (EWAS) in which we assessed the differential methylation of DNA (obtained from peripheral blood) associated with three adiposity phenotypes (BMI, waist circumference, and impedance-measured percent body fat) among American Indian adult participants in the Strong Heart Study. We found differential methylation at 8264 CpG sites associated with at least one of our three response variables. Of the three adiposity proxies we measured, waist circumference had the highest number of associated differentially methylated CpGs, while percent body fat was associated with the lowest. Because both waist circumference and percent body fat relate to physiology, we focused interpretations on these variables. We found a low degree of overlap between these two variables in our gene ontology enrichment and Differentially Methylated Region analyses, supporting that waist circumference and percent body fat measurements represent biologically distinct concepts. We interpret these general findings to indicate that highly significant regions of the genome (DMR) and synthesis pathways (GO) in waist circumference analyses are more likely to be associated with the presence of visceral/abdominal fat than more general measures of adiposity. Our findings confirmed numerous CpG sites previously found to be differentially methylated in association with adiposity phenotypes, while we also found new differentially methylated CpG sites and regions not previously identified.

A high fat diet with a high C18:0/C16:0 ratio induced worse metabolic and transcriptomic profiles in C57BL/6 mice

BackgroundDifferential effects of individual saturated fatty acids (SFAs), particularly stearic acid (C18:0), relative to the shorter-chain SFAs have drawn interest for more accurate nutritional guidelines. However, specific biologic and pathologic functions that can be assigned to particular SFAs are very limited. The present study was designed to compare changes in metabolic and transcriptomic profiles in mice caused by a high C18:0 diet and high palmitic acid (C16:0) diet.MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were assigned to a normal fat diet (NFD), a high fat diet with high C18:0/C16:0 ratio (HSF) or an isocaloric high fat diet with a low C18:0/C16:0 ratio (LSF) for 10 weeks. An oral glucose tolerance test, 72-h energy expenditure measurement and CT scan of body fat were done before sacrifice. Fasting glucose and lipids were determined by an autobiochemical analyzer. Blood insulin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. Free fatty acids (FFAs) profiles in blood and liver were determined by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Microarray analysis was applied to investigate changes in transcriptomic profiles in the liver. Pathway analysis and gene ontology analysis were applied to describe the roles of differentially expressed mRNAs.ResultsCompared with the NFD group, body weight, body fat ratio, fasting blood glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglyceride, IL-6, serum and liver FFAs including total FFAs, C16:0 and C18:0 were increased in both high fat diet groups and were much higher in the HSF group than those in the LSF group. Both HSF and LSF mice exhibited distinguishable long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), microRNA and mRNA expression profiles when compared with those of NFD mice. Additionally, more differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs were observed in the HSF group than in the LSF group. Some biological functions and pathways, other than energy metabolism regulation, were identified as differentially expressed mRNAs between the HSF group and the LSF group.ConclusionThe high fat diet with a high C18:0/C16:0 ratio induced more severe glucose and lipid metabolic disorders and inflammation and affected expression of more lncRNAs and mRNAs than an isocaloric low C18:0/C16:0 ratio diet in mice. These results provide new insights into the differences in biological functions and related mechanisms, other than glucose and lipid metabolism, between C16:0 and C18:0.

Increased adiposity in children with obesity is associated with low red blood cell omega-3 fatty acid status and inadequate polyunsaturated fatty acid dietary intake.

The association between total dietary fat intake and measures of body fatness in children with obesity remains inconsistent. This study aimed to determine whether dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) and LCPUFA status relate to body composition in children with obesity. Children (n = 63, 9.0 ± 0.2 year, BMI Z-score 3.1 ± 0.2) were divided into tertiles of percentage body fat assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Diet was assessed 3-days food diaries. Fatty acid proportions in red blood cells (RBC) were measured by gas chromatography. Data stratified by sex and Tanner stages were compared with a MIXED model ANOVA. Associations between RBC fatty acid status and dietary intakes were examined with Spearman correlation. Moderate correlations were observed between RBC eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) proportions, dietary EPA and DHA (r = 0.39, P < .05) as well as fish servings (r = 0.33, P < .05). Dietary LCPUFA did not differ among tertiles. Children in tertile 3 had lower RBC α-linolenic acid (-40%) and EPA + DHA (-15%) proportions adjusted for age, Tanner stages and race compared with tertile 1. The lower omega-3 LCPUFA status in children with greater adiposity is consistent with suboptimal intakes of omega-3 LCPUFA and fish in the diet.

Firefighters With More Service Have Smaller Blood Pressure Surge When The Pager Sounds

Cardiac incidents cause over 50% of LODD in firefighters (FF) and may be related to their BP responses. Also, years of service may affect FF stress and depression levels and impair overall health. Using ambulatory BP (ABP) monitoring to quantify the BP surge with alarm is a novel way to assess risk, and preliminary data showed that newer FF have higher BP surge. PURPOSE: To compare changes in health between FF with <10yr service (FF-10) and FF with >10yr service (FF+10) after a 6-wk Mediterranean diet & circuit training program. METHODS: We included 21 FF who completed a 6-wk intervention. Pre- and post-intervention testing included ABP monitoring with pager activation, a fasted clinical appt, and fitness testing. Participants wore the ABP cuff for 12-hrs, during which they were paged by a pager app (OnPage) or by emergency service dispatch. When the pager sounded, they were instructed to force an ABP reading to assess the BP surge. Average BP levels and surges were determined. Fasted visit included BP, body fat, lipid panel, and vascular health measures. Fitness test included a treadmill VO2peak and a battery of other fitness tests. Participants also completed a health history form and the DASS-21 questionnaire assessing stress, anxiety, and depression. RESULTS: FF+10 (N=12, 45.7 ± 3yrs) had worse health and lower BP surges, but larger improvements with intervention compared to FF-10 (N=9, 36.8 ± 6.2yrs), P<0.05 for differences. FF+10 had lower HDL levels (38.3 ± 2.2 vs 57.9 ± 9.7 mg/dl), were heavier (213.1 ± 8.6 vs 205.1 ± 8.6 lbs), had higher average SBP (136.6 ± 4.8 vs 126.9 ± 3.6 mmHg) and DBP (83.2 ± 2.8 vs 75.7 ± 2.8 mmHg) levels, higher pre-alarm and post-alarm BP, but had a smaller surge in SBP (11.6 ± 3.2 vs 15.0 ± 3.3 mmHg) and DBP (4.1 ± 2.7 vs 7.3 ± 1.7 mmHg) when the pager sounded. FF+10 also had worse overall psychometric scores: higher DASS-21 11.2 ± 5.3 vs 7.6 ± 1.3; depression 3.4 ± 1.3 vs 1.4 ± 0.3; and stress 5.4 ± 1.7 vs 3.3 ± 0.5; but similar anxiety scores 2.4 ± 1.0 vs 3.0 ± 0.9. With intervention, in FF+10 we found that BP lowered, fitness improved, and psychosocial constructs improved. CONCLUSION: With this subset of baseline data, we show that FF+10 have smaller BP surge, worse CV health, stress, and depression levels, but larger improvements with intervention compared to FF-10. Data confirms the importance of wellness programs for FF.