Body Mass Distribution Research Articles

Prevalence of general and abdominal obesity and overweight among adults in Poland. Results of the WOBASZ II study (2013-2014) and comparison with the WOBASZ study (2003-2005).

INTRODUCTION There are limited data on the current prevalence of overweight and obesity as well asits changes with time in Poland. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity andoverweight in Polish adults in the years 2013-2014, and to compare it with the prevalence in the years2003-2005. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study was conducted in 2 independent, representative samples of thePolish population, comprising 14 537 persons (aged 20-74 years) examined in the years 2003-2005and 6164 persons (aged ≥20 years) examined in the years 2013-2014. Anthropometric measurementswere done by trained nurses. RESULTS In the years 2013-2014, the age-standardized prevalence of obesity (body mass index [BMI]≥30 kg/m2) was 24.4% in men and 25.0% in women. The prevalence of overweight (BMI, 25.0-29.9kg/m2) was 43.2% in men and 30.5% in women. Abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥102 cm inmen or ≥88 cm in women) was noted in 32.2% of men and 45.7% of women. Abdominal overweight(waist circumference, 94-101.9 cm in men or 80-87.9 cm in women) was present in 27.2% of menand 21.7% of women. Since the years 2003-2005, the distribution of body mass according to the BMIcategory had shifted to higher values, and an increase in the prevalence of obesity was observed inmen. The percentage of adults with normal waist circumference decreased significantly in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS Every fourth inhabitant of Poland is obese, and during the last decade, the prevalence ofobesity has increased, particularly in men. Abdominal obesity is observed in every third man and nearlyevery second woman, and an excess of abdominal fat has increased in both sexes.

Effect of body mass distribution on the ontogeny of positional behaviors in non-human primates: Longitudinal follow-up of infant captive olive baboons (Papio anubis).

The diversity of primates' positional capabilities is unique among mammals. Indeed, they exhibit a daily repertoire composed of various locomotor and postural modes that may be linked to their particular morphological pattern. Because ontogeny undergoes parallel behavioral and morphological modifications, it may be useful to investigate the biomechanical consequences of the changing body shape. We, therefore, collected accurate quantitative and longitudinal data on positional behaviors, body mass distribution patterns, activities, and environment on a sample of six infant olive baboons, Papio anubis. These baboons are kept at the Primatology Station of the CNRS, France, where they live within the same social group. Individual behaviors were quantified using the focal sampling method. The body mass distribution was estimated according to a geometric model based on direct external measurements. Multivariate analysis enabled us to analyze the interactions between the data. Our results show that body mass distribution changes together with the ontogenetic changes in positional behaviors. At an early age, individuals have distally heavy segment masses in the limbs and an important fraction of the behavioral repertoire involves efficient grasping abilities. At the end of infancy, the same individuals have relatively more mass in proximal segments of the limbs and the proportion of quadrupedal walking is significantly higher while other climbing and suspensory behaviors decreased substantially. The present study experimentally confirms the association between body mass distribution and the positional repertoire of primates. These relationships, when interpreted in the context of basic biomechanical concepts, may improve our understanding of primate locomotion. We discuss further the implications of these functional relationships when modeling the evolutionary pathway of primates. Am. J. Primatol. 78:1201-1221, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

SU‐F‐I‐37: How Fat Distribution and Table Height Affect Estimates of Patient Size in CT Scanning: A Phantom Study

Purpose:Localizer projection radiographs acquired prior to CT scans are used to estimate patient size, affecting the function of Automatic Tube Current Modulation (ATCM) and hence CTDIvol and SSDE. Due to geometric effects, the projected patient size varies with scanner table height and with the orientation of the localizer (AP versus PA). This study sought to determine if patient size estimates made from localizer scans is affected by variations in fat distribution, specifically when the widest part of the patient is not at the geometric center of the patient.Methods:Lipid gel bolus material was wrapped around an anthropomorphic phantom to simulate two different body mass distributions. The first represented a patient with fairly rigid fat and had a generally oval shape. The second was bell‐shaped, representing corpulent patients more susceptible to gravity's lustful tug. Each phantom configuration was imaged using an AP localizer and then a PA localizer. This was repeated at various scanner table heights. The width of the phantom was measured from the localizer and diagnostic images using in‐house software.Results:1) The projected phantom width varied up to 39% as table height changed.2) At some table heights, the width of the phantom, designed to represent larger patients, exceeded the localizer field of view, resulting in an underestimation of the phantom width.3) The oval‐shaped phantom approached a normalized phantom width of 1 at a table height several centimeters lower (AP localizer) or higher (PA localizer) than did the bell‐shaped phantom.Conclusion:Accurate estimation of patient size from localizer scans is dependent on patient positioning with respect to scanner isocenter and is limited in large patients. Further, patient size is more accurately measured on projection images if the widest part of the patient, rather than the geometric center of the patient, is positioned at scanner isocenter.

Body Mass Index and Distribution of ABO and Rh (D) Blood Groups Among the Ranchi communities of North Andaman

Body Mass Index and Distribution of ABO and Rh (D) Blood Groups Among the Ranchi communities of North Andaman

Relationships Between Leg Body Composition and Mass Distribution to Running Economy in Male Distance Runners.

Relationships Between Leg Body Composition and Mass Distribution to Running Economy in Male Distance Runners.

Bigger Is Not Always Better: Females Prefer Males of Mean Body Size in Philautus odontotarsus.

Most species are believed to evolve larger body sizes over evolutionary time. Previous studies have suggested that sexual selection, through male-male competition and female choice, favors larger males. However, there is little evidence of selection against large size. The female serrate-legged small treefrogs (Philautus odontotarsus) must carry passive males from leks to breeding grounds over relatively long distances after amplexus to find a suitable place to lay eggs. The costs of large male size may therefore decrease mating success due to reduced agility and/or higher energy requirements. Thus, we hypothesized that selection would not favor larger males in P. odontotarsus. Females can assess male body size on the basis of the dominant frequency of male calls in frogs. To assess female P. odontotarsus preferences for a potential mate’s body size, male calls of high, average and low dominant frequency were played back to the females in phonotaxis experiments. Results showed that most females prefer the advertisement call with average dominant frequency. In addition, we compared the body mass distribution of amplectant males with that of single males in nature. The body masses of amplectant males are more narrowly distributed in the intermediate range than that of single males. The phonotaxis results and the data of actual female preferences in the field show that females strongly prefer potential mates of mean body sizes, consistent with the view that, in this species at least, larger males are not always perceived as better by females. In the present study, P. odontotarsus provides an example of an amphibian species in which large size does not have an advantage in mating success for males. Instead, our results provide evidences that stabilizing selection favors the optimal intermediate size of males.

Obesity with abundant subcutaneous adipose tissue increases the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis.

The risk factors for post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP) have been widely investigated. However, studies focusing on the body mass index (BMI) and distribution of adipose tissue have not been reported. Therefore, we examined the correlation between PEP and these factors. A total of 583 consecutive endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-naïve patients undergoing therapeutic ERCP were retrospectively analyzed. Subjects were categorized into four groups by BMI: underweight, normal, overweight, and obesity; the PEP rates were compared. In addition, the relationship between PEP and parameters of obesity, visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue as well as abdominal circumference was investigated. PEP rate was significantly higher in obesity (30%) and lower in normal (3%, P<0.001). The PEP rate in underweight (7.3%) was conversely higher than in normal. As for parameters of obesity, only subcutaneous adipose tissue was correlated with PEP incidence (P=0.009). The correlation of PEP incidence with BMI and subcutaneous adipose tissue was separately reconfirmed by multivariate analysis including female gender and guidewire placement; these factors showed a tendency toward differences in univariate analysis. Obesity could be a risk factor for PEP. In the obesity group, an excess of subcutaneous adipose tissue might be an especially important factor related to PEP incidence.

Predicting the consequences of species loss using size-structured biodiversity approaches.

Understanding the consequences of species loss in complex ecological communities is one of the great challenges in current biodiversity research. For a long time, this topic has been addressed by traditional biodiversity experiments. Most of these approaches treat species as trait-free, taxonomic units characterizing communities only by species number without accounting for species traits. However, extinctions do not occur at random as there is a clear correlation between extinction risk and species traits. In this review, we assume that large species will be most threatened by extinction and use novel allometric and size-spectrum concepts that include body mass as a primary species trait at the levels of populations and individuals, respectively, to re-assess three classic debates on the relationships between biodiversity and (i) food-web structural complexity, (ii) community dynamic stability, and (iii) ecosystem functioning. Contrasting current expectations, size-structured approaches suggest that the loss of large species, that typically exploit most resource species, may lead to future food webs that are less interwoven and more structured by chains of interactions and compartments. The disruption of natural body-mass distributions maintaining food-web stability may trigger avalanches of secondary extinctions and strong trophic cascades with expected knock-on effects on the functionality of the ecosystems. Therefore, we argue that it is crucial to take into account body size as a species trait when analysing the consequences of biodiversity loss for natural ecosystems. Applying size-structured approaches provides an integrative ecological concept that enables a better understanding of each species' unique role across communities and the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss.

Seasonal Dynamics of Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Body Mass and Primary Molt

ABSTRACT Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) are common throughout much of North America and have been extensively studied. Seasonal changes in body mass are largely unreported and have not been examined in relation to replacement of primary flight feathers. We studied changes in body mass in relation to primary molt of doves captured in southeastern Arizona during 2000 through 2012. Body mass for adult males and females averaged 116.3 g (SE = 0.16) and 109.0 g (SE = 0.18), respectively. The distribution of body mass was similar for all months and was normally distributed. Body mass of adult males was lowest in August and September, and highest in November through January. Body mass of adult females was lowest in June through October and increased from October through March. Changes in body mass of adults generally tracked breeding and nesting activities and to a lesser extent timing of primary feather replacement. Body mass of juvenile doves increased linearly with replacement of juvenal primaries from pri...

Geographic variation in subantarctic fur seal pup growth: linkages with environmental variability and population density

Abstract Marine predator populations are sensitive to temporal variation in prey availability, but prey dynamics are often difficult to quantify. Long-term measures of offspring growth is a useful performance attribute to gauge the potential demographic direction for such predator populations, especially where other metrics (e.g., population size estimates) are lacking. Subantarctic fur seal ( Arctocephalus tropicalis ) females are central place foragers during a protracted lactation period, and their foraging success determines the growth and vitality of their offspring. Using data spanning over 2 decades, we assessed geographic and temporal variation in growth rates and weaning mass of subantarctic fur seal pups at 2 of the species’ principal populations (Gough and Marion islands) and identified environmental conditions that may, through assumed bottom-up mechanisms, affect body mass at weaning. While Marion Island pups grew at an average rate of between 0.040 and 0.067kg/day early in lactation (comparable to conspecific growth at Amsterdam Island), the mean growth rate at Gough Island (approximately 0.030kg/day) was lower than the growth rate represented by the bottom 5% of the body mass distribution at Marion Island. Notwithstanding substantial interannual variability, we found support for a negative trend in weaning mass at both populations, suggesting a rise in limiting factors that is hypothesized to relate to concurrent local population size increases. Weaning mass tended to be higher when sea surface temperatures were warmer (with a stronger positive effect at Gough Island) and during positive phases of the Southern Oscillation Index (La Niña events), with a stronger positive effect in males. Given the low weaning mass of Gough Island fur seal pups, continued population growth here seems unlikely. While density-dependent regulation appears to have increased in strength at Marion Island, terminating rapid population growth, current weaning weights remain above the physiological limits of growth in subantarctic fur seals.

The effect of smoking habit changes on body weight: Evidence from the UK

This paper evaluates the causal relationship between smoking and body weight through two waves (2004–2006) of the British Household Panel Survey. We model the effect of changes in smoking habits, such as quitting or reducing, and account for the heterogeneous responses of individuals located at different points of the body mass distribution by quantile regression. We test our results by means of a large set of control groups and investigate their robustness by using the changes-in-changes estimator and accounting for different thresholds to define smoking reductions. Our results reveal the positive effect of quitting smoking on weight changes, which is also found to increase in the highest quantiles, whereas the decision to reduce smoking does not affect body weight.

Type II diabetes disparities in diverse women: the potential roles of body composition, diet and physical activity.

The rates of diabetes in the USA are rapidly increasing, and vary widely across different racial/ethnic groups. This paper explores the potential contribution of body composition, diet and physical activity in explaining diabetes disparities across women of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. For body composition, racial/ethnic groups differ widely by BMI, distribution of body mass and quantity and type of adipose tissue. Dietary patterns that vary across race/ethnicity include consumption of meat, added sugars, high-glycemic carbohydrates and fast food. Additionally, physical activity patterns of interest include aerobic versus muscle-strengthening exercises, and the purpose of physical activity (leisure, occupation, or transportation). Overall, these variables provide a partial picture of the source of these widening disparities, and could help guide future research in addressing and reducing diabetes disparities.

Environmental Correlates of Body Mass in True Lemurs (Eulemur spp.)

An organism’s body size is intrinsically related to its metabolic requirements, life history profile, and ecological niche. Previous work in primates generally, and lemurs specifically, has shown that body size often correlates with ecological parameters related to temperature and energy availability in the environment, although other studies indicate the absence of any such patterns in lemurs. Here we test hypotheses that predict that body mass in Eulemur should covary with 1) overall food availability or resource seasonality and/or 2) temperature, i.e., Bergmann’s rule. We use data from 722 wild true lemurs to identify population-specific body mass for 27 populations representing 11 of the 12 described Eulemur species, and derive climatic data for each population from the WorldClim database. We use phylogenetic generalized least squares models to evaluate these hypotheses and find that body mass significantly negatively correlates with annual mean temperature and positively correlates with standard deviation of temperature, but does not significantly correlate with annual rainfall or number of dry months. These results indicate that body mass distribution across populations in Eulemur is consistent with Bergmann’s rule, but does not track resource seasonality as seen in other lemurs, e.g., Propithecus. We suggest that the fact that body mass in various lemur radiations correlates with different environmental variables may result in these patterns being obscured when such taxa are combined in a single analysis. This may help explain why some previous work has found little evidence of ecogeographical correlates with body mass across all Lemuriformes.

Experimental investigation of the effect of occupant characteristics on contemporary seat belt payout behavior in frontal impacts

ABSTRACTObjective: The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of the occupant characteristics on seat belt force vs. payout behavior based on experiment data from different configurations in frontal impacts.Methods: The data set reviewed consists of 58 frontal sled tests using several anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) and postmortem human subjects (PMHS), restrained by different belt systems (standard belt, SB; force-limiting belt, FLB) at 2 impact severities (48 and 29 km/h). The seat belt behavior was characterized in terms of the shoulder belt force vs. belt payout behavior. A univariate linear regression was used to assess the factor significance of the occupant body mass or stature on the peak tension force and gross belt payout.Results: With the SB, the seat belt behavior obtained by the ATDs exhibited similar force slopes regardless of the occupant size and impact severities, whereas those obtained by the PMHS were varied. Under the 48 km/h impact, the peak tension force and gross belt payout obtained by ATDs was highly correlated to the occupant stature (P =.03, P =.02) and body mass (P =.05, P =.04), though no statistical difference with the stature or body mass were noticed for the PMHS (peak force: P =.09, P =.42; gross payout: P =.40, P =.48). With the FLB under the 48 km/h impact, highly linear relationships were noticed between the occupant body mass and the peak tension force (R2 = 0.9782) and between the gross payout and stature (R2 = 0.9232) regardless of the occupant types.Conclusions: The analysis indicated that the PMHS characteristics showed a significant influence on the belt response, whereas the belt response obtained with the ATDs was more reproducible. The potential cause included the occupant anthropometry, body mass distribution, and relative motion among body segments specific to the population variance. This study provided a primary data source to understand the biomechanical interaction of the occupant with the restraint system. Further research is necessary to consider these effects in the computational studies and optimized design of the restraint system in a more realistic manner.

Comparison between overweight due to pregnancy and due to added weight to simulate body mass distribution in pregnancy

The assessment of biomechanical loading in the musculoskeletal system of the pregnant women is particularly interesting since they are subject to morphological, physiological and hormonal changes, which may lead to adaptations in gait. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of the increased mass in the trunk associated to pregnancy on the lower limb and pelvis, during walking, on temporal-distance parameters, joint range of motion and moments of force, by comparing a pregnant women group to a non-pregnant group, and to this group while carrying a 5kg additional load located in the abdomen and breasts during walking, to understand which gait adaptations may be more related with the increased trunk mass, or if may be more associated with other factors such as the girth of the thigh. The subjects performed a previous 12min training adaption to the added load. To calculate ankle, knee and hip joint angles and moments of force, a three-dimensional biomechanical model was developed. The inverse dynamics method was used to estimate net joint moments of force. The increased mass of the anterior trunk associated with second trimester of pregnancy may influence some gait variables such as the left step time, left and right stance times, double limb support time, maximum hip extension, maximum pelvic right obliquity, pelvic obliquity range of motion, maximum transversal left rotation and peak hip flexion moments of force.

Bipedality from locomotor autonomy to adulthood in captive olive baboon (Papio anubis): Cross-sectional follow-up and first insight into the impact of body mass distribution.

Despite that the biomechanics of standing and walking bipedally has been extensively studied in nonhuman primates, the morphological features that may constrain, or facilitate, the control of balance and thus of the spontaneous occurrence of bipedal behavior are poorly known. We aim to test the relationship between body mass distribution and bipedal behavior using a nonhuman primate species, the olive baboon, Papio anubis, raised in captivity. We collected quantitative data on the frequency and duration of bipedalism together with morphometrics on a sample of 22 individuals. We used ontogenetic changes as a natural experiment that provides insights into the impact of morphology. Specifically we focus on 1) quantifying how body mass distribution changes from infancy to adulthood in baboons; and 2) whether the different patterns of mass distribution influence the behavioral variables, i.e., a) the frequency and b) the duration of bouts of bipedal behavior realized in different activity contexts. With regard to assisted bipedal behaviors, the duration and frequency of bouts of standing, contrary to walking, are significantly related to age. With regard to unassisted bipedal behaviors, no correlation to age is observed; the bout duration of walking is strongly correlated to body mass and mass distribution, contrary to the frequency of walking as well as the bout duration and frequency of bipedal standing. Our results suggest a close relationship between the pattern of mass distribution and the mechanism of balance control in the spontaneous bipedal walking of baboons. The mechanical effects of the pattern of mass distribution on the ability to perform bipedally in extant nonhuman primates are discussed in the context of the evolution toward habitual bipedalism.

The Importance of Scaling for Detecting Community Patterns: Success and Failure in Assemblages of Introduced Species

Community saturation can help to explain why biological invasions fail. However, previous research has documented inconsistent relationships between failed invasions (i.e., an invasive species colonizes but goes extinct) and the number of species present in the invaded community. We use data from bird communities of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, which supports a community of 38 successfully established introduced birds and where 37 species were introduced but went extinct (failed invasions). We develop a modified approach to evaluate the effects of community saturation on invasion failure. Our method accounts (1) for the number of species present (NSP) when the species goes extinct rather than during its introduction; and (2) scaling patterns in bird body mass distributions that accounts for the hierarchical organization of ecosystems and the fact that interaction strength amongst species varies with scale. We found that when using NSP at the time of extinction, NSP was higher for failed introductions as compared to successful introductions, supporting the idea that increasing species richness and putative community saturation mediate invasion resistance. Accounting for scale-specific patterns in body size distributions further improved the relationship between NSP and introduction failure. Results show that a better understanding of invasion outcomes can be obtained when scale-specific community structure is accounted for in the analysis.

The influence of birth date via body mass on individual fitness in a long‐lived mammal

The timing of birth has marked impacts on early life and early development of newborns in many species. In seasonal environments, early‐born offspring often survive and grow better than late‐born offspring, but despite the long‐lasting effects of early conditions on life history traits, the influence of birth date on fitness has rarely been investigated for long‐lived species. In this study, we analyzed both the short‐ and long‐term effects of birth date on individual life history traits and explored its subsequent impact on individual fitness in a population of roe deer. We considered both the direct effects, as well as the indirect effects of birth date mediated through the effects of body mass, on demographic parameters. We found that in addition to short‐term effects on early body growth and survival, birth date generates “silver spoon” effects on adult life history traits of female roe deer. Birth date had long‐lasting effects on female adult body mass such that early‐born females were, on average, 3 kg heavier as adults than late‐born females, although female adult survival was similar between these categories. Based on the observed relationships between birth date, body mass, and demographic parameters, we built an integral projection model describing the simultaneous distributions of birth date and body mass to quantify the fitness consequences of birth date. We found that the fitness of early‐born females was higher than that of late‐born females. These long‐lasting effects of birth date on fitness were mostly mediated through the influence of birth date on recruitment and adult body mass. By determining development of newborns during the early stages of life, birth date has a critical influence on each step of an individual's subsequent life history trajectory.

Body Composition and Bone Mineral Density of a Female Body Builder Following 33 weeks of Pre-Contest Training

Marked changes in body composition (BC) often occur as body builders prepare for a contest. These changes are a result of nutritional manipulation, as well as intense and high volume exercise. Concern for the health and well being of the participant is warranted based on severe changes over several months. PURPOSE: To monitor changes in body composition and bone density (BMD) during a six month regimen of vigorous resistance (R), and cardiovascular training (C), a competitive body builder was monitored. METHODS: A 29 yr old female with 8 yrs of R experience was evaluated with Dual-Energy Xray Absorptiometry (iDEXA) for BC and BMD at 1, 24 and 32 weeks prior to competition. During the initial 22 wks she consumed an isocaloric diet and engaged in R and C at a frequency of 4-5 and 3 sessions/wk, respectively. The intensity (momentary muscular fatigue) and volume (90 min R, 45 min C) of workouts were similar throughout the study, but frequency increased to 6x/wk for R, and to 4x/wk for C, while during the final 10 wks (pre-competition) she ingested less than 1300 kcal/day (60% protein, 15% fat, 25% CHO). Her CHO intake was primarily ingested immediately prior to and during workouts. In addition, she ingested supplements of creatine monohydrate, BCAA, high protein and electrolytes both pre and post every R session. RESULTS:Table: No title available.Bone mineral content was maintained at 2.5 kg throughout the 32 weeks. In addition, regional % fat was reduced 42.9, 46.2, and 60%, in the arms, legs, and trunk from 24 to 1 wk pre competition, respectively. CONCLUSION: High intensity and high volume R and C training combined with limited dietary intake and high protein supplements can maintain BMD and LBM despite enormous reductions in body fat, body mass (BM) and regional fat distribution.

Food addiction in overweight and obese adolescents seeking weight-loss treatment.

Some forms of overeating closely resemble addictive behaviour. The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) was developed to measure such addiction-like eating in humans and has been employed in numerous studies for examining food addiction in adults. Yet, little is known about food addiction in children and adolescents. Fifty adolescents were recruited at the beginning of treatment in a weight-loss hospital and completed the YFAS among other questionnaires. Nineteen participants (38%) received a YFAS diagnosis, who did not differ in age, body mass and gender distribution from those not receiving a diagnosis. However, those with food addiction reported more binge days, more frequent food cravings, higher eating, weight and shape concerns, more symptoms of depression and higher attentional and motor impulsivity. Eating restraint and nonplanning impulsivity did not differ between groups. Results replicate findings from studies in obese adults such that food addiction is not related to age, gender, body mass or eating restraint, but to higher eating pathology, more symptoms of depression and higher impulsivity. Furthermore, results highlight that particularly attentional impulsivity is related to 'food addiction'. Addiction-like eating appears to be a valid phenotype in a substantial subset of treatment-seeking, obese adolescents.