High Rates Of Overweight Research Articles

Self-reported Diabetes Prevalence and Risk factors in South Africa: Results from the World Health Survey

Using the data from the South African World Health Survey (WHS), the current study aims to assess the self-reported prevalence of diabetes and associated risk factors by socio-economic characteristics in South Africa. A population-based survey of 2314 participants (1116 men and 1236 women) was conducted in South Africa in 2003. Results indicate an overall self-reported diabetes prevalence of 9.1%, 7.1% for men and 10.8% for women. In terms of diabetes risk factors, high rates of overweight or obesity (58.4%), physical inactivity (55.2%), less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables in a day (69.3%), and medium or high stress levels (63.3%) were found; 18.4% were smoking daily and 7.3% were risky drinkers. Univariate regression analyses found that from the six different risk factors none apart from having high stress were associated with the occurrence of diabetes. Greater age was associated with obesity and inversely associated with insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables. Daily smoking and being physically inactive were inversely associated with risky drinking. Low socioeconomic background was associated with unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and stress.

Alteraciones del desarrollo físico y sexual en varones prepúberes y púberes con epilepsia, Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl, Medellín, Colombia, 2005-2006.

Antecedentes: se han descrito diversas alteraciones endocrinas y de la salud sexual en adultos y en mujeres púberes con epilepsia. En varones púberes hay pocos estudios al respecto, ninguno de ellos en Colombia.Objetivos: establecer la frecuencia de alteraciones del desarrollo físico y sexual de varones prepúberes y púberes con epilepsia y explorar su asociación con el uso de fármacos antiepilépticos y con las características clínicas, electroencefalográficas e imaginológicas de la enfermedad.Métodos: se evaluaron 29 varones epilépticos entre 8 y 18 años, que no estaban recibiendo esteroides, ni tenían retardo mental moderado o grave, parálisis cerebral o trastornos endocrinos. Se obtuvieron los datos en una entrevista estructurada a los padres, en los registros médicos y evaluando la maduración física y sexual (antropometría, Tanner, longitud del pene y volumen testicular).Resultados: el 6,9% de los pacientes presentaban alteración del desarrollo sexual y el 31%, alteración del desarrollo físico: sobrepeso 20,7%, obesidad 6,9% y talla baja 13,8%. Los pacientes tratados con ácido valproico tenían tasas más altas de sobrepeso (50% frente a 5,3%, p = 0,01) y menor volumen testicular (3,25 frente a 5,5 mL, p = 0,08) que quienes no tomaban este medicamento. Los pacientes con talla baja habían tenido una duración mayor de la epilepsia comparados con los de talla normal (9,75 frente a 4,0 años, p = 0,02).Conclusión: los varones prepúberes y púberes con epilepsia presentan tasas altas de sobrepeso y obesidad asociadas con la administración de ácido valproico, y de talla baja asociada con una mayor duración de la enfermedad; estos trastornos se deben controlar durante el tratamiento.

Chronic disease risk factors, healthy days and medical claims in South African employees presenting for health risk screening

BackgroundNon-communicable diseases (NCD) accounts for more than a third (37%) of all deaths in South Africa. However, this burden of disease can be reduced by addressing risk factors. The aim of this study was to determine the health and risk profile of South African employees presenting for health risk assessments and to measure their readiness to change and improve lifestyle behaviour.MethodsEmployees (n = 1954) from 18 companies were invited to take part in a wellness day, which included a health-risk assessment. Self-reported health behaviour and health status was recorded. Clinical measures included cholesterol finger-prick test, blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI). Health-related age was calculated using an algorithm incorporating the relative risk for all case mortality associated with smoking, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, BMI and cholesterol. Medical claims data were obtained from the health insurer.ResultsThe mean percentage of participation was 26% (n = 1954) and ranged from 4% in transport to 81% in the consulting sector. Health-related age (38.5 ± 12.9 years) was significantly higher than chronological age (34.9 ± 10.3 yrs) (p < 0.001). Both chronological and risk-related age were significantly different between the sectors (P < 0.001), with the manufacturing sector being the oldest and finance having the youngest employees. Health-related age was significantly associated with number of days adversely affected by mental and physical health, days away from work and total annual medical costs (p < 0.001). Employees had higher rates of overweight, smoking among men, and physical inactivity (total sample) when compared the general SA population. Increased health-related expenditure was associated with increased number of risk factors, absenteeism and reduced physical activity.ConclusionSA employees' health and lifestyle habits are placing them at increased risk for NCD's, suggesting that they may develop NCD's earlier than expected. Inter-sectoral differences for health-related age might provide insight into those companies which have the greatest need for interventions, and may also assist in predicting future medical expenditure. This study underscores the importance of determining the health and risk status of employees which could assist in identifying the appropriate interventions to reduce the risk of NCD's among employees.

Body Mass Index Measures in Children with Cerebral Palsy Related to Gross Motor Function Classification

To investigate the prevalence of overweight in a clinic-based population of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and its association with gross motor function status. Retrospective chart review. We calculated body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) from charted height and weight and recorded Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS levels I-V) on the basis of clinical descriptions in clinic notes for 137 children (2-18 yrs old) with CP seen in a pediatric rehabilitation clinic at an academic medical center. BMI percentiles were reported according to sex-specific age group standards for growth set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Associations were modeled by Pearson's chi2 distribution. Out of the total CP subject group, 29.1% were considered overweight (>95th percentile) or at risk for overweight (85th to 95th percentile). Ambulatory children (GMFCS levels I and II) showed a trend (Pearson's chi2, P = 0.06) toward higher prevalence of overweight (22.7%) compared with nonambulatory children (levels IV and V, 9.6%). Underweight was more prevalent in nonambulatory children (P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis did not identify any significant predictors for overweight. In our patient population, analysis of BMI suggests that children with CP have a high rate of overweight and are at risk of overweight, particularly among ambulatory children. More study is needed, using measures more accurate than BMI, to clarify risk.

Fatness biases the use of estimated leg length as an epidemiological marker for adults in the NHANES III sample

We analyse the NHANES III sample to assess the suitability of measured stature and sitting height to estimate leg length (tibia + femur) and predict fatness. High rates of overweight in the United States population may lead to greater gluteo-femoral fat mass which will increase sitting height and artificially decrease estimates of both absolute and relative leg length. The analyses include 3076 women and 3233 men, 20.0-49.9 years of age of White, Black or Mexican-American ethnicity. The poverty index ratio, measured stature, sitting height, upper leg length, weight, four skinfolds, buttocks circumference and elbow, biacromial and biiliac breadths were extracted from the database. The sitting height ratio, % body fatness, % upper leg length (ULL/stature), and other indices were estimated. Correlation and principle component analysis were used to assess the relationship between measures of body fatness, relative leg length and the other variables. For adults in the NHANES III % body fat is more strongly correlated with buttocks circumference (r = 0.87 and 0.78 for women and men), than with any measure of estimated leg length (r's range from -0.28 to -0.10 for both sexes). Principle components analysis separates fatness, stature and estimated leg length into uncorrelated factors for this sample. Reports of a negative association between leg length and fatness for adults of the NHANES III are likely spurious, due to greater gluteo-femoral fat thickness increasing sitting height. Future rounds of the NHANES, and similar surveys in other nations with high body fat populations, should measure lower extremity length directly to better assess its relationship to health and disease risk.

The Prevalence of Diabetes Among Overweight and Obese Individuals is Higher in Poorer than in Richer Neighbourhoods

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Diabetes is increasing in prevalence worldwide. This study investigated whether the elevated prevalence of diabetes in lower-income neighbourhoods could be explained by higher rates of overweight and obesity. METHODS A total of 7434 patients who attended respiratory clinics in 2 Ontario cities were linked to administrative databases to ascertain diagnoses of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Body mass index (BMI) was obtained from clinic databases and median neighbourhood income from the Canadian census. Prevalence ratios were estimated by log-linear multiple binary regression. RESULTS BMI and neighbourhood income were independently associated with the prevalence of diabetes. At any level of BMI, subjects living in richer neighbourhoods were less likely to have been diagnosed with diabetes than subjects in poorer neighbourhoods. CONCLUSION In addition to body weight, neighbourhood income-related factors are associated with the risk of diabetes. These may include diet, physical activity and pollution exposures. Additional etiologic research is required to explain the income-related differential. From a resource perspective, the health care system will need to invest resources in low-income neighbourhoods to provide counselling and treatment for those individuals at risk for diabetes or for those already diagnosed.

US Food assistance programs and trends in children's weight

OBJECTIVES. High rates of overweight and obesity among low-income children have led some to question whether participation in US domestic food assistance programs contributes to this health problem. We use multiple years of data to examine trends in children's body weight and participation in the Food Stamp Program (FSP) or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Specifically, we assess whether a consistent relationship between program participation and body weight exists over time. METHODS. Data from multiple waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) are used to examine the relationship between children's body weight and food assistance programs between 1976 and 2002. Linear regression models are used to estimate BMI and logit models are used to predict the probabilities of at-risk of overweight and overweight. Food assistance program participants (either FSP or WIC participants depending on age) are compared with income eligible non-participants and higher income children. RESULTS. Results show no systematic relationship over time between FSP participation and weight status for school-aged children (age 5-17). For children aged 2-4, no differences in weight status between WIC participants and eligible non-participants were found. However, recent data show some differences between WIC participants and higher income children. CONCLUSIONS. Our analysis does not find evidence of a consistent relationship between childhood obesity and participation in the FSP or WIC programs.

Residential context, walking and obesity: Two African-American neighborhoods compared

We compare walking and obesity rates in two African-American neighborhoods that are similar in urban form but different in level of neighborhood disadvantage. We find higher rates of utilitarian walking in the neighborhood with higher density and disadvantage and more destinations within walking distance. However levels of leisure walking and physical activity were not higher, and rates of obesity were not lower in the non-poor neighborhood with better maintenance, more sidewalks and recreational facilities. Different types of barriers to physical activity reported in the two neighborhoods and the high rates of overweight and obesity in both may explain the findings.

Factors Affecting the Consumption of Away-from-Home Foods in Hawai`i Residents

Higher frequencies of consuming away-from-home foods has been associated with greater Body Mass Index (BMI), weight gain, and obesity, affecting people of different genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status (SES) groups differently. The purpose of this study was to determine how SES, ethnicity, gender, and the frequency of away-from-home food consumption at fast food and sit-down restaurants affected BMI levels and dieting practices for Hawai`i residents. Data were from a cross-sectional randomdigit dial telephone survey of the state of Hawai`i in the spring of 2006. Data were analyzed using a oneway ANOVA, Pearson's bivariate correlation analysis, a linear regression model, and direct logistic regression. Native Hawaiians reported eating at fast food restaurants most often (58.5%), while Japanese participants reported eating at sit-down restaurants most often (48.6%). Native Hawaiians had the highest rates of overweight and obesity (69.1%), but they were most likely to report being on a diet (50.1%), followed by Chinese participants (49.5%). A higher frequency of eating at fast food restaurants was related to higher BMI, male gender and less education (p &lt; .05), while a higher frequency of eating at sitdown restaurants was related to higher income and more education (p &lt; .05). Higher BMI and lower income were related to dieting to lose weight (p &lt; .05). Over 6% of the variance in BMI was accounted for by gender, income, eating at fast food and sit-down restaurants, and dieting to lose weight, F(59, 1440) = 18.63, p &lt; .05. The frequency of eating at fast food and sit-down restaurants as predictors for dieting to lose weight were not statistically significant (p &gt; .05). Future research should investigate what types of food are available at fast food, sit-down restaurants, or other away-from-home food sources and which types of foods at these locations consumers are more likely to select based on their SES, BMI, or dieting practices.

Avaliação antropométrica de adolescentes Kamayurá, povo indígena do Alto Xingu, Brasil Central (2000-2001)

Despite the proximity between indigenous groups in the Upper Xingu Region and Brazilian national society, studies have shown adequate weight-for-height and low height-for-age in indigenous children. Little is known about the nutritional status of indigenous adolescents. The present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status of Kamayurá adolescents. Anthropometric variables were collected from a sample of 65 adolescents (31 males and 34 females). Mean height was lower than both that of the Brazilian National Survey on Health and Nutrition and the reference population of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. There was a high rate of overweight in both males (38.7%) and females (23.5%), and one female adolescent was obese (2.9%). No overweight adolescent presented both the triceps and subscapular skinfolds above the 90th percentile. There were no cases of nutritional deficit among either male or female adolescents. Despite the high prevalence of overweight, the nutritional status of these adolescents is adequate, since the group presents low adiposity.

Overweight and Obesity in Sexual-Minority Women: Evidence From Population-Based Data

We sought to determine whether lesbians have higher rates of overweight and obesity than women of other sexual orientations. We compared population estimates of overweight and obesity across sexual orientation groups, using data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses showed lesbians have more than twice the odds of overweight (odds ratio [OR]=2.69; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.40, 5.18) and obesity (OR=2.47; 95% CI=1.19, 5.09) as heterosexual women. Bisexuals and women who reported their sexual orientation as "something else" (besides heterosexual, lesbian, or bisexual) showed no such increase in the odds of overweight and obesity. Lesbian women have a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than all other female sexual orientation groups. This finding suggests that lesbians are at greater risk for morbidity and mortality linked to overweight and obesity. This finding also highlights the need for interventions within this population.

Trends in overweight by socio-economic status in Vietnam: 1992 to 2002

To explore socio-economic factors associated with rising rates of overweight among Vietnamese adults. The study was based on three national surveys of socio-economic factors and health conducted over a 10-year period. The studies were: the Vietnamese Living Standard Survey 1992-1993 (11 982 participants); the Vietnamese Living Standard Survey 1997-1998 (15 975 participants); and the Vietnamese National Health Survey 2001-2002 (94 656 participants). Male and female adults >18 years old were stratified by gender, age group, area of residence, occupation, education and relative food expenditures. Overweight was defined using body mass index (BMI) > or = 25 kg m(-2). Overweight rates in Vietnam more than doubled between 1992 and 2002 (from 2.0 to 5.7%). Significant increases were observed for men and women, in urban and rural areas, and for all age groups. In univariate analyses, both age and higher socio-economic status were associated with higher rates of overweight. Using the most recent survey, urban populations were more likely to be overweight than rural ones (odds ratio (OR) = 1.79), white-collar workers were more likely to be overweight than manual labourers (OR = 1.95) and persons in the top level of food expenditures were more likely to be overweight than persons in the bottom level (OR = 4.96) after adjustment for other factors. Education was inversely associated with overweight after adjusting for covariates. Economic growth and improved standard of living are associated with higher rates of overweight in nations in early stages of economic development. In Vietnam, higher rates of overweight were observed among the higher income and occupation groups.

Comparison of the WHO child growth standards and the CDC 2000 growth charts.

The evaluation of child growth trajectories and the interventions designed to improve child health are highly dependent on the growth charts used. The U.S. CDC and the WHO, in May 2000 and April 2006, respectively, released new growth charts to replace the 1977 NCHS reference. The WHO charts are based for the first time on a prescriptive, prospective, international sample of infants selected to represent optimum growth. This article compares the WHO and CDC curves and evaluates the growth performance of healthy breast-fed infants according to both. As expected, there are important differences between the WHO and CDC charts that vary by age group, growth indicator, and specific Z-score curve. Differences are particularly important during infancy, which is likely due to differences in study design and characteristics of the sample, such as type of feeding. Overall, the CDC charts reflect a heavier, and somewhat shorter, sample than the WHO sample. This results in lower rates of undernutrition (except during the first 6 mo of life) and higher rates of overweight and obesity when based on the WHO standards. Healthy breast-fed infants track along the WHO standard's weight-for-age mean Z-score while appearing to falter on the CDC chart from 2 mo onwards. Shorter measurement intervals in the WHO standards result in a better tool for monitoring the rapid and changing rate of growth in early infancy. Their adoption would have important implications for the assessment of lactation performance and the adequacy of infant feeding and would bring coherence between the tools used to assess growth and U.S. national guidelines that recommend breast-feeding as the optimal source of nutrition during infancy.

The burden of obesity among a national probability sample of veterans

BACKGROUND: Few national data exist about the prevalence of obesity and the resulting health burden among veterans. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n=242,362) to compare rates of obesity among veterans who do and do not utilize the VA, compared with nonveterans. We used bivariate analyses to describe the association of obesity with lifestyle factors, disability, and comorbid disease, and multivariate analysis to assess the independent association of obesity with VA care. RESULTS: Veterans who use the VA for health care have the highest rates of obesity compared with veterans who do not use the VA and nonveterans (27.7% vs 23.9% vs 22.8%,P<.001). Only 27.8% of veterans who receive health care at the VA are of normal weight (vs 42.6% of the general population,P<.001), 44.5% are overweight, 19.9% have class I obesity, 6% have class II obesity, and 1.8% are morbidly obese (an estimated 82,950 individuals). Obese veterans who utilize the VA for services have higher rates of hypertension (65.8%) and diabetes (31.3%), are less likely to follow diet and exercise guidelines, and more likely to report poor health and disability than their normal-weight counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Veterans who receive care at the VA have higher rates of overweight and obesity than the general population. At present, less than half of VA medical centers have weight management programs. As the largest integrated U.S. health system, the VA has a unique opportunity to respond to the epidemic of obesity.

Obesity Among Children and Adolescents With Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Due to 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency is the most common inherited disorder of adrenal steroid biosynthesis. Patients with the classic form of CAH show androgen excess, with or without salt wasting. There are few studies reporting on higher rates of overweight and obesity among children with CAH. In addition to its role in the regulation of energy balance, leptin is involved in various endocrine and metabolic pathways. In this context, elevated serum leptin levels were reported recently for patients with CAH and were thought to be involved in the development of obesity among these patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze BMI values, compared with population-based references, for children and adolescents with CAH. Possible contributing factors, such as glucocorticoid therapy, skeletal maturation, birth weight and length, and parental BMI, were correlated with current BMI SD scores (SDS). In addition, the implications of serum leptin levels, corrected for BMI, gender, and Tanner stage, were investigated. We performed a cross-sectional retrospective study of 89 children and adolescents with cah (48 female and 41 male subjects; age: 0.2-17.9 years) who presented in our outpatient department during 1 year. All individuals had classic cah, confirmed with molecular genetic analyses, and received substitution therapy (glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, if necessary). The quality of therapy was monitored in follow-up visits every 3 to 6 months, on the basis of clinical presentation and laboratory measurement findings according to current guidelines. We grouped the patients into salt wasting and simple virilizing groups, as well as according to current metabolic control. Leptin levels were measured with a commercial radioimmunoassay and calculated as sds. For statistical analyses, standard parametric and nonparametric methods were used. The chronologic ages of the children with CAH were between 0.20 and 17.9 years (mean +/- SD: 8.9 +/- 4.6 years). The BMI SDS of the whole group ranged from -2.7 to 4.3 (mean +/- SD: 0.88 +/- 1.3) and was significantly elevated above 0. Fifteen subjects (16.8%) had BMI SDS of >2.0, which indicated a significantly greater frequency of obesity among patients with CAH than expected for the normal population (expected: 2.27%). There was no significant difference in age and BMI between genders and clinical forms (salt wasting versus simple virilizing). BMI SDS was correlated positively with chronologic age. The BMI SDS did not differ significantly between children receiving hydrocortisone, prednisone, or dexamethasone. Hydrocortisone dosages (including equivalent dosages of prednisone and dexamethasone) ranged from 6.2 to 30.1 mg/m2 body surface area (mean +/- SD: 14.7 +/- 4.8 mg/m2 body surface area). Hydrocortisone dosages were correlated positively with BMI SDS. The relative risk of having a BMI SDS of >2.0 was not significantly elevated among children with prednisone/dexamethasone medication, compared with those with hydrocortisone treatment. In contrast to this, fludrocortisone dosage was not correlated with BMI SDS. Bone age delay, as calculated from the difference of bone age and chronologic age, ranged from -2.9 years to 5.6 years (mean +/- SD: 1.11 +/- 1.8 years) and was significantly elevated; it was correlated positively with BMI SDS. The BMI of parents ranged from 17.8 to 39.0 kg/m2 (median: 24.2 kg/m2). Median BMI values did not differ significantly between fathers and mothers. The relative risk for obesity among our children (BMI SDS of >2.0) was significantly elevated for children with obese parents, compared with those with nonobese parents (relative risk: 4.86). There was no significant correlation of birth length, birth weight, or gestational age with BMI SDS. Serum leptin values ranged from 0.10 to 32 microg/L (median: 4.4 microg/L); they were correlated positively with BMI SDS, chronologic age, and Tanner stage. After transformation into leptin concentration SDS values, the median SDS of 0.42 (range: -5.4 to 3.1) did not differ significantly from 0. Children and adolescents with CAH have a higher risk of obesity. Glucocorticoid dosage, chronologic age, advanced bone age maturation, and parental obesity contributed to elevated BMI SDS, whereas birth weight and length, serum leptin levels, used glucocorticoid, and fludrocortisone dosage were not associated with obesity. Therefore, children with CAH who become obese should be tightly monitored and should participate concurrently in weight management programs that include obese family members.

Overweight Adolescent African-American Mothers Gain Weight in Spite of Intentions to Lose Weight

Objective This study sought to determine how dietary patterns, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and intention to lose weight were associated with body size among adolescent African-American mothers 1 year after delivery and with changes in body size over the next year. Design Cross-sectional and longitudinal self-reported measures were collected 1 year after delivery. Weight and height were collected 1 and 2 years after delivery. Subjects The subjects were 118 low-income, African-American adolescent mothers recruited after the birth of their first child. Statistical Analyses Multivariate analysis of covariance and multivariate regression analysis were conducted to examine predictors of body size 1 year after delivery and changes in body size over the next year. Analyses were adjusted for maternal age, education, breastfeeding history, and intervention. Results One year after delivery, 33.0% of mothers were overweight (body mass index [BMI] ≥95th percentile) and 23.7% were at risk for overweight (BMI ≥85th and <95th percentile). Mothers consumed a daily average of 2,527 kcal and 4.1 high-fat snacks. A total of 11% of normal-weight mothers, 22% of mothers at risk for overweight, and 44% of overweight mothers reported intention to lose weight, χ 2=10.8, P<.01. Average maternal BMI z score increased 0.13 (3.9 kg) between 1 and 2 years after delivery, P<.01. Dietary patterns, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and intention to lose weight were not related to body size or increase in body size. Conclusions One year after delivery, overweight among adolescent mothers was common and increased over time. Although nearly half of overweight mothers reported an intention to lose weight, their weight gain did not differ from that of other mothers, suggesting that they lack effective weight-loss behaviors, and may be good candidates for intervention. African-American adolescent mothers have high rates of overweight and snack consumption and may benefit from strategies to identify nutritious, palatable, affordable, and accessible alternatives to high-fat snack food.

Breast-feeding History and Overweight in Latino Preschoolers

Describe the relationship between breast-feeding history and risk of overweight in the preschool years in a sample of primarily Mexican-origin Latinos. Children's breast-feeding history, health history, and demographics were obtained in interviewer-administered questionnaires of a convenience sample of 364 parents of children ages 2-5 in an outpatient clinic waiting room serving a predominantly Mexican immigrant population in a large Midwestern city. Child weight status was determined by weighing and measuring each child and calculating age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) percentile using 2000 Centers for Disease Control reference values, with children > or =95th percentile defined as overweight. Seventy-six of 364 children (21%) were overweight. Eighty-seven percent of children had been breast-fed. Increased duration of breast-feeding was associated with a linearly decreased risk of overweight in bivariate analysis, ranging from an overweight prevalence of 35% for those never breast-fed to 12% for those breast-fed for at least a year. This inverse relationship remained significant in the smaller sample for which maternal BMI data were available (n = 127), as each additional month of breast-feeding was associated with a 10% decreased odds ratio (OR) of overweight (adjusted OR = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.81, 0.99) after controlling for child's sex, current age, prematurity, birth-weight category, maternal education level, and maternal weight status. This sample of children of Mexican-origin immigrant families had high rates of overweight at very young ages but also very high rates of breast-feeding. Duration of breast-feeding was strongly and inversely related with prevalence of overweight as a preschooler.

To be an immigrant: a risk factor for developing overweight and obesity during childhood and adolescence?

Childhood overweight and obesity, especially among migrant children, are current health problems in several European countries. In the present study the prevalence of overweight and obesity among migrant children from Turkey and the former Yugoslavia was documented and compared with that of Austrian children in Vienna. Anthropometric data from 1,786 children were collected at the ages of 6, 10 and 15 years. Body mass was estimated by means of the body mass index and percentile curves were used to determine weight status. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was found to be significantly higher among migrant children. Children and adolescents from the former Yugoslavia and Turkish girls exhibited especially high rates of overweight and obesity. Biosocial and cultural factors are discussed as causes of these observations.

Birth Weight and Parental BMI Predict Overweight in Children From Mothers With Gestational Diabetes

To investigate the growth of children from pregnancies with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and its association with antenatal maternal, fetal, and recent anthropometric parameters of mother and father. In 324 pregnancies of Caucasian women with GDM, BMI before pregnancy, maternal glycemic values, and measurements of the fetal abdominal circumference were recorded. The weight and height of infants were measured at birth and at follow-up at 5.4 years (range 2.5-8.5). In addition, somatic data from routine examinations at 6, 12, and 24 months and the BMI of parents at follow-up were obtained. BMI standard deviation scores (SDSs) were calculated based on age-correspondent data. At all time points, BMI was significantly above average (+0.82 SDS at birth; +0.56 at 6, +0.35 at 12, and +0.32 at 24 months; and +0.66 at follow-up; P < 0.001). BMI at birth was related to BMI at follow-up (r = 0.27, P < 0.001). The rate of overweight at follow-up was 37% in children with birth BMI > or =90th percentile and 25% in those with normal BMI at birth (P < 0.05). Abdominal circumference of third trimester and postprandial glucose values were related to BMI at follow-up (r = 0.22 and r = 0.18, P < 0.01). Recent maternal, paternal, and birth BMI were independent predictors of BMI at follow-up (r = 0.42, P < 0.001). Sixty-nine percent of children of parents with BMI > or =30 kg/m(2) were overweight at follow-up compared with 20% of those with parental BMI <30 kg/m(2) (P < 0.001). Children of mothers with GDM have a high rate of overweight that is associated both with intrauterine growth and parental obesity.

Economic and anthropological assessments of the health of children in Maya immigrant families in the US

Immigration from developing countries to the US generally increases access to health care and clean water, but it also introduces some unhealthy lifestyle patterns, such as diets dense in energy and little regular physical activity. We present a transdisciplinary model of child health and examine the impact of immigration on the physical growth and health of Maya children in Guatemala and the US. Maya-American children are much taller and have longer legs, on average, than their counterparts in Guatemala. This suggests that immigration to the US improves their health. However, the Maya-American children also are much heavier than both Guatemalan Maya and White American children, and have high rates of overweight and obesity. Quantile regression analysis indicates that Maya are shorter except in the upper tail of the stature distribution, and have higher Body Mass Index (BMI) in the tails, but not in the middle of the BMI distribution. Leisure time spent in front of a television or computer monitor tends to raise BMI in the middle and lower tail of the distribution, but not in the upper tail.