Relationship between diet-related indicators and overweight and obesity in older adults in rural Japan

The relationship between individual and environmental factors related to health, nutritional status, and diet in elderly people living alone in Japan

Aging is an essential milestone that governments worldwide must plan for. At a global level, Japan currently has the highest share of population older than 65 years. Thus, the Japanese experience may be a useful guide to other countries as they consider their policies. Elderly individuals living alone encounter many challenges typically not faced by those living in a multiperson household. Nutrition status and diet are 2 such challenges, both of which are crucial determinants of health and well-being. The health and nutrition statuses as well as some other factors in elderly individuals living alone in Japan were investigated. The identification of the factors relating to food diversity, social relationships, and physical ability, among others, indicates, as hypothesized, that the relationship between individual and environmental factors is associated with the health, nutritional statuses, and diets of elderly people living alone. The findings and approach may be useful to scholars and policy makers in significantly aging societies like Japan as well as other societies experiencing population aging.

Association between alcohol intake and overweight and obesity: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of 127 observational studies

Several studies have assessed the relationship between alcohol intake and overweight/obesity; however, the reported results are inconsistent. Therefore, the present systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies was designed to investigate the association between alcohol intake and general and abdominal obesity among the adults. Literature search was conducted in the PubMed/Medline and Web of Science databases up to August 2020. Odds ratio (OR), risk ratio (RR), or hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to pool effect size. To conduct dose-response meta-analysis, amount of alcohol intake was classified into three categories including light (<14 g/d), moderate (14-28 g/d), and heavy (>28 g/d). In the present study, 127 eligible studies were included. In cohort studies, there was no significant association between alcohol drinking and risk of overweight (OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.46 to 1.89), obesity (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.52 to 1.37), overweight/obesity (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.84 to 1.58), and abdominal obesity (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 0.90 to 1.41). In cross-sectional studies, alcohol intake was associated with the increased odds of overweight (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.18), overweight/obesity (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.37), and abdominal obesity (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.29); but not obesity (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.95 to 1.12). Results of dose-response analysis indicated that heavy alcohol drinking was positively associated with odds of overweight (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.24), overweight/obesity (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.16 to 1.51), and abdominal obesity (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.12 to 1.38) compared to non- or light alcohol drinking. There was no publication bias among studied on outcomes of interest. In conclusion, our results revealed alcohol drinkers, especially heavy alcohol drinkers, had increased odds of overweight, overweight/obesity, and abdominal obesity than non-alcohol drinker or light alcohol drinkers among cross-sectional studies but not cohort studies.

Living well in older age: what can we learn from the Japanese experience?

Japan has the most aged population in the world. Not only do people live longer in Japan, they also age better. While the ageing population reflects a success story driven by lifestyle factors and health promotion initiatives, it also results in challenges for policymakers, families and older people. Other countries with ageing population profiles, such as the UK, can learn from the Japanese experience. In this article, the authors focus on the potential of health promotion strategies, social connections and technology to enhance well-being in older age.