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Kopinska J, Atella V, Bhattacharya J, Miller G. The changing relationship between bodyweight and longevity in high- and low-income countries. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2024; 54:101392. [PMID: 38703461 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2024.101392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Standard measures of bodyweight (overweight and obese, for example) fail to reflect differences across populations and technological progress over time. This paper builds on the pioneering work of Hans Waaler (1984) and Robert Fogel (1994) to empirically estimate how the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and longevity varies across high-, middle-, and low-income countries. Importantly, we show that these differences are so profound that the share of national populations above mortality-minimizing bodyweight is not clearly greater in countries with higher overweight and obesity rates (as traditionally defined)-and in fact, relative to current standards, a larger share of low-income countries' populations can be unhealthily heavy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincenzo Atella
- Department of Economics and Finance, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.
| | - Jay Bhattacharya
- School of Medicine - Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America; NBER, United States of America
| | - Grant Miller
- School of Medicine - Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America; NBER, United States of America
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Liang J, Yang K, Shen Y, Peng X, Tan H, Liu L, Xie Q, Wang Y. Incidence of collagen-induced arthritis is elevated by a high-fat diet without influencing body weight in mice. RMD Open 2024; 10:e003869. [PMID: 38580349 PMCID: PMC11002344 DOI: 10.1136/rmdopen-2023-003869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jianhui Liang
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Kuangyang Yang
- Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Yanni Shen
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao Peng
- Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Hao Tan
- Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Lichu Liu
- Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Qian Xie
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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Khan MGM, Patwary MM, Mamum KA, Chand AA, Edward K, Prasad KA, Browning MHEM, Prasad C, Shuvo FK. Prevalence and associated risk factors for mental health problems among young adults in Fiji Island during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1323635. [PMID: 38213644 PMCID: PMC10783427 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1323635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health globally. To understand the impact of the pandemic on mental health in Fiji, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anxiety disorder and depression among the young adults. Method An online survey was conducted to assess the prevalence of anxiety disorder and depression among the general population in Suva, Fiji during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1,119 Fiji adults participated in the study. The study was conducted between May 20 to June 30, 2022, using a snowball sampling via social media platforms. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scales were used to measure anxiety and depression, respectively. The COVID-19 related stressors was evaluated using the adapted SARS stressors assessment. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing mental health among respondents. Results The result shows that a significant portion of individuals experienced each of the stressors, with the highest prevalence seen for hearing information about the severity of COVID-19. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was found to be 45% and 49%, respectively. Being female, having pre-existing illness and COVID-19 stressors were a risk factor to develop anxiety and depression. On the other hand, employed individuals and having high BMI was a protective factor against developing depression during COVID-19 lockdown. Conclusion These findings highlight the importance of addressing the mental health needs of the Fijian population during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad G M Khan
- School of Information Technology Engineering Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Muhammad Mainuddin Patwary
- Environment and Sustainability Research Initiative, Khulna, Bangladesh
- Environmental Science Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
| | - Kabir A Mamum
- School of Information Technology Engineering Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Aneesh A Chand
- School of Information Technology Engineering Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Kaamil Edward
- School of Information Technology Engineering Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Kushal A Prasad
- School of Information Technology Engineering Mathematics and Physics (STEMP), The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
- Department of Electronics, Instrumentation & Control Engineering, College of Engineering, Science & Technology, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji
| | - Matthew H E M Browning
- Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - Chaandvi Prasad
- College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji
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Painter MA, Tabler J. Skin Tone, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender Differences in BMI among New US Immigrants. Ethn Dis 2022; 32:315-324. [PMID: 36388867 PMCID: PMC9590606 DOI: 10.18865/ed.32.4.315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Scholars have been interested in the relationship between skin tone and health since at least the 1970s; however, no study, to our knowledge, has analyzed a diverse immigrant sample. In this study, we use the New Immigrant Survey and interactions to examine how skin tone and race/ethnicity - alongside gender - jointly pattern BMI among Legal Permanent Residents. Our approach allows for the analysis of BMI among multiple racial/ethnic immigrant groups, while considering skin tone. Our results document that darker skin shades are associated with higher BMI, but only for women. Further, we also tease out the relationship between gender and race/ethnicity for BMI, which allows us to better understand this critical connection for new immigrants' health in the United States. Together, our results highlight that BMI jointly varies by skin tone and race/ethnicity, which emphasizes the importance of an intersectional approach, especially for new immigrant women of color.
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Inwood K, Oxley L, Roberts E. The mortality risk of being overweight in the twentieth century: Evidence from two cohorts of New Zealand men. EXPLORATIONS IN ECONOMIC HISTORY 2022; 86:101472. [PMID: 37637008 PMCID: PMC10448784 DOI: 10.1016/j.eeh.2022.101472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
How have health and social mortality risks changed over time? Evidence from pre-1945 cohorts is sparse, mostly from the United States, and evidence is mixed on long-term changes in the risk of being overweight. We develop a dataset of men entering the NZ army in the two world wars, with objectively measured height and weight, and socioeconomic status in early adulthood. Our sample includes significant numbers of indigenous Māori, providing estimates of weight and mortality risk in an indigenous population. We follow men from war's end until death, with data on more than 12,000 men from each war. Overweight and obesity were important risk factors for mortality, and associated with shorter life expectancy. However, the reduction in life expectancy associated with being overweight declined from 5 to 3 years between the two cohorts, consistent with the hypothesis that being overweight became less risky during the twentieth century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris Inwood
- Departments of Economics and History, University of Guelph, Mackinnon Building, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Les Oxley
- Department of Economics, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Evan Roberts
- History of Medicine Program and Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, 50 Willey Hall, 225 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
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Viñuela A, Criado-Álvarez JJ, Aceituno-Gómez J, Durantez-Fernández C, Martín-Conty JL, Martín-Rodríguez F, Cano Martín LM, Maestre Miquel C, Polonio-López B, Mohedano-Moriano A. How Relevant Is the Place Where First-Year College Students Live in Relation to the Increase in Body Mass Index? Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9121638. [PMID: 34946364 PMCID: PMC8700919 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9121638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Objective: This study analyzes the evolution of the body mass index (BMI) throughout the academic year associated with changes in the lifestyle associated with the place where students live during the course, lifestyle design, and health strategies for the university community. (2) Methods: A total of 93 first-year nursing students participated in this study. Data were collected throughout the course by administering self-reported questionnaires about eating habits and lifestyles, weight, and height to calculate their BMI and place of residence throughout the course. Data were analyzed using statistical analysis (Mann–Whitney, chi-square, Student’s t-test, repeated-measures analysis of variance, and least significant difference tests). (3) Results: We found that the mean BMI increases significantly throughout the course among all students regardless of sex, age, eating habits, or where they live during the course. At the beginning of the course, the mean BMI was 22.10 ± 3.64. The mean difference between the beginning of the course and the middle has a value of p-value < 0.015 and between the middle of the course and the end a p-value < 0.009. The group that increased the most is found among students who continue to live in the family nucleus rather than those who live alone or in residence. Students significantly changed their eating and health habits, especially those who live alone or in residence. (4) Conclusions: There is an increase in BMI among students. It is necessary to carry out seminars or talks that can help students understand the importance of good eating practices and healthy habits to maintain their weight and, therefore, their health, in the short, medium, and long term and acquire a good quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Viñuela
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (C.D.-F.); (J.L.M.-C.); (C.M.M.); (B.P.-L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Juan José Criado-Álvarez
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Real Fábrica de las Sedas, s/n, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.J.C.-Á.); (A.M.-M.)
| | - Javier Aceituno-Gómez
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (C.D.-F.); (J.L.M.-C.); (C.M.M.); (B.P.-L.)
- Management of Integrated Attention of Talavera de la Reina, SESCAM, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain
| | - Carlos Durantez-Fernández
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (C.D.-F.); (J.L.M.-C.); (C.M.M.); (B.P.-L.)
| | - José Luis Martín-Conty
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (C.D.-F.); (J.L.M.-C.); (C.M.M.); (B.P.-L.)
| | - Francisco Martín-Rodríguez
- Center for Advanced Clinical Simulation, Advanced Life Support Unit, Emergency Medical Services, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid, Spain;
| | | | - Clara Maestre Miquel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (C.D.-F.); (J.L.M.-C.); (C.M.M.); (B.P.-L.)
| | - Begoña Polonio-López
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.A.-G.); (C.D.-F.); (J.L.M.-C.); (C.M.M.); (B.P.-L.)
| | - Alicia Mohedano-Moriano
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Real Fábrica de las Sedas, s/n, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain; (J.J.C.-Á.); (A.M.-M.)
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BODY MASS INDEX VALUES IN THE GENTRY AND PEASANTRY IN NINETEENTH AND EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY POLAND. J Biosoc Sci 2016; 49:364-379. [PMID: 27724998 DOI: 10.1017/s0021932016000481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of social and occupational status on the BMI of the gentry and peasantry in the Kingdom of Poland at the turn of 19th and early 20th centuries. Use was made of data on the height and weight of 304 men, including 200 peasants and 104 gentlemen, and 275 women, including 200 from the peasantry and 75 from the gentry. Gentlemen were characterized by a greater body height than peasants (169.40 cm and 166.96 cm, respectively), a greater body weight (67.09 kg and 60.99 kg, respectively) and a higher BMI (23.33 kg/m2 and 21.83 kg/m2, respectively). Landowners and intelligentsia had a greater BMI than peasants (23.12 kg/m2 and 24.20 kg/m2 vs 21.83 kg/m2, respectively). In the case of women, there were no statistically significant differences in mean height, weight and BMI by their social position, and in BMI by occupational status. Underweight occurred less frequently in the gentry and more frequently in the peasantry (0.97% and 2.04%, respectively). Overweight was five times more common in gentlemen than in peasants (26.21% and 5.10%, respectively). Differences in the BMI of gentlefolk and peasants resulted from differences in diet and lifestyle related to socioeconomic status.
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8
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Staub K, Bender N, Floris J, Pfister C, Rühli FJ. From Undernutrition to Overnutrition: The Evolution of Overweight and Obesity among Young Men in Switzerland since the 19th Century. Obes Facts 2016; 9:259-72. [PMID: 27544200 PMCID: PMC5644905 DOI: 10.1159/000446966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The global obesity epidemic continues, new approaches are needed to understand the causes. We analyzed data from an evolutionary perspective, stressing developmental plasticity. METHODS We present diachronical height, weight, and BMI data for 702,902 Swiss male conscripts aged 18-20 years, a representative, standardized and unchanged data source. RESULTS From 1875 to 1879, the height distribution was slightly left-skewed; 12.1% of the conscripts were underweight, overweight and obesity were rare. The BMI-to-height relationship was positive but not linear, and very short conscripts were particularly slim. Since the 1870s, Swiss conscripts became taller, a trend that markedly slowed in the 1990s. In contrast, weight increased in two distinct steps at the end of the 1980s and again after 2002. Since 2010, BMI did not increase but stabilized at a high level. CONCLUSIONS The body of young men adapted differently to varying living conditions over time: First, less investment in height and weight under conditions of undernutrition and food uncertainty; second, more investment in height under more stable nutritional conditions; third, development of obesity during conditions of plateaued height growth, overnutrition, and decreasing physical activity. This example contributes to the evaluation of hypotheses on human developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaspar Staub
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of History, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Bender
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Joël Floris
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Frank J. Rühli
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Bea JW, Blew RM, Going SB, Hsu CH, Lee MC, Lee VR, Caan BJ, Kwan ML, Lohman TG. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry spine scans to determine abdominal fat in postmenopausal women. Am J Hum Biol 2016; 28:918-926. [PMID: 27416964 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Body composition may be a better predictor of chronic disease risk than body mass index (BMI) in older populations. OBJECTIVES We sought to validate spine fat fraction (%) from dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) spine scans as a proxy for total abdominal fat. METHODS Total body DXA scan abdominal fat regions of interest (ROI) that have been previously validated by magnetic resonance imaging were assessed among healthy, postmenopausal women who also had antero-posterior spine scans (n = 103). ROIs were (1) lumbar vertebrae L2-L4 and (2) L2-Iliac Crest (L2-IC), manually selected by two independent raters, and (3) trunk, auto-selected by DXA software. Intra-class correlation coefficients evaluated intra and inter-rater reliability on a random subset (N = 25). Linear regression models, validated by bootstrapping, assessed the relationship between spine fat fraction (%) and total abdominal fat (%) ROIs. RESULTS Mean age, BMI, and total body fat were 66.1 ± 4.8 y, 25.8 ± 3.8 kg/m2 and 40.0 ± 6.6%, respectively. There were no significant differences within or between raters. Linear regression models adjusted for several participant and scan characteristics were equivalent to using only BMI and spine fat fraction. The model predicted L2-L4 (Adj. R2 : 0.83) and L2-IC (Adj. R2 : 0.84) abdominal fat (%) well; the adjusted R2 for trunk fat (%) was 0.78. Model validation demonstrated minimal over-fitting (Adj. R2 : 0.82, 0.83, and 0.77 for L2-L4, L2-IC, and trunk fat, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The strong correlation between spine fat fraction and DXA abdominal fat measures make it suitable for further development in postmenopausal chronic disease risk prediction models. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:918-926, 2016. © 2016Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- J W Bea
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona, 85724-5024.,Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721
| | - R M Blew
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721
| | - S B Going
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721
| | - C-H Hsu
- University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona, 85724
| | - M C Lee
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721
| | - V R Lee
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721
| | - B J Caan
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, 94612
| | - M L Kwan
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, California, 94612
| | - T G Lohman
- Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721
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Puterbaugh JS. Reducing Societal Obesity: Establishing a Separate Exercise Model through Studies of Group Behavior. J Obes 2016; 2016:6734043. [PMID: 27429800 PMCID: PMC4939339 DOI: 10.1155/2016/6734043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The past 50 years has brought attention to high and increasing levels of human obesity in most of the industrialized world. The medical profession has noticed, has evaluated, and has developed models for studying, preventing, and reversing obesity. The current model prescribes activity in specific quantities such as days, minutes, heart rates, and footfalls. Although decreased levels of activity have come from changes revolving around built environments and social networks, the existing medical model to lower body weights by increasing activity remains individually prescriptive. It is not working. The study of societal obesity precludes the individual and must involve group behavioral studies. Such studies necessitate acquiring separate tools and, therefore, require a significant change in the evaluation and treatment of obesity. Finding groups with common activities and lower levels of obesity would allow the development of new models of land use and encourage active lifestyles through shared interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. S. Puterbaugh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Providence St. Vincent's Medical Center, Portland, OR 97225, USA
- *J. S. Puterbaugh:
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Bea JW, Thomson CA, Wertheim BC, Nicholas JS, Ernst KC, Hu C, Jackson RD, Cauley JA, Lewis CE, Caan B, Roe DJ, Chen Z. Risk of Mortality According to Body Mass Index and Body Composition Among Postmenopausal Women. Am J Epidemiol 2015; 182:585-96. [PMID: 26350478 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwv103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity, often defined as a body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)(2)) of 30 or higher, has been associated with mortality, but age-related body composition changes can be masked by stable BMI. A subset of Women's Health Initiative participants (postmenopausal women aged 50-79 years) enrolled between 1993 and 1998 who had received dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans for estimation of total body fat (TBF) and lean body mass (LBM) (n = 10,525) were followed for 13.6 (standard deviation, 4.6) years to test associations between BMI, body composition, and incident mortality. Overall, BMI ≥35 was associated with increased mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16, 1.82), while TBF and LBM were not. However, an interaction between age and body composition (P < 0.001) necessitated age stratification. Among women aged 50-59 years, higher %TBF increased risk of death (HR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.38, 4.34) and higher %LBM decreased risk of death (HR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.74), despite broad-ranging BMIs (16.4-69.1). However, the relationships were reversed among women aged 70-79 years (P < 0.05). BMI did not adequately capture mortality risk in this sample of postmenopausal women. Our data suggest the clinical utility of evaluating body composition by age group to more robustly assess mortality risk among postmenopausal women.
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Carson SA. A Weighty Issue: Diminished Net Nutrition Among the U.S. Working Class in the Nineteenth Century. Demography 2015; 52:945-66. [PMID: 25962865 DOI: 10.1007/s13524-015-0384-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Much has been written about the modern obesity epidemic, and historical BMIs are low compared with their modern counterparts. However, interpreting BMI variation is difficult because BMIs increase when weight increases or when stature decreases, and the two have different implications for human health. An alternative measure for net current nutritional conditions is body weight. After controlling for height, I find that African American and white weights decreased throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Farmers had greater average weights than workers in other occupations. Individuals from the South had taller statures, greater BMIs, and heavier weights than workers in other U.S. regions, indicating that even though the South had higher disease rates in the nineteenth century, it had better net nutritional conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Alan Carson
- University of Texas, Permian Basin, 4901 East University, Odessa, TX, 79762, USA,
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Fogel RW, Cain L, Burton J, Bettenhausen B. Was what ail'd ya what kill'd ya? ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2013; 11:269-80. [PMID: 23298699 PMCID: PMC3639294 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2012.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2012] [Revised: 12/03/2012] [Accepted: 12/04/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Making use of those Union Army veterans for whom death certificates are available, we compare the conditions with which they were diagnosed by Civil War pension surgeons to the causes of death on the certificates. We divide the data between those veterans who entered the pension system early because of war injuries and those who entered the pension system after the 1890 reform that made it available to many more veterans. We examine the correlation between specific medical conditions rated by the surgeons and death causes to gauge support for the hypothesis that death is attributable to something specific. We also examine the correlation between the accumulation of rated conditions to the length of time until death to gauge support for the "insult hypothesis." In general, we find support for both hypotheses. Examining the hazard ratios for dying of a specific condition, there is support for the idea that what ail'd ya' is what kill'd ya'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W. Fogel
- Center for Population Economics Booth School of Business, University of Chicago ph: (773)834-8127 fax:(773)702-2901
| | - Louis Cain
- Loyola University Chicago Northwestern University
| | - Joseph Burton
- Center for Population Economics Booth School of Business, University of Chicago
| | - Brian Bettenhausen
- Center for Population Economics Booth School of Business, University of Chicago
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Vivanti A, Yu L, Palmer M, Dakin L, Sun J, Campbell K. Short-term body weight fluctuations in older well-hydrated hospitalised patients. J Hum Nutr Diet 2013; 26:429-35. [DOI: 10.1111/jhn.12034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Vivanti
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics; Princess Alexandra Hospital; Brisbane QLD Australia
| | - L. Yu
- School of Public Health; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD Australia
| | - M. Palmer
- School of Public Health; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD Australia
| | - L. Dakin
- Geriatrics and Rehabilitation Unit; Princess Alexandra Hospital; Brisbane QLD Australia
| | - J. Sun
- School of Public Health; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD Australia
| | - K. Campbell
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics; Princess Alexandra Hospital; Brisbane QLD Australia
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Carson SA. Body mass, wealth, and inequality in the 19th century: joining the debate surrounding equality and health. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2013; 11:90-94. [PMID: 23022313 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2012.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2011] [Revised: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 05/24/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
We explore relationships among BMI variation, wealth, and inequality in the 19th century US. There was an inverse relationship between BMI and average state-level wealth and a small, inverse relationship with wealth inequality. After controlling for wealth and inequality, farmers had greater BMI values than workers in other occupations, and blacks had greater BMI values because of nutritional deprivation in utero.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Alan Carson
- University of Texas, Permian Basin, 4901 East University, Odessa, TX 79762, USA.
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Carson SA. The body mass index of blacks and whites in the United States during the nineteenth century. THE JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY HISTORY 2012; 42:371-391. [PMID: 22180919 DOI: 10.1162/jinh_a_00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Body mass index (BMI) values reflect the net balance between nutrition, work effort, and calories consumed to fight disease. Nineteenth-century prison records in the United States demonstrate that the BMI values of blacks and whites were distributed symmetrically; neither underweight nor obese individuals were common among the working class. BMI values declined throughout the nineteenth century. By modern standards, however, nineteenth-century BMIs were in healthy weight ranges, though the biological living standards in rural areas exceeded those in urban areas. The increase in BMIs during the twentieth century did not have its origin in the nineteenth century.
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Bodenhorn H. Height and body mass index values of nineteenth-century New York legislators. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2010; 8:121-126. [PMID: 19853542 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2009.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2009] [Revised: 09/17/2009] [Accepted: 09/17/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies of mid-nineteenth-century American BMI values have used data created by military academies and penitentiaries. This paper uses an alternative data set, constructed from legislative documents in which the heights and weights of New York State legislators were recorded. The results reveal that middle- to upper-middle class Americans maintained BMI values closer to the modern standard than did students and prisoners. The average BMI value among this group was 24 and their height-weight combinations did not greatly diverge from historical mortality risk optima.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard Bodenhorn
- Clemson University, Economics, 222 Sirrine Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, United States.
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BMI distribution/social stratification in Swiss conscripts from 1875 to present. Eur J Clin Nutr 2010; 64:335-40. [PMID: 20160753 DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES We aimed to extend the actual overweight discussion with new unbiased Swiss conscript data from 2005 to 2006, and to present for the first time Swiss data on body mass index (BMI) before 1950 and for the late-nineteenth century. SUBJECTS/METHODS For this study, 19-year-old Swiss male conscripts (draft army; Cantons Bern, Zurich, Basel-Stadt and Basel-Land) from the census of 1875-1879, 1933-1939 and 2005-2006 (N=28 033; 2005-2006 census) were included. BMI distribution (World Health Organization (WHO) classification) and social stratification (International Labour Organization classification) were main outcome measures. RESULTS Mean BMI of 19-year-old men in Switzerland increased in the 50 years between the 1870s and the 1930s by 0.80 kg/m(2) and between the 1930s and 2005 by 1.45 kg/m(2). The modern BMI sample is much more right skewed and s.d. is higher. Obesity prevalence (according to modern WHO classification) has increased by a factor of 105 from 1870s until present. Over 23% of our representative sample of Swiss men in 2005-2006 had a BMI of over 25 kg/m(2). In 2005-2006, contrary to the nineteenth century, unskilled workers had articulately higher BMI values at the 75th, 90th and 95th percentile than students; 12% of unskilled workers were obese against 2% of students. CONCLUSIONS It thus seems that BMI relations between the upper and the lower end of the socio-economic strata changed inversely from the late-nineteenth century to 2005-2006. We further propose that the phenomenon of massive right-skewing BMI distribution between the 1930s and 2005-2006 affected the lower socio-economic strata to a far greater extent than the higher socio-economic group.
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Manton KG. Recent declines in chronic disability in the elderly U.S. population: risk factors and future dynamics. Annu Rev Public Health 2008; 29:91-113. [PMID: 18031222 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
As U.S. life expectancy has increased, questions arise as to how the quality of health and functioning in the elderly population has changed. Data from the 1982-2004 National Long-Term Care Survey (NLTCS) suggested that chronic disability prevalence above age 65 declined at an increasing rate with a 2.2% per annum rate of decline from 1999 to 2004 ( 71 ). Inflation-adjusted per capita Medicare expenditure rates in nondisabled persons also declined, 0.9% per annum from 1982 to 2004, which suggests that declines in disability were driven by improving health -- not by increases in per capita health expenditures. Declines in disability prevalence were found in other U.S. national health surveys. Analyses of U.S. Civil War veterans suggest recent disability declines were continuations of declines in both chronic disease and disability occurring over the past century due to improved nutrition, sanitation, and education. Concerns exist about whether disability declines will continue because of recent increases in obesity prevalence.
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