Why are women slimmer than men in developed countries?

Desire for thinness among young Japanese women from the perspective of objective and subjective ideal body shape

I examined the actual situation of the desire to be thin among young Japanese women from the perspective of ideal body shape and actual measured body shape. In total, 90 young Japanese women were evaluated using a questionnaire (perceived body shape and desired body composition change) and assessments of sarcopenia (muscle strength, physical ability, and muscle mass). Participants were classified into the underweight (body mass index [BMI] < 18.5 kg/m2, 74%), normal-weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m2, 20%), or obese (25 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m2, 6%) groups. The normal-weight group needed to gain an average of 2.2 kg to reach the objective ideal weight, but participants desired to lose an average of 4.5 kg. The underweight group needed to gain an average of 10.3 kg to reach the objective ideal weight, but participants desired to maintain their current body weight. Data on muscle mass for the diagnosis of sarcopenia showed low values for the underweight group. Most participants were classified into the normal-weight and underweight groups, but these groups showed a high percentage of women with a desire to be thin. The body shape of young adult women should be carefully considered not only as a health issue of thinness during the fertile period but also as a countermeasure to sarcopenia (low skeletal muscle mass) during the aging process.

Dietary Patterns Associated with General Health of Breastfeeding Women 1-2 Months Postpartum: Data from the Japanese Human Milk Study Cohort

Background

The effects of dietary patterns on health outcome of lactating women remain unclear.

Objectives

To describe the dietary patterns of lactating Japanese women and explore the association between dietary patterns and their general health.

Methods

This study included 1096 lactating women from the Japanese Human Milk Study Cohort. The maternal diet during lactation 1-2 mo postpartum was determined using a FFQ. Dietary patterns were identified using a factor analysis based on the energy-adjusted intake of 42 food items. Trend associations between maternal and infant variables and quartiles of dietary pattern scores were tested, and logistic regression was performed to estimate the OR and 95% CI of maternal self-reporting anemia, constipation, rough skin, sensitivity to cold, and mastitis.

Results

Four dietary patterns were identified in this study. The versatile vegetable diet, characterized by a high intake of vegetables, mushrooms, seaweeds, and tofu, was associated with maternal age, BMI prepregnancy and during the lactation periods, education, household income, and anemia. The plain Japanese diet contained a high intake of typical Japanese foods such as rice and miso soup and a low intake of bread and some confectioneries and was associated with maternal BMI during both periods. The salad vegetable diet, characterized by a high intake of raw vegetables and tomatoes with mayonnaise or dressing, was associated with parity and season in which data collection was conducted. The seafood diet, characterized by a high intake of fish, squid, octopus, shrimp, and shellfish, was associated with days postpartum and sensitivity to cold.

Conclusions

Four dietary patterns were identified and were independently associated with socioeconomic factors. The versatile vegetables diet and seafood diet were associated with anemia and sensitivity to cold, respectively, among the participants. This trial was registered at the Japanese Clinical Trials Registry (https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/icdr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000017649) as UMIN000015494.

Education Level, Underemployment, and Health

Under the dual background of underemployment and health inequality, this study empirically analyzes the impact of education level on underemployed workers' health based on data from the 2016 China Labor-force Dynamics Survey. The results show that underemployment is significantly related to the decline of self-rated health, increased depressive tendencies, and the prevalence of illness over a certain period. The results indicate that underemployment can significantly reduce the health level of workers in both low and high education level groups. However, underemployment appears to have no significant impact on workers' health in the middle education level group. This result holds even if the measurement method of the indicators is adjusted and endogeneity is considered; this indicates that the research conclusions are robust. Moreover, this kind of health inequality mainly comes from the economic and leisure effects of underemployment for workers with different educational levels. Although underemployment significantly reduces the economic level of workers in each education level group, it brings a positive leisure effect to workers with a middle education level and a negative leisure effect to workers with a low education level. This study provides empirical support for increasing labor protection mechanisms for underemployed people and reducing the health inequality caused by differences in education level.

Original burger (traditional) or burger with mushroom addition? A social representation approach to novel foods

Currently, consumers' interest in healthy products has attracted the attention of academia and the meat industry, which has focused mainly on incorporating ingredients with healthier properties. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate the social representation of original burgers and burgers with mushroom addition considering different sexes and body mass indexes (BMIs) of individuals. Thus, 209 Brazilians answered a word association task followed by a word classification based on their importance and valence for original burgers and burgers with the addition of mushrooms. To obtain the structure of social representation, the words were positioned into four distinct zones based on their frequency of elicitation and importance. Also, the polarity index was used to give a connotation to the words. Three groups of consumers were identified. The first group (consumers with class-1 obesity of both sexes) associated the original burger with positive categories (cheese, juicy, seasoned, food, tasty, joy, salad and delicious). The second one (female consumers with pre-obesity and class-1 obesity) associated the burger with the addition of mushrooms with the elements price, different, vegetarian, flavor, gourmet and healthy. Finally, the third group (men and women for both stimuli and with a wide range of BMI) characterized burgers with sensory attributes, feelings and moments of consumption. In conclusion, the social representation of the original burger and the burger with the addition of mushrooms differed among consumers, suggesting that the main associations can be the main motivations for the consumption of a certain product.

ESRα Promoter Methylation May Modify the Association Between Lipid Metabolism and Type 2 Diabetes in Chinese Farmers

Objective: This study is aimed to explore the potential association among the estrogen receptor alpha (ESRα) promoter methylation, lipid metabolism and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A total of 1143 rural residents were recruited randomly from Henan Province, China. The circulating methylation levels in ESRα promoter region were determined by quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and fasting plasma-glucose (FPG) were measured. Results: The ESRα promoter methylation levels were negatively associated with HDL-C levels whether gender stratification was performed (P < 0.05) and positively correlated with LDL-C in men (P < 0.05). Each unit standard deviation (SD) increment in TG was associated with a 43% increase (95% CI: 1.25, 1.64) in the risks of T2DM in all participants, a 36% increase (95% CI: 1.13, 1.64) in the risks of T2DM in men and a 49% increase (95% CI: 1.21, 1.83) in the risks of T2DM in women. Furthermore, each SD increment in HDL-C was associated with a reduction of 25% (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.97) in the risks of T2DM in men, and the risk of T2DM in men may be more susceptible to HDL-C than that in women (P for interaction < 0.05). Additionally, we found that the risk of T2DM in participants with lower methylation levels (≤4.07%) were more susceptible to HDL-C (P for interaction < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggested that lipid metabolism was associated with ESRα promoter methylation levels and the risk of T2DM. Besides, the levels of ESRα promoter methylation and gender can modify the association of HDL-C and T2DM.

Decomposition of Gender Differences in Body Mass Index in Saudi Arabia using Unconditional Quantile Regression: Analysis of National-Level Survey Data

Understanding gender differences in body mass index (BMI) between males and females has been much debated and received considerable attention. This study aims to decompose gender differentials in the BMI of people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study decomposed the BMI gender gap into its associated factors across the entire BMI distribution by using counterfactual regression methods. The main method of analysis was newly developed unconditional quantile regression-based decomposition, which applied Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition using data from the Saudi Health Interview Survey. Gender differentials were found in the BMI, with females showing a higher BMI than males. The aggregate decomposition showed that both the covariate effect and the structural effect were significant at the 25th and 50th quantiles. Detailed decomposition indicated that income level and employment status as well as soda consumption and the consumption of red meat were significantly correlated in explaining gender differentials in BMI across various quantiles, but the magnitude varied by quantile. Our study suggests the government should consider introducing programs that specifically target women to help them reduce BMI. These programs could include organizing sporting events at the workplace and at the national level. Furthermore, the effect of soda consumption could be reduced by levying a tax on beverages, which might reduce the demand for soda due to the increased price.

The Relationship Between Obesity, Overweight, and the Human Development Index in World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region Countries

OBJECTIVES

Obesity is regarded as one of the most prominent health threats worldwide and a serious risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes mellitus type 2, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer. Given the role that societal development-as reflected by the Human Development Index (HDI)-may play in the prevalence of obesity and overweight, this study aimed to investigate the degree to which the prevalence of obesity and overweight is affected by HDI and its components.

METHODS

In this ecological study, the required data on HDI and its components were gathered from the latest report of the United Nations Development Program, and data on obesity and overweight were acquired from the latest reports published on the World Health Organization website. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 24.0.

RESULTS

The prevalence of obesity was determined to be significantly higher among females than males, and the gross national index per capita was found to be significantly higher for males than females (p<0.05). Significant positive correlations were found between HDI and its components and sex, as well as indices of obesity and overweight.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant positive correlation exists between HDI and obesity. As policy-makers attempt to improve the general welfare of the people, they should be aware of potential unwanted effects of development on the risk of obesity and overweight among the population.

Labor market engagement and the body mass index of working adults: Evidence from India

Galvanized by rapid income growth, labor market transitions in the nature of jobs, and lifestyle factors, there has been an increase in rates of obesity in many developing countries. This paper examines the relationship between BMI and sector and physical intensity of work among urban adults in India. We document that BMI is positively and significantly associated with labor market inactivity. Women in white-collar work have about 1.01 kg/m² higher BMI than women in blue-collar work. For working men, the comparable estimate is approximately 1.18 kg/m². We find that the increase in overall BMI originates from those who are already at high levels of BMI. Further, relative to the non-working sample, employment in a blue-collar occupation is associated with a BMI penalty for men and women. We find suggestive evidence that the increase in BMI for women is driven by a decline in energy expenditure, while both a decrease in energy expenditure and an increase in energy intake are important in explaining BMI dynamics for men. These results are robust to a variety of specification and methodological checks, and suggest that the increasing trend in BMI may be attributed to the transition towards a more sedentary occupational structure. Overall our research underlines the important role played by occupational engagement in determining the general health of populations in developing countries.