Assessment of body fat content in young men by using selected somatic indices and skinfolds

Changes in Body Mass and Composition of the Body as Well as Physical Activity and Time Spent in Front of the Monitor by Students of the Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences during the Period of COVID-19 Restrictions

The aim of the study is to assess the impact of changes in daily physical activity during the blockade (March 2020-February 2021) on the mass and segmental composition of the body of young people. Material and research methods: In total, 120 people from the sports and medical university aged 19.8 (±0.8) years, average height 173.2 (±9.2) cm, body mass 66.1 (±12.8), and BMI 19.2 (±5.9) kg/m2. The research was carried out in two stages. The total and segmental body mass of the respondents and the change in physical activity during the pandemic were assessed twice (December 2019, February 2021). There was a statistically significant increase in body mass in men, an increase in total fat mass in women, and statistically significant changes in the distribution of fat mass in both sexes. Conclusions: In the studied group, there was a change in the forms of physical activity from strength and group activity to endurance activity (running forms, cycling.) and individual activity. The subjects showed a statistically significant increase in body fat, regardless of gender, and in the upper limbs in men.

Index of central obesity as a parameter to replace waist circumference for the definition of metabolic syndrome in predicting cardiovascular disease

OBJECTIVE

To compare the suitability of metabolic syndrome definitions in predicting cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

METHODS

We analyzed data from a population-based prospective cohort of 3598 participants from Jiangsu, China. Waist circumference was replaced with central obesity [index of central obesity (ICO), a ratio of waist circumference and height] in Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ICO-replaced ATPIII) and International Diabetes Federation (ICO-replaced IDF), respectively. Cox proportional-hazards regression model and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to evaluate the suitability of ATPIII, IDF, ICO-replaced IDF and ICO-replaced ATPIII in predicting CVD risk.

RESULTS

ICO was a better parameter in predicting CVD risk by ROC curve analysis. The ROC curve analysis also showed that although ICO-replaced IDF and IDF had the higher degree of specificity, lower sensitivity, longer ROC curve distance, less area under the curve to identify CVD than ATPIII and ICO-replaced ATPIII, therefore ICO-replaced IDF and IDF seemed to be undesirable. However, there was no significant difference in area under the curve between ATPIII and ICO-replaced ATPIII in predicting CVD risk. But it seems that odds ratios for abnormal triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein levels increase slightly when using ICO, but decrease for hyperglycemia and hypertension when using ICO.

CONCLUSION

ICO was a better predictor of abnormal triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein levels than waist circumference, but waist circumference was a better predictor of hyperglycemia and hypertension than ICO. However, we failed to support ICO as a better parameter for metabolic syndrome definition in predicting CVD risk compared with waist circumference.

Prevalência de obesidade abdominal e excesso de gordura em escolares de uma cidade serrana no sul do Brasil

A obesidade é considerada a mais importante desordem nutricional devido ao aumento acelerado de suas prevalências nos últimos anos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi estimar a prevalência de obesidade abdominal e excesso de gordura em escolares de 11 a 14 anos (meninos e meninas) de uma cidade serrana no sul do Brasil, e verificar as possíveis associações com classificação econômica, sexo, idade, hábitos alimentares, hábitos de vida (atividades físicas e atividades sedentárias) e insatisfação com a imagem corporal. Foram avaliados 1230 escolares através de um estudo transversal. As variáveis antropométricas estudadas foram circunferência da cintura e as dobras cutâneas do tríceps e da panturrilha. Foi realizada uma análise descritiva e uma bivariada entre as variáveis independentes e o desfecho. As prevalências de obesidade abdominal e excesso de gordura corporal foram 28,7% e 40,1%, respectivamente. Houve associação estatítisca significante com maior número de refeições e insatisfação com a imagem corporal para obesidade abdominal, que também esteve associada com os avaliados do sexo feminino, e para excesso de gordura corporal e. As prevalências de obesidade abdominal e excesso de gordura corporal estão elevadas e justificam a implementação de ações de saúde nas escolas.

Should waist circumference be replaced by index of central obesity (ICO) in definition of metabolic syndrome?

Waist circumference has been widely used as the parameter of central obesity in defining metabolic syndrome. Global consensus definition of metabolic syndrome has suggested various race- and gender-specific cutoffs of waist circumference for quantifying central obesity. We have earlier proposed that using index of central obesity (ICO), the need for race- and gender-specific cutoffs may be obviated. We propose that waist circumference be supplanted with index of central obesity in all definitions of metabolic syndrome. Using index of central obesity a common cutoff of 0.5 applicable across races and genders might be obtained. Moreover, it will enhance the sensitivity of definition by diagnosing subjects who are shorter than general population. Among 258 male and 242 female diabetic patients, subjects with metabolic syndrome (defined as per gender-specific waist circumference cutoffs), were found to have a common lower range of index of central obesity suggesting that a common cutoff of waist circumference may be obtained. In another study from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database, replacing index of central obesity with waist circumference was found to enhance the specificity and sensitivity of definition of metabolic syndrome.