Prevalence of Abdominal Obesity and Excess Weight among Portuguese Children and Why Abdominal Obesity Should Be Included in Clinical Practice

Introduction: Central adiposity in children has increased to a higher degree than general adiposity however it is not a routine measurement in clinical practice. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and abdominal fat distribution and observe the prevalence of abdominal obesity among non-obese 6-10-year-old children.Material and Methods: Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured in a sample of 793 children (408 girls). International Obesity Task Force cut-offs were used to define overweight and obesity. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist-to-height ratio ≥ 0.50. Chi-square tests were used to observe the prevalence of the obesity indicators among boys and girls, and the relation between International Obesity Task Force cut-offs and abdominal obesity.Results: The prevalence of overweight, including obesity among children was 21.9% (18.9 – 25.0), 6.1% (4.2 – 8.0) were obese and 21.9% (18.6 – 25.0) had a waist-to-height ratio ≥ 0.50. Girls had significantly higher prevalence of overweight, including obesity compared to boys (χ2 = 4.59, p = 0.03), but no differences were found for abdominal obesity according to children’s gender (χ2 = 3.32, p = 0.07). A proportion of normal (8.2%; 5.9 – 10.6) and overweight children (59.5%; 50.9 – 69.0) were abdominally obese.Discussion: The prevalence of general and abdominal obesity in children living in central Portugal is of concern. Many children with abdominal obesity would not be considered obese with the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points.Conclusion: A high proportion of abdominal obesity was observed in children with normal weight or overweight, suggesting that waist-to-height ratio should be included in routine clinical practice and might be particularly useful to assess the health status of the child.

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Development of weight and height in Norwegian children: The Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP)

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/1403494818769852 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 46 (21_suppl) ◽

pp. 3-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Angelica Skår ◽

Trine Johansen Meza ◽

Per Morten Fredriksen

Keyword(s):

Disease Burden ◽

Task Force ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Age Group ◽

Overweight Children ◽

International Obesity Task Force ◽

Height Ratio ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Parental Level

Aims: High prevalence of overweight and obesity increases the disease burden with higher risk for an expanding set of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, certain types of cancers and an array of musculoskeletal disorders. Over the last decades, trends in children’s weight have changed worldwide. Methods: Anthropometric measurements of height and weight and calculations of body mass index (BMI) were recorded for 2297 children, aged 6–12 years. Results: Percentiles for weight and height are presented, as well as overweight and obesity cut-off points according to International Obesity Task Force guidelines for each age group. Children’s BMI is higher compared to older studies; however, a levelling-off of weight is evident, as 14–15% of the children are overweight in the present study. Children within the 90th and 97.5th percentiles display a higher annual increase in weight/height ratio compared to other percentiles. Parental level of education shows association with children’s BMI. Conclusions: A levelling-off of weight gain among children is evident; however, overweight children tend to gain more weight than normal-weight children.

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Relationship Among Adherence to The Mediterranean Diet and Anthropometric and Metabolic Parameters in Subjects with Obesity

Endocrine Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871530320999201111161220 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

Author(s):

Luisa Lampignano ◽

Roberta Zupo ◽

Rossella Donghia ◽

Vito Guerra ◽

Fabio Castellana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Hdl Cholesterol ◽

Fat Distribution ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Height Ratio ◽

Anthropometric Parameters ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Waist To Height Ratio ◽

The Mediterranean

Background: There is moderate-to-high evidence that the Mediterranean diet prevents increases in body weight and waist circumference in non-obese individuals but less is known about its effects in subjects with overweight and obesity. The present study was focused on exploring the cross-sectional association among the adherence to Mediterranean diet and the most commonly used variables of metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in a cohort of overweight subjects from a typical Mediterranean region, Apulia, in Southern Italy. Methods:: The study was performed in a cohort of 1214 individuals, all with overweight or obesity but no other clinical condition. We investigated the association among adherence to Mediterranean diet, assessed with the PREDIMED score, and anthropometric parameters [namely body mass index (BMI), WC, waist to height ratio (WHtR) and neck circumference (NC)], fasting serum levels of glucose, insulin, uric acid and lipids (triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol), and blood pressure and insulin resistance, measured by HOMA-IR. Results:: The waist to height ratio was negatively associated to a PREDIMED score ≥7 (p<0.04), whereas HDL cholesterol was positively associated to a PREDIMED score ≥7 (p<0.04) Conclusion: This study suggests that body fat distribution and HDL-cholesterol are the parameters most strongly influenced by MedDiet in Apulian subjects.

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Overweight/Obese Schoolchildren with Low Muscle Strength Have a Lower Cardiorespiratory Capacity and Greater Cardiovascular Risk: Results of the School Health Survey of the Extreme South of Chile 2019

Children ◽

10.3390/children8090734 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (9) ◽

pp. 734

Author(s):

Javier Albornoz-Guerrero ◽

Rafael Zapata-Lamana ◽

Daniel Reyes-Molina ◽

Igor Cigarroa ◽

Guillermo García Pérez de Sevilla ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Muscle Strength ◽

Muscular Strength ◽

High Strength ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Obese Group ◽

Height Ratio ◽

Waist To Height Ratio ◽

Low Strength

Objective: To compare cardiovascular risk and cardiorespiratory capacity in schoolchildren from a region in the extreme south of Chile according to nutritional status and muscular strength. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 594 schoolchildren from 5th to 8th grade in the extreme south of Chile. Based on body mass index and lower limb muscle strength, participants were divided into four groups: high strength-normal weight, high strength-overweight/obese, low strength-normal weight, and low strength-overweight/obese. Then, waist-to-height ratio and cardiorespiratory capacity, measured with the 20 m shuttle run test, were assessed to determine their cardiovascular risk, comparing the four groups. Results: The overweight/obese group with high muscular strength presented better indicators in anthropometric variables (waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio) than their peers with low muscular strength. Additionally, the overweight/obese group with low muscular strength presented a lower cardiorespiratory capacity than their peers with high muscular strength. Both results were observed in boys and girls. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that overweight/obese schoolchildren with high muscle strength present healthier anthropometric indicators and greater cardiorespiratory capacity than their peers with low muscle strength. These results confirm the relevance of measuring muscle strength in schoolchildren and its usefulness to assess functionality. These results encourage the scientific community to continue studying the role that muscle strength plays in modulating the effects of overweight and obesity on respiratory and cardiovascular conditions in childhood.

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Methylome-Wide Association Study of Central Adiposity Implicate Genes Involved in Immune and Endocrine Systems

10.1101/766832 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Anne E Justice ◽

Geetha Chittoor ◽

Rahul Gondalia ◽

Phillip E Melton ◽

Elise Lim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Association Study ◽

Fat Distribution ◽

Central Adiposity ◽

Height Ratio ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities ◽

African American Adults ◽

Heart Study ◽

Atherosclerosis Risk ◽

Waist To Height Ratio ◽

Study Participants

ABSTRACTWe conducted a methylome-wide association study to examine associations between DNA methylation in whole blood and central adiposity and body fat distribution, measured as waist circumference, waist- to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio adjusted for body mass index, in 2684 African American adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. We validated significantly associated Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine methylation sites (CpGs) among adults using the Women’s Health Initiative and Framingham Heart Study participants (combined N=5743) and generalized associations in adolescents from The Raine Study (N=820). We identified 11 CpGs that were robustly associated with one or more central adiposity trait in adults and 2 in adolescents, including CpG site associations near TXNIP, ADCY7, SREBF1, and RAP1GAP2 that had not previously been associated with obesity-related traits.

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Screening of central obesity among normal-weight children and adolescents in Shandong, China

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114520004882 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-25

Author(s):

Ying-xiu Zhang ◽

Jian Chen ◽

Xiao-hui Liu

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Health Risks ◽

Central Obesity ◽

Total Population ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Height Ratio ◽

Waist To Height Ratio ◽

Age And Sex

Abstract The prevalence of central obesity in total population has been reported in numerous studies. However, information on the prevalence of central obesity within normal category of body mass index (BMI) is scant. In the present study, we examined the profiles of central obesity among normal-weight children and adolescents. A total of 29 516 (14 226 boys and 15 290 girls) normal-weight children and adolescents (excluding underweight, overweight and obesity) aged 7–18 years were included in the final analysis. Central obesity was defined by the international age- and sex-specific cut-offs of waist circumference (WC) and threshold of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR≥0.5). All subjects were classified into four groups (Q1–Q4) according to the age- and sex-specific quartiles of BMI, those in the upper fourth (Q4) were defined as ‘high-normal BMI’, and those in the lower fourth (Q1) were defined as ‘low-normal BMI’. The prevalence of central obesity as measured by WC was 9.90% (95% CI 9.41–10.39%) for boys and 8.11% (95% CI 7.68–8.54%) for girls; by WHtR was 2.97% (95% CI 2.69–3.25%) for boys and 2.44% (95% CI 2.20–2.68%) for girls. Subjects in the ‘high-normal BMI’ group had a much higher prevalence of central obesity than their counterparts in the ‘low-normal BMI’ group (P<0.01). Central obesity was also evident among normal-weight children and adolescents. Our findings suggest that the health risks of children with normal-weight central obesity may be missed when BMI is used alone as a measure, it is meaningful to include WC in the clinical practice and to include the simple message “Keep your waist to less than half your height”.

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Are 24 h urinary sodium excretion and sodium:potassium independently associated with obesity in Chinese adults?

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s136898001500230x ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (6) ◽

pp. 1074-1080 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Zeng Ge ◽

Jiyu Zhang ◽

Xiaorong Chen ◽

Liuxia Yan ◽

Xiaolei Guo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Waist Circumference ◽

Abdominal Obesity ◽

Linear Trend ◽

Sampling Strategy ◽

Urinary Sodium Excretion ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Chinese Adults ◽

Height Ratio ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Waist To Height Ratio

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the association of 24 h urinary Na excretion and Na:K with obesity in Chinese adults.DesignPopulation-based cross-sectional study using a four-stage stratified sampling strategy.SettingShandong Province, China.SubjectsChinese adults (n 1906) aged 18–69 years who provided complete 24 h urine samples.ResultsOdds of obesity increased significantly across increasing quartiles of urinary Na excretion (1·00, 1·54, 1·69 and 2·52, respectively, for overweight; 1·00, 1·20, 1·50, and 2·03, respectively, for obesity; 1·00, 1·44, 1·85 and 2·53, respectively, for abdominal obesity (assessed by waist circumference); and 1·00, 1·28, 1·44 and 1·75, respectively, for abdominal obesity (assessed by waist-to-height ratio); P for linear trend <0·001 for all). In addition, odds of abdominal obesity, but not odds of overweight and obesity, increased significantly with successive Na:K quartiles. Additionally, for each increment in urinary Na excretion of 100 mmol, odds of overweight, obesity, abdominal obesity (by waist circumference) and abdominal obesity (by waist-to-height ratio) increased significantly by 46 %, 39 %, 55 % and 33 %, respectively. Similarly, with a 1 sd increase in Na:K, odds of abdominal obesity (by waist circumference) and abdominal obesity (by waist-to-height ratio) increased significantly by 12 % and 15 %, respectively.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that 24 h urinary Na excretion and Na:K might be important risk factors for obesity in Chinese adults.

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Waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio in Han Chinese children living in Chongqing, south-west China

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s136898001000042x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 20-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Feng Xiong ◽

Sarah P Garnett ◽

Chris T Cowell ◽

Cornelis Biesheuvel ◽

Yan Zeng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Han Chinese ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Chinese Children ◽

Central Adiposity ◽

Height Ratio ◽

West China ◽

South West ◽

Percentile Curves ◽

Waist To Height Ratio ◽

Chinese Children And Adolescents

AbstractObjectiveTo derive age- and sex-specific reference values for waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) for Han Chinese children and adolescents and to establish the prevalence of excess central adiposity in our study population.DesignCross-sectional study of schoolchildren attending randomly selected primary and secondary schools in south-west China in October 2003 and April 2004. Anthropometry was measured using standard procedures. The LMS method was used to construct smoothed WC and WHtR percentile curves. Overweight and obesity were defined by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria and the Working Group on Obesity in Children. Excess central adiposity fat was defined by previously published WC cut-points and a WHtR ≥ 0·5.SettingPrimary and secondary schools in Chongqing, south-west China.SubjectsA total of 7326 (49·2 % boys) Han Chinese students at 5–17 years old.ResultsOn the basis of the IOTF criteria, 26·4 % of boys were overweight or obese compared with 16·4 % of girls (P < 0·001). WC cut-points identified 31 % of boys and 28 % of girls as having excess central adiposity, whereas using the WHtR criterion, 14·8 % of boys and 5·6 % of girls were identified. Young boys (5–12 years) had a significantly (P < 0·001) higher WHtR than girls.ConclusionsWe have constructed WC and WHtR percentile curves for Han Chinese children and adolescents living in Chongqing. Our measurements were based on a student population with a relatively high rate of overweight and obesity. These data will provide a point of reference for future studies measuring the prevalence of overweight and obesity in China.

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Prevalence of overweight, obesity, underweight and normal weight in French youth from 2009 to 2013

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980016003244 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 20 (6) ◽

pp. 959-964 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jérémy Vanhelst ◽

Jean-Benoît Baudelet ◽

Paul S Fardy ◽

Laurent Béghin ◽

Jacques Mikulovic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Task Force ◽

Economic Status ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

International Obesity Task Force ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Time Period ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in French youth from 2009 to 2013 and to determine if there are differences in weight categories according to socio-economic status.DesignCross-sectional study performed in different regions of France. Physical measures included weight, height and BMI. Underweight, overweight and obesity were defined according to age- and sex-specific BMI cut-off points from the International Obesity Task Force.SettingFrance.SubjectsChildren and adolescents (n 9670; 4836 boys, 4834 girls) from the French national BOUGE Program between 2009 and 2013.ResultsThe prevalence of obesity was higher in boys than girls (P<0·05). In contrast, underweight was more prevalent in girls (P<0·05). Although there were no significant changes in overweight or underweight boys or girls from 2009 to 2013, there was a significant increase in obesity in boys and girls (P<0·05) during the same time period. The prevalence of underweight increased in girls from 12·0 to 16·7 % (P >0·05) and remained unchanged in boys (7·1–7·3 %) between 2009 and 2013. Overweight and obesity were higher in low socio-economic families (P<0·0001).ConclusionsFindings suggest that the prevalence of overweight was stable although high in French children and adolescents, while the prevalence of obesity increased significantly. Changes in underweight, although not significant, were high in girls and merit further attention. Improving public health interventions, especially in high-risk low socio-economic populations, may help to modify the behaviour that contributes to underweight, overweight and obesity in young boys and girls.

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Overweight and obesity of children in a brazilian elementary school: a comparison of three references

Journal of Human Growth and Development ◽

10.7322/jhgd.122817 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 341

Author(s):

Marcella Evangelista Melo ◽

Giovanna Lima Miguéis ◽

Mikaela Silva Almeida ◽

Tatiane Dalamaria ◽

Wagner De Jesus Pinto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Elementary School ◽

Task Force ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

World Health ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Kappa Index ◽

International Obesity Task Force ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Organization

Introduction: In the diagnosis of overweight and obesity based on body mass index in children and adolescents, several national and international anthropometric references are recommended. However, there is a divergence in the estimated prevalence of overweight and obesity among the references. Objective: To identify the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to analyse the magnitude of agreement among the three references. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 975 students from the early grades of elementary school. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were estimated according to the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and Conde and Monteiro. The Kappa weighted index was calculated to assess the agreement magnitude among the three references. Results: The highest prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated by the Conde and Monteiro and WHO references, respectively. Overall, the IOTF revealed lower a magnitude of prevalence than the two other references. The agreement among the references identified by the Kappa index had a range of 0.66 to 0.94. Conclusion: Despite the satisfactory agreement among the three references, this research highlighted the differing magnitudes of the prevalence of overweight and obesity. This fact limits the ability to make comparisons among populations and impairs the development of overweight and obesity prevention actions.

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