Association between lifestyle features and obesity phenotypes in adults from the Basque Country (Spain).

Lifestyle is related to the risk of obesity, but the relationship between different lifestyle features and obesity phenotypes remains unclear. This study analysed the association between different lifestyle features (eating habits, activity, sleep patterns, and tobacco and alcohol consumption), and four obesity phenotypes (overall and abdominal obesity, distribution and percentage of fat). The sample included 521 adults aged between 18 and 70 years. A multiple logistic regression model was used, controlling for sex, age and socioeconomic status. The duration of the main meal was inversely associated with overall and abdominal obesity (p < 0.01) whereas the number of meals was positively associated (p < 0.05). Regular sport practice and duration were negatively associated with all obesity phenotypes (p < 0.01), while watching television showed positive associations. Walking was inversely related to overall and abdominal obesity (p < 0.01), whereas sleep quality was positively associated with both phenotypes. Former smokers showed a positive relationship with both abdominal obesity (p = 0.021) and fat mass distribution (p = 0.002), and the number of cigarettes were positively related with all obesity phenotypes (p < 0.01), except with fat distribution. Alcohol consumption was inversely related with an excessive adiposity (p = 0.030), while occasional drinking was negatively related with overall obesity and an excess of fat. In conclusion, few meals per day, a bad or regular quality of sleep, many hours spent watching television and a heavy cigarette consumption significantly increased the risk of various obesity phenotypes, while time spent at the main meal, walking and sport practice, and a moderate alcohol consumption were associated with a decreased risk.

Smoking remains associated with education after controlling for social background and genetic factors in a study of 18 twin cohorts.

We tested the causality between education and smoking using the natural experiment of discordant twin pairs allowing to optimally control for background genetic and childhood social factors. Data from 18 cohorts including 10,527 monozygotic (MZ) and same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs discordant for education and smoking were analyzed by linear fixed effects regression models. Within twin pairs, education levels were lower among the currently smoking than among the never smoking co-twins and this education difference was larger within DZ than MZ pairs. Similarly, education levels were higher among former smoking than among currently smoking co-twins, and this difference was larger within DZ pairs. Our results support the hypothesis of a causal effect of education on both current smoking status and smoking cessation. However, the even greater intra-pair differences within DZ pairs, who share only 50% of their segregating genes, provide evidence that shared genetic factors also contribute to these associations.

Association of current and former smoking with body mass index: A study of smoking discordant twin pairs from 21 twin cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Smokers tend to weigh less than never smokers, while successful quitting leads to an increase in body weight. Because smokers and non-smokers may differ in genetic and environmental family background, we analysed data from twin pairs in which the co-twins differed by their smoking behaviour to evaluate if the association between smoking and body mass index (BMI) remains after controlling for family background. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The international CODATwins database includes information on smoking and BMI measured between 1960 and 2012 from 156,593 twin individuals 18-69 years of age. Individual-based data (230,378 measurements) and data of smoking discordant twin pairs (altogether 30,014 pairwise measurements, 36% from monozygotic [MZ] pairs) were analysed with linear fixed-effects regression models by 10-year periods. In MZ pairs, the smoking co-twin had, on average, 0.57 kg/m2 lower BMI in men (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49, 0.70) and 0.65 kg/m2 lower BMI in women (95% CI: 0.52, 0.79) than the never smoking co-twin. Former smokers had 0.70 kg/m2 higher BMI among men (95% CI: 0.63, 0.78) and 0.62 kg/m2 higher BMI among women (95% CI: 0.51, 0.73) than their currently smoking MZ co-twins. Little difference in BMI was observed when comparing former smoking co-twins with their never smoking MZ co-twins (0.13 kg/m2, 95% CI 0.04, 0.23 among men; -0.04 kg/m2, 95% CI -0.16, 0.09 among women). The associations were similar within dizygotic pairs and when analysing twins as individuals. The observed series of cross-sectional associations were independent of sex, age, and measurement decade. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is associated with lower BMI and smoking cessation with higher BMI. However, the net effect of smoking and subsequent cessation on weight development appears to be minimal, i.e. never more than an average of 0.7 kg/m2.

Caracterización antropométrica de una población de adultos mayores institucionalizados de la ciudad de Caracas Venezuela / Anthropometric characterization of an institutionalized elderly population from Caracas Venezuela

La mayoría de los valores antropométricos de referencia son derivados de población adulta, pero no de grupos de edad avanzada, por lo que su aplicación para la evaluación de ancianos pudiera no ser apropiado. En este sentido, se estudiaron características antropométricas y su relación con el sexo y la edad en una muestra transversal de 809 adultos venezolanos (370 hombres y 439 mujeres) con edades comprendidas entre los 60 y 102 años. Los resultados indicaron que las variables antropométricas son de diferentes grados y signo en cuanto al dimorfismo sexual. Los hombres poseen a todas las edades una mayor estatura, peso, circunferencias de cintura y pantorrilla y mayores diámetros óseos, mientras que las mujeres tienen mayores perímetros de cadera y muslo, y un mayor espesor de los pliegues del tronco y extremidades. Con independencia de los cambios observados en estas variables con la edad, las diferencias entre sexos tienden a mantenerse e incluso a aumentar con la edad, en la estatura y el peso, en el perímetro de la cadera y en los pliegues del muslo y de la pantorrilla, mientras que, por el contrario, se atenúan en el perímetro de la cintura y en los espesores del tríceps, del subescapular y del suprailíaco. Los varones y las mujeres son más parecidos en estas variables en las edades avanzadas. En líneas generales, los resultados obtenidos pudieran servir como elementos de referencia para trabajos similares en Venezuela, dado el bajo número de trabajos desarrollados en población anciana en el país

Comparison of predicted body fat percentage from anthropometric methods and from impedance in university students.

The objective of the present study was to compare different methods for evaluating body fat percentage (BF%) (anthropometric methods and bioelectrical impedance analysis) in university students. Subjects were 653 healthy students whose mean age, body height, body weight and BMI were 21.1 (SD 2.5) years, 166.0 (SD 8.4) cm, 62.8 (SD 11.0) kg and 22.7 (SD 3.1) kg/m(2), respectively. Results showed that BMI is a poor predictor of body fatness since the sensitivity was low in comparison with the reference method (Siri equation). The lowest values of BF% were obtained using the reference method (Siri equation) (21.8 (SD 6.8)%). The two methods with the highest agreement were Siri and Lean (mean difference, -0.5), followed by Brozek (mean difference, -1.4) and Deurenberg (mean difference, -1.5). The largest mean difference for BF% was between Siri and impedance (-4.5). Although the methods and/or equations used in the present study have been commonly utilised to estimate BF% in young adults, the results must be interpreted with caution in the diagnosis and monitoring of overweight and obesity.