BACKGROUND 'Environmental mismatch' may contribute to obesity in rapidly developing societies, because poor early life conditions could increase the risk of obesity in a subsequently more socio-economically developed environment. In a recently developing population (from southern China) we examined the association of life-course socio-economic position (SEP) with obesity. METHODS In a cross-s...

BACKGROUND Obesity is one of the most significant risk factors for hypertension. However, there is controversy regarding which measure is the best predictor of hypertension risk. We compared body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in subjects as predictive indicators for development of hypertension. METHODS The data were obta...

BACKGROUND There are no data on optimal cut-off points to classify obesity among Omani Arabs. The existing cut-off points were obtained from studies of European populations. OBJECTIVE To determine gender-specific optimal cut-off points for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) associated with elevated prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among Oma...

PURPOSE Although obesity has been associated with imbalances in cardiac autonomic nervous system, it is unclear whether there are differential relationships between adiposity measures and heart rate variability (HRV) measures. We aimed to examine differences in the relationship between adiposity measures and HRV indices in a healthy Korean population. MATERIALS AND METHODS In all, 1409 non-sm...

Introduction: Six-minute walk test (6MWT) is an easy evaluation method for functional capacity and treatment efficacy. No universally acceptable standard predicting equation for the distance walked in 6MWT (6MWD) exists for Indians. Hence the study was an attempt in understanding significant predictors of 6MWD and influence of obesity indices on it. Material and Methods: Physical activity (PAR)...

OBJECTIVES Little is known about the effect of waist circumference (WC) on brachial artery pulse wave velocity (baPWV) independent of hip circumference (HC). Therefore, this study aimed to dissociate specific effect of WC on baPWV independent of HC. METHODS Of 1,053 rural residents (2004-2005), 777 subjects with no known history of coronary artery diseases or diabetes mellitus over 40 yr were...

Studies show that attractive women demonstrate stronger preferences for masculine men than relatively unattractive women do. Such condition-dependent preferences may occur because attractive women can more easily offset the costs associated with choosing a masculine partner, such as lack of commitment and less interest in parenting. Alternatively, if masculine men display negative characteristi...

This study aims to define cut-off points for the waist:hips girth ratio (WHR), using arterial hypertension as the outcome. The data refer to 3,282 individuals over twenty years of age examined in a survey conducted in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro in 1995-1996, using a two-stage sample. Sixty census tracts were drawn initially; subsequently, 34 households were selected systematically from ...

OBJECTIVE To analyze studies that assessed the anthropometric parameters waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHR) and neck circumference (NC) as indicators of central obesity in children. DATA SOURCES We searched PubMed and SciELO databases using the combined descriptors: "Waist circumference", "Waist-to-height ratio", "Neck circumference", "Children" and "Abdominal fat" in Portu...