In a clinical context, the term "overweight" usually connotes adiposity, an excess of body fat. In the absence of any direct or simple indirect methods of measuring total body fat, medical research workers often use formulae (indices) which relate body weight to stature. So far as we know, the uses and limitations of such formulae have never been critically examined. It is obvious that no formu...

OBJECTIVE To assess the associations between measures of adiposity and sex hormone- binding globulin (SHBG) and to evaluate whether such associations differ by race. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Adiposity was measured by anthropometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry among women (146 white, 50 black, and 25 Asian) aged 18-44 years in the BioCycle study. SHBG was repeatedly measured over on...

BACKGROUND Adiposity has been linked to both higher risk of asthma and reduced lung function. The effects of adiposity on asthma may depend on both atopic status and gender, while the relationship is less clear with respect to lung function. This study aimed to explore longitudinal weight changes to changes in forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), as w...

BACKGROUND Obesity and asthma have increased in westernised countries. Maternal obesity may increase childhood asthma risk. If this relation is causal, it may be mediated through factors associated with maternal adiposity, such as fetal development, pregnancy complications or infant adiposity. We investigated the relationships of maternal body mass index (BMI) and fat mass with childhood wheeze...

BACKGROUND Domain-specific physical activities may have different correlates and health effects, but few large studies have examined these questions, especially their separate associations with adiposity. METHODS We analysed cross-sectional data of 466 605 adults without any prior chronic diseases, enrolled during 2004-8, from 10 diverse localities across China. Physical activity level in eac...

The Individual Differences Model posits that individual differences in physiological and psychological factors explain eating behaviors in response to stress. The purpose was to determine the effects of individual differences in adiposity, dietary restraint and stress reactivity on children's energy intake and food choices. A total of 40 boys and girls, age 8-12 years, with wide ranges of dieta...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship of excess and central adiposity with pediatric psoriasis severity. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Multicenter, cross-sectional study of 409 psoriatic children. Psoriasis was classified as mild (worst Physician's Global Assessment score ≤3 with body surface area ≤10%) or severe (worst Physician's Global Assessment score ≥3 with body surface area >10...

OBJECTIVE Physical activity is critically important for successful aging, but its effect on adiposity markers at older ages is unclear as much of the evidence comes from self-reported data on physical activity. We assessed the associations of questionnaire-assessed and accelerometer-assessed physical activity with adiposity markers in older adults. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS This was a cross...

OBJECTIVEdEthnic differences in type 2 diabetes risk between South Asians and white Europeans originate before adult life and are not fully explained by higher adiposity levels in South Asians. Although metabolic sensitivity to adiposity may differ between ethnic groups, this has been little studied in childhood. We have therefore examined the associations among adiposity, insulin resistance, a...

OBJECTIVE Ad36, a human adenovirus, increases adiposity but improves glycemic control in animal models. Similarly, natural Ad36 infection is cross-sectionally associated with greater adiposity and better glycemic control in humans. This study compared longitudinal observations in indices of adiposity (BMI and body fat percentage) and glycemic control (fasting glucose and insulin) in Ad36-infect...