Anthropometry and body composition in ethnic Japanese and Caucasian adolescent girls: Considerations on ethnicity and menarche

Objective: This study aimed to compare the various anthropometric and body composition parameters based on the ethnicity and the absence or presence of menarche.Design: A cross-sectional study with incomplete sampling, using the subject as the evaluation unit.Subjects: the final sample of 550 subjects was composed of 122 Japanese and 179 Caucasian premenarcheal adolescents, and 72 Japanese and 177 Caucasian postmenarcheal adolescents.Methods: the variables of body composition were measured through the following methods: bioelectrical impedance analysis, near-infrared interactance (NIR), Slaughter cutaneous skinfold equations and body mass index. Weight, height and sitting height were also evaluated.Results: the Japanese pre- and postmenarcheal girls presented lower weight and height values when compared with the Caucasian girls. in general, the Japanese premenarcheal girls presented less fat and fat-free mass than the premenarcheal Caucasian girls. This fact was demonstrated through NIR results. Conversely, the Japanese postmenarcheal adolescents accumulated more fat than their Caucasian counterparts. However, significant differences were solely encountered in the values of cutaneous skinfold percent body fat. With regard to menarche, it was verified that, regardless of ethnicity, all the anthropometric and body composition variables reached higher values among postmenarcheal adolescents when compared with premenarcheal adolescents.Conclusion: Different results of weight and height between the ethnic groups may bring back the discussion concerning separate growth curves for different ethnic groups. the results of the body composition analysis indicated high adiposity levels among postmenarcheal adolescents.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Postgrad Nutr, BR-04020060 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Prevent Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Postgrad Nutr, BR-04020060 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Prevent Med, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Liver fat accumulation in response to overfeeding with a high-fat diet: a comparison between South Asian and Caucasian men

Background: South Asians were reported to have a higher liver fat content as compared to BMI-matched Caucasians. This study compared the increase in liver fat content in response to overfeeding with a high fat diet in South Asian and Caucasian men when matched for body fat percentage. Methods: Ten South Asian men (BMI 18-29 kg/m(2)) and 10 Caucasian men (BMI 22-33 kg/m(2)), aged 20-40 y, matched for body fat percentage, were included. A weight maintenance diet was given for 3 days based on the individual energy requirement. Individual energy requirement of the subjects was calculated based on their body composition (measured by hydro densitometry and deuterium dilution) and activity counts (accelerometer). Liver fat content was measured before and after 4 days of overfeeding (50 % excess energy need) with a high fat diet (60 % energy from fat). Fat distribution was measured by anthropometry and an MRI scan of the abdomen while liver fat content using 1H-MRS. Results: While having a similar body fat % (P = 0.58), South Asians had a lower BMI (P = 0.04) than Caucasians. Liver fat content at baseline did not differ between ethnicities (P = 0.48) and was associated with visceral fat area (P = 0.002, R-2 = 0.56) but not with ethnicity (P = 0.13). Overfeeding with a high fat diet significantly increased liver fat (P = 0.01) but the increase did not differ between ethnicities (P = 0.47). There was no difference in the total abdominal fat area (P = 0.37), subcutaneous abdominal fat area (P = 0.18) and visceral fat area (VAT, P = 0.32). However as a percentage of the total abdominal fat area, VAT was higher in South Asians (P = 0.003). Conclusion: Despite a relatively higher percentage of visceral fat area, liver fat increased similarly in South Asian and Caucasian men in response to overfeeding with a high fat diet

Satisfação corporal associada à gordura corporal e estado nutricional em jovens basquetebolistas

O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar e verificar a possibilidade de associação entre a satisfação corporal (SC), classificações de estado nutricional (EN) e gordura corporal (GC) em jovens basquetebolistas masculinos. Participaram da pesquisa 93 adolescentes com idades de 10 a 16 anos. A SC foi avaliada pelo Body Shape Questionnaire. Foram coletadas massa corporal, estatura e dobras cutâneas para classificar o EN (kg/m²) e medir a GC, respectivamente. Realizaram-se os testes Ancova e Qui-quadrado no "software" SPSS 17.0. Identificaram-se diferenças estatisticamente significativas (p < 0,05) de SC entre classificações de EN e GC. Encontrou-se associação significativa (p < 0,05) entre SC e EN, assim como entre SC e GC (p < 0,05). Os resultados confirmaram diferenças e associação da SC com o EN e GC em jovens basquetebolistas

Association between actual weight status, perceived weight and depressive, anxious symptoms in Chinese adolescents: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Backgroud</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to describe actual measured weight and perceived weight and to explore associations with depressive, anxiety symptoms in school adolescents in China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A sample of 1144 Chinese adolescents was randomly selected from four schools in Wuhan, China, including 665 boys and 479 girls with ages ranging between 10 and 17 years. Actual measured weight and height and perceived weight status were compared to anxiety and depressive symptoms measured using the revised Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Children's Depression Inventory. A general linear model was used to compare differences in psychological symptoms among the teenagers with different measured and perceived weights.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>When compared with standardized weight tables (WHO age- and gender-specific body mass index (BMI) cutoffs (2007 reference)), girls were more likely to misperceive themselves as overweight, whereas more boys misclassified their weight status as underweight. The adolescents who perceived themselves as overweight were more likely to experience depressive and anxiety symptoms (except girls) than those who perceived themselves as normal and/or underweight. However, no significant association was found between depressive and anxiety symptoms actual measured weight status.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Perceived weight status, but not the actual weight status, was associated with psychological symptoms.</p

Frequency of the different mutations causing spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA1, SCA2, MJD/SCA3 and DRPLA) in a large group of Brazilian patients

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) and Machado-Joseph disease or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (MJD/SCA3) are three distinctive forms of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) caused by expansions of an unstable CAG repeat localized in the coding region of the causative genes. Another related disease, dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is also caused by an unstable triplet repeat and can present as SCA in late onset patients. We investigated the frequency of the SCA1, SCA2, MJD/SCA3 and DRPLA mutations in 328 Brazilian patients with SCA, belonging to 90 unrelated families with various patterns of inheritance and originating in different geographic regions of Brazil. We found mutations in 35 families (39%), 32 of them with a clear autosomal dominant inheritance. The frequency of the SCA1 mutation was 3% of all patients; and 6 % in the dominantly inherited SCAs. We identified the SCA2 mutation in 6% of all families and in 9% of the families with autosomal dominant inheritance. The MJD/SCA3 mutation was detected in 30 % of all patients; and in the 44% of the dominantly inherited cases. We found no DRPLA mutation. In addition, we observed variability in the frequency of the different mutations according to geographic origin of the patients, which is probably related to the distinct colonization of different parts of Brazil. These results suggest that SCA may be occasionally caused by the SCA1 and SCA2 mutations in the Brazilian population, and that the MJD/SCA3 mutation is the most common cause of dominantly inherited SCA in Brazil.Ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 1 (SCA1), ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 2 (SCA2) e doença de Machado-Joseph ou ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 3 (MJD/SCA3) são três formas de ataxia espinocerebelar (SCA) que apresentam herança genética autossômica dominante. Nessas três doenças foi encontrada uma expansão instável de trinucleotídeo CAG localizada na região codificadora dos genes responsáveis pelas três doenças. Portanto, para SCA 1, SCA2 e MJD/SCA3 o diagnóstico molecular é agora possível. A atrofia dentatorubropalidoluisiana (DRPLA) é também causada pela expansão de trinucleotídeos CAG e pode por vezes se apresentar como uma SCA. Nós investigamos a freqüência das mutações responsáveis por SCA1, SCA2, MJD/SCA3 e DRPLA em um grupo de 328 pacientes brasileiros com SCA pertencentes a 90 famílias não aparentadas. Esses pacientes apresentavam padrões diferentes de herança genética e eram provenientes de várias regiões do Brasil. Nós identificamos mutações em 35 famílias, 32 das quais com herança claramente autossômica dominante. A freqüência da mutação SGA1 foi de 3% no grupo total de pacientes, e 6% nos pacientes com herança autossômica dominante. Nós encontramos a mutação SCA2 em 6% de todas as famílias e em 9% das famílias com herança autossômica dominante. A mutação MJD/SCA3 foi encontrada em 30% de todos os pacientes, e em 44% quando consideramos somente os pacientes com herança autossômica dominante. Nenhuma mutação DRPLA foi encontrada. Nós observamos também variabilidade na freqüência das diferentes mutações em pacientes provenientes de diferentes regiões geográficas, o que provavelmente se correlaciona com os padrões distintos de colonização do Brasil. Nossos resultados sugerem que os casos de SCA no Brasil podem ser causados ocasionalmente pela mutação SCA1 e SCA2, mas que a causa mais freqüente de SCA de herança autossômica dominante no Brasil é a mutação MJD/SCA3