Tracking overweight and obesity in Japanese children ; a six years longitudinal study

Childhood overweight/obesity is growing steeply, globally. It is usually regarded as a risk factor for severe obesity over life-time course. Here, we investigated temporal course of overweight/obesity development in Japanese school children. A six-year longitudinal study was performed on 16,245 Japanese primary school children (8,427 boys and 7,818 girls) comprising three cohorts of 1st~3rd grade. A baseline survey was conducted at 2001, followed by annual baseline studies from 2002~2007 to determine the prevalence and track overweight/obesity. Our results showed that the prevalence of overweight was 15~23% in boys and 15~18% in girls, however, for obesity it ranged between 4~7% in boys ; and 2~4% in girls. As regards for tracking status, 60~80% of overweight and 35~70% of obese Japanese primary school boys track into overweight or obese junior high school adolescents. However, these percentages are lower among primary school girls, where only 50~70% overweight and 30~60% obese primary school girls track into overweight and obese adolescents, respectively. We conclude that Japanese boys are fatter than girls ; and ~80% of overweight/obese Japanese primary school children track into junior high school overweight/obese adolescents

Correlation of month and season of birth with height, weight and degree of obesity of rural Japanese children

Month and season of birth are thought to influence height, weight and degree of obesity in schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study was designed to measure the height and weight of all children aged 6-15 years attending primary and junior high schools in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. Data were standardized (z-scores) and analysed separately by gender and age. The mean z-score for height and weight were the highest in subjects born during the months of spring and the lowest in those born during the months of winter (p < 0.0001), whereas the means were significantly higher in children born during the months of summer than in those born during the months of autumn (p < 0.0001). A gradually decreasing trend of height and weight was observed in children of both genders born between May and Mar (from spring to winter). There was no significant difference in degree of obesity among the four seasons of birth for boys and girls. The highest prevalence of obese boys have born during spring (among 6-year-old boys) and summer (among 7-year-old boys), whereas the highest prevalence of obese girls have born during spring (among 6-year-old girls) and winter (among 10-year-old girls). Our findings suggest that month and season of birth influence height and weight of schoolchildren in Tokushima but not their degree of obesity

Effects of lifestyle habits and eating meals together with the family on the prevalence of obesity among school children in Tokushima, Japan : a cross-sectional questionnaire- based survey

Obesity in children has become a major global public health concern. The prevention of obesity must start from early childhood in order to establish sound lifestyle habits and promote healthy adulthood. In this study, we evaluated factors associated with the prevention of obesity and the development of healthy lifestyle habits in children. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was performed in elementary and junior high school students in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, during the summer of 2004. The questionnaire consisted of 30 items such as physique, sleep, eating habits, diet, exercise, free time, and attending after-school lessons. Our study revealed that eating meals as a family every day is associated with a lower rate of obesity as well as getting good lifestyle habits such as eating balanced meals and getting enough sleep. Of the 3,291 students who responded to the questionnaire, 2,688 (81.7%) reported that they eat meals with their family every day. The percentage of students who eat meals with their family every day decreased with increasing school grade, with the lowest percent in the junior high school students. However, the results regarding female junior high school students revealed a marked association between eating meals with the family every day and good lifestyle habits. We recommend that parents and school teaching staff encourage the establishment of sound, healthy lifestyle habits in children from early childhood as an effective measure for the prevention of obesity

A/G heterozygote of the A-3826G polymorphism in the UCP-1 gene has higher BMI than A/A and G/G homozygote in young Japanese males

UCP-1 is suggested to have important roles for thermogenesis and energy expenditure. To elucidate whether the A-3826G polymorphism that is located in the 5’ flanking region of the UCP-1 gene has roles in healthy young people, the polymorphism was genotyped among 251 young Japanese men whose mean age is 22.7 years old. We analyzed relationship between the A-3826G polymorphism and body mass index (BMI) or six biochemical parameters, serum concentration of total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), asparatate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fasting plasma glucose. The genotype frequencies were observed at the frequencies of 24.3% for AA, 48.2% for AG and 27.5% for GG, respectively. When BMI and the biochemical parameters were compared by ANOVA among individuals with each genotype, the statistical difference was observed only for BMI (P=0.016). Bonferroni’s test demonstrated that the men with the AG genotype have higher BMI than those with the AA genotype (22.4±2.8 vs. 21.4±2.2)(P=0.04). The individuals with the AG genotype also showed trend to have higher BMI than those with the GG, although the difference was not statistically apparent (22.4±2.8 vs. 21.5±2.3) (P=0.07). Our results indicated that the young healthy Japanese men with the AG heterozygote showed higher BMI than those with other genotypes

Prediction of Japanese children at risk for complications of childhood obesity : gender differences for intervention approaches

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health problems in Japan, especially in Tokushima compared with other prefectures. This study was designed to clarify the life habits which predispose to development of obesity and can be modified through an appropriate intervention program to combat childhood obesity and its lifestyle-related diseases. A total of 216 school children from Itano Town, a municipality of Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, who are attending the fourth grade (9-10 years) of elementary schools, participated in the study from 2004 to 2007. The study included child’s life habits questionnaire, investigating physical activity by recording the daily steps using a pedometer, anthropometric measurements, hematological examination and hemodynamometry in a cross-sectional survey during a two-month period from June to July every year. We conclude that there are considerable gender-related differences for developing obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases ; and all intervention strategies against obesity must consider such gender differences. For example, restriction of television watching hours must be intervened for controlling obesity in boys, however for girls, promotion of exercise practice or making more steps per day with adequate sleeping periods should be intervened as the proper approaches for preventing and controlling obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases

トクシマケン ニオケル ジドウ セイト ノ タイカク ノ ゲンジョウ

The height and weight of all 74,859 students attending to the primary and junior-highschools in the Tokushima prefecture were gathered for the purpose of data collection for thecommittee for prevention of life style related disease. The measurement was performedbetween April and June, 2000 according to the methods recommended by the Japanesegovernment. The histograms of height of each sex and age group showed clear normaldistribution. On the other hands, the histograms of weight and Body Mass Index (BMI)showed the deviation towards the heavier part. We draw histograms of all males and allfemales, and found the existence of two peaks in both of the histograms. We recognizedthat the middle depressed part, which means the less person of that height, indicates thepeak of growth. The most bottoms were 139cm-140cm in female and 152cm-153cm in male

Sensitization of catastrophic cognition in cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic disorder

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cognitive model of panic disorder have proposed that panic attacks result from the catastrophic misinterpretation of certain bodily sensations. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for panic disorder aims to change these catastrophic cognitions. CBT intervention successfully caused reduction of catastrophic cognitions and symptomatic improvement in the majority of cases. However there are some patients who fail to modify their catastrophic cognitions or rather experience an increase in them during CBT treatment. It is clinically and theoretically important to understand about cognitive sensitization of panic disorder during CBT sessions. The purpose of the present study is 1) to clarify the baseline characteristics of panic patients who would experience sensitization of their catastrophic cognitions through the CBT treatment, and 2) to examine the course of symptomatic changes for them.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Of ninety-five outpatients with panic disorder started the group CBT program for treatment of panic disorder, seventy-nine completer were classified as "cognitively sensitized (CS)" or "cognitive responding (CR)" or "no-responder" according to the difference of the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire score across treatment. We compared the CS and CR patients in terms of their baseline clinical characteristics. Then we assessed the symptomatic and functional changes for both groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At the start of the CBT program, despite of the same degree of panic disorder severity, CS scored significantly lower on ACQ score than CR. CS also showed significantly lower score on anticipatory anxiety compared to CR. At the end of treatment CS showed significant improvement in severity of panic disorder, although the degree of improvement was smaller than that for CR. Then CS would progressively reduce their agoraphobic fear and avoidance, and would improve their functional impairment up to three month of follow-up.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Panic patients who would experience sensitization of their catastrophic cognitions through the CBT treatment could nonetheless gradually improve. They showed a relatively low level of catastrophic cognition and anticipatory anxiety before starting the CBT program. We might conclude that temporary sensitization of catastrophic cognition may be necessary before improvement especially among those with initially low catastrophic body sensation fears and that we need not be concerned too much with temporary increase in catastrophic cognition in the process of CBT for panic disorder.</p

トクシマケン イシカイ トウニョウビョウ タイサクハン ダイ1ジ ダイ2ジ カツドウ ノ セイカ

Objective : The effectiveness of diabetes prevention programs for the general population in Tokushima Prefecture was investigated. The programs were designed by Tokushima Medical Association’ s（TMA’s）Steering Committee for Diabetes Prevention. Research design and methods : The committee promoted diabetes prevention by disseminating educational messages on diabetes to the general public and medical care providers, and establishing a referral system among public health centers and medical institutes throughout Tokushima Prefecture during the period from ２００４ to ２００９. The outcome of these activities were evaluated by analyzing data from the Prefectural Health and Nutrition Survey in Tokushima conducted in１９９７（n＝ ９９８）,２００３ （n＝１００８） and ２０１０ （n＝１１３０）, and then comparing these results with those of the national survey at the corresponding times. Results : The percentage of subjects with glucose intolerance at the time of initiation of the prevention program in Tokushima tended to increase from １９９７ to ２００３, but was slightly decreased in ２０１０, although the differences were not statistically significant. However, the percentage of subjects with glucose intolerance was significantly increased throughout Japan during the same period. Obesity parameters, physical activity evaluated by the number of steps and the average total energy intake changed favorably in parallel with changes in the prevalence of diabetes during the study period in Tokushima. Conclusion : The diabetes prevention programs initiated by the TMA’s committee may be useful in ameliorating the situation of diabetes in Tokushima Prefecture