Body fat distribution in Alaskan Eskimos of the Bering Straits region: the Alaskan Siberia Project.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the body fat content and distribution of adult Alaska Natives of the Bering Straits Region.


METHODS
Cross-sectional screening in the spring of 1994.


METHODS
454 non-pregnant native residents from four rural Alaskan villages.


METHODS
Height, weight, waist, hip and thigh circumference, bioelectrical impedance, sagittal abdominal diameter, and triceps, biceps, suprailiac, subscapular and thigh skinfolds.


RESULTS
Mean height, weight and subscapular-to-triceps ratio were higher in men than women. The women had larger waist, hip and thigh circumferences, higher body fatness, as well as larger skinfolds than the men. There were no demonstrable differences between men and women in measures of body fat distribution. The proportions of women and men with high waist-to-hip ratio (>/=0.8 for women, >/=0.9 for men) for low (<25 kg/m2), medium (25-30 kg/m2) and high (>30 kg/m2) body mass index (BMI) groups were compared with a Canadian study of all races. 1 In the lowest BMI subgroup (<25 kg/m2) a much higher proportion of Eskimo women exhibited a high waist-to-hip ratio (91%) than Eskimo men (42%) or Canadian women (29%) or men (51%). In the highest BMI subgroup (>30 kg/m2) Eskimo women were similar in proportion of high waist-to-hip ratio (99%) compared to Eskimo men (100%), but still demonstrated a much greater proportion of subjects with high waist-to-hip ratio than either Canadian men (90%) or women (76%).


CONCLUSIONS
The large abdominal fat depots found in Eskimo women were similar to men, and may indicate that future increases in diabetes mellitus and other metabolic alterations can be anticipated. International Journal of Obesity (2000) 24, 171-179
Risica
P M
PM
Alaska Siberia Medical Research Program, University of Alaska, Seward, AK 99664, USA. 73123.644@compuserve.com
Ebbesson
S O
SO
Schraer
C D
CD
Nobmann
E D
ED
Caballero
B H
BH
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000413:Alaska; D000886:Anthropometry; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D001823:Body Composition / Q000235:genetics*; D001824:Body Constitution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004930:Inuit / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012885:Skinfold Thickness