Predicting obesity in early adulthood in Japanese women.
OBJECTIVE
We analysed the body measurements of Japanese women to determine which factors may forecast adult obesity and also performed a comparative study of the utility of body mass index (BMI), which is used widely in Western Europe, and percentage of overweight, which is used in Japan.


METHODS
Subjects included 244 Japanese women who were born between 1983 and 1986. Using a questionnaire, we investigated anthropometric values from birth to present and parents' present anthropometric data, and analysed factors that correlate with current BMI data.


RESULTS
(i) BMI after 10 years of age and BMI increase between ages 7 and 8 years correlated with BMI in adulthood. The carrying over rate of overweight increased with age. Meanwhile, percentage of overweight after 13 years onwards correlated with BMI in adulthood. (ii) Adult BMI positively correlated to both parents' BMI.


CONCLUSIONS
(i) For a Japanese woman, BMI in childhood is a good indicator of young adult BMI, and has the possibility of becoming an important parameter to monitor obesity progression. (ii) Therefore, attempts to control obesity in elementary school girls are necessary. (iii) Parents' weights may potentially influence obesity in adulthood; however, further examination of other confounding factors is necessary.
Kubo
Toshihide
T
Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization, Okayama Medical Center, Okayama, Japan. kubocchi@okayama3.hosp.go.jp
Furujo
Mahoko
M
Ueda
Yuko
Y
Imai
Ken
K
Tsukahara
Kohei
K
Morita
Hirosuke
H
Ogura
Kazuo
K
Kimura
Takehide
T
Shimizu
Junya
J
Fukuhara
Shinichi
S
Koyama
Teruhisa
T
Kanadani
Tomohisa
T
Shiraga
Hiroshi
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D044466:Asian People; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010290:Parents; D012307:Risk Factors; D013338:Students, Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health