A tale of two countries--the United States and Japan: are differences in health due to differences in overweight?
BACKGROUND
Despite similar standards of living and health care systems for older persons, there are marked differences in the relative health of the elderly populations in the United States (US) and Japan. We explore the association of overweight and obesity with these health disparities.


METHODS
Data on older adults from the US National Health Interview Survey (1994) and the Longitudinal Study of Aging II (1994) were compared to similar data from the 1999-2001 Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging. Regression analyses for the 2 countries were conducted to examine the correlates of being overweight and obese, and the relationships of overweight and obesity with activities of daily living functioning, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes.


RESULTS
The prevalence of overweight and obesity is higher in the US than in Japan, as is the prevalence of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and functioning problems. Education level and marital status are predictors of overweight for older Americans but not for older Japanese people. Health behaviors affect weight in all groups. The prevalence of functioning problems and disease are more likely to be associated with being overweight in US men and women than in Japanese women, and are not associated with being overweight in Japanese men.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite similar standards of living and health care systems for older persons, the conditions associated with poor health differ in the US and Japan. Being overweight or obese appears to be related to more functioning problems and arthritis in the US than in Japan.
Reynolds
Sandra L
SL
School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA. sreynold@cas.usf.edu
Hagedorn
Aaron
A
Yeom
Jihye
J
Saito
Yasuhiko
Y
Yokoyama
Eise
E
Crimmins
Eileen M
EM
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology