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Truncal fat in relation to total body fat: influences of age, sex, ethnicity and fatness

International Journal of Obesity volume 31, pages 1384–1391 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate the influence of age, sex, ethnicity and total fatness on central obesity in four ethnic populations.

Design:

Cross-sectional analysis of study subjects enrolled from 1993 to 2005.

Subjects:

A multi-ethnic (Caucasian (CA), African-American (AA), Hispanic-American (HA) and Asian (As)) convenience sample of 604 men and 1192 women (aged 18–96 years, body mass index 15.93–45.80 kg/m2).

Measurements:

Total body fat (TBF) and truncal fat were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. General linear regression models were used to test for independent associations with log10-transformed truncal fat.

Results:

For all ethnicities, men had a lower percent body fat and more truncal fat than women. Log10-transformed truncal fat increased with TBF approximately as a square root function. At older ages, there was a greater amount of truncal fat in CA, HA and As men (∼0.20–0.25 kg/decade) with the effect more pronounced in AA men (∼0.33 kg/decade). For women, the increment of truncal fat per decade was reduced in CA and AA women (∼0.07 kg) compared with As and HA women (∼0.33 kg). Adjusted for mean values of covariates in our sample, AA had less truncal fat than As.

Conclusion:

The accumulation of truncal fat is strongly related to age, ethnicity and total fatness in both men and women.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NIH DK PO1-42618; DK RO1-37352, RR00645, DK40414; P30 DK-26687; and R29-AG14715.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Obesity Research Center, St-Luke' s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY, USA

    C-H Wu, S Heshka, J Wang, R N Pierson Jr, S B Heymsfield, B Laferrère, Z Wang, J B Albu, X Pi-Sunyer & D Gallagher

  2. Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan

    C-H Wu

  3. Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA

    D Gallagher

Authors
  1. C-H Wu
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  2. S Heshka
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  3. J Wang
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  4. R N Pierson Jr
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  5. S B Heymsfield
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  6. B Laferrère
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  7. Z Wang
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  8. J B Albu
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  9. X Pi-Sunyer
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  10. D Gallagher
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D Gallagher.

Additional information

Contributors. Current study concept: Wang J and Gallagher. Provided data: Albu, Gallagher, Heymsfield, Heshka, Laferrère, Pierson, Pi-Sunyer, Wang J, Wang Z. Analysis and interpretation of data: Wu, Heshka, Gallagher. Critical review of manuscript for intellectual content: Gallagher, Wu, Heshka, Wang J, Wang Z, Albu, Laferrère, Pi-Sunyer. Statistical expertise: Heshka, Wu. Study supervision: Gallagher, Heshka.

Each author declared that she or he has no conflict of financial or personal interests in any company or organization sponsoring this study.

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Wu, CH., Heshka, S., Wang, J. et al. Truncal fat in relation to total body fat: influences of age, sex, ethnicity and fatness. Int J Obes 31, 1384–1391 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803624

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