Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2000, 191 (2)

Anthropometric Obesity Indices in Relation to Age and Gender in Japanese Adults

SHIUN DONG HSIEH, HIDEYO YOSHINAGA, TAKASHI MUTO1 and YUTAKA SAKURAI2

Medical Center of Health Science, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo 105-8470, 1Department of Public Health, Juntendo University, Tokyo 113-8421, and 2Department of Hygiene, National Defense Medical College, Saitama 359-8513

  • The body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, waist to height ratio and skinfolds (near-umbilical and iliac areas) in three age groups (35-44, 45-54 and 55-64 years) were compared in 3117 men and 997 women in Tokyo. In both genders, height was significantly shorter, while the waist to hip ratio and waist to height ratio were significantly higher, in the older groups. In the men, there were no significant differences in BMI and waist circumference among the three age groups, but the iliac skinfold was significantly thinner in each older group, and the paraumbilical skinfold was thinner in the group aged 55-64 years. In the women, the paraumbilical skinfold was significantly thicker in each older group, while waist circumference and the iliac skinfold were significantly larger or thicker in the group aged 55-64 years, and BMI was larger in the groups aged 45-54 and 55-64 years. There were age-related discrepancies between BMI and other obesity indices in the different genders, in that only the waist to height ratio and waist to hip ratio increased with age in both genders.
    Key words--- obesity indices; age; gender; Japanese
    © 2000 Tohoku University Medical Press

    Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2000, 191, 79-84
    Address for reprints: Dr. Shiun Dong Hsieh, Medical Center of Health Science, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo 105-8470, Japan.

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