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Relationships between physical activity, obesity and diabetes mellitus in a French elderly population: the POLA study

International Journal of Obesity volume 25, pages 512–518 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the relationships between body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, physical activity and the risk of type 2 diabetes in a French elderly population.

DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 1113 men and 1419 women aged 60 y or more, participating in the POLA Study.

RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes was two-fold higher in men than in women (19.1% and 9.3%, respectively). The anthropometric variables studied—body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and the waist/hip ratio (WHR)—were all positively related to the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. The strongest relationships were found for BMI in men and WHR in women. In both genders, sport activity and diabetes were inversely linked whereas no relationship was shown between the amount of household activity and diabetes mellitus.

CONCLUSION: In the elderly, overall obesity in men and abdominal fat accumulation in women appeared strongly related to diabetes. Sport activity was negatively and independently associated with the prevalence of diabetes mellitus.

International Journal of Obesity (2001) 25, 512–518

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Acknowledgements

The POLA study is supported by the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, by grants from the Fondation de France, Department of Epidemiology of Ageing, by financial support from Rhône-Poulenc, Essilor, and CERIN, by grants from the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, the Région Languedoc-Roussillon and the Association Retina-France.

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Author notes

  1. POLA Study Group: POLA Study Group: Coordination—Cécile Delcourt (PhD), Annie Lacroux (MSc), Sylvie Fourrey, Marie-José Covacho, Pierre Paillard, Alice Ponton-Sanchez (MSc), Roselyne Defay (PhD), Alain Colvez (MD), and Laure Papoz (PhD) (principal coordinator). Ophthalmology—Louis Balmelle (MD), Jacques Costeau (MD), Jean-Luc Diaz (MD), Fabienne Robert (MD), and Bernard Arnaud (MD, Professor). Biology—Laboratoire de Biologie et Biochimie des Lipides, Montpellier, Jean-Paul Cristol (MD), Martine Delage (PhD), Marie-Hélène Vernet (PhD), Gilles Fouret, Françoise Michel (PhD), Claude Leger (PhD), Bernard Descomps (MD, Professor); Laboratoire de Toxicologie Biophysique, Montpellier, Pierre Mathieu-Daudé (MD, Professor), Jean-Claude Mathieu-Daudé (MD), Institut National Agronomique, Paris, Frédéric Tessier (PhD), Inès Birlouez-Aragon (PhD).

Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM Unité 500, Montpellier, France

    R Defay, C Delcourt, M Ranvier, A Lacroux & L Papoz

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Defay, R., Delcourt, C., Ranvier, M. et al. Relationships between physical activity, obesity and diabetes mellitus in a French elderly population: the POLA study. Int J Obes 25, 512–518 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801570

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