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Lifecourse predictors of normal metabolic parameters in overweight and obese adults

International Journal of Obesity volume 30, pages 970–976 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

Not all overweight and obese individuals appear to be at equal risk of developing metabolic abnormalities. We sought to examine the effect of factors from different stages of life on risk of metabolic abnormalities at age 50 years in overweight and obese adults.

Design and subjects:

Longitudinal study of all persons born in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK in May and June 1947 and followed to age 50 years when a clinical examination took place and a detailed questionnaire on health and lifestyle was completed. Participants in this study (n=223) were those defined as being overweight or obese with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25 at age 50 years. Subjects were defined as ‘metabolically normal’ if they had normal lipids, glucose and blood pressure.

Results:

Lower BMI was the strongest predictor of remaining metabolically normal in both men and women. After adjusting for BMI, lower levels of cigarette smoking and higher levels of physical activity were independently associated with being metabolically normal in men. No other factors were independently associated with being metabolically normal in women. A stronger inverse relationship between BMI and metabolic status was found in men (Odds ratio (OR) per unit increase in BMI=0.65, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) 0.52–0.81) than in women (OR=0.90, 95% CI 0.82–0.99). No association was seen for factors operating in fetal, infant and childhood life.

Conclusions:

Adult factors made a greater contribution to remaining metabolically normal than birth or childhood factors in this sample of overweight and obese adults. A lower adult BMI appeared to reduce the risk in men and women and lower cigarette smoking and higher level of physical activity also independently reduced the risk in men. Public health policy to reduce the burden of morbidity associated with obesity should continue to encourage weight loss, physical activity and smoking cessation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the Thousand Family Study members for taking part, the study teams past and present and the Wellcome Trust, the Minnie Henderson Trust, the Sir John Knott Trust and the Special Trustees of the Newcastle Hospitals for funding. EPIC food frequency questionnaires were analysed by the MRC Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Cambridge. The principal investigators on the 50-year follow-up were Professor Sir George Alberti, Professor Sir Alan Craft and Professor Louise Parker. The clinical examinations were supervised by Dr Stuart Bennett and performed by our research nurses Jan Gebbie and Jean Gerrard.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paediatric and Lifecourse Epidemiology Research Group, Schools of Population and Health Sciences and Clinical Medical Sciences, Sir James Spence Institute, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    L Hayes, M S Pearce & N C Unwin

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  1. L Hayes
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  2. M S Pearce
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  3. N C Unwin
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Correspondence to M S Pearce.

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Hayes, L., Pearce, M. & Unwin, N. Lifecourse predictors of normal metabolic parameters in overweight and obese adults. Int J Obes 30, 970–976 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803213

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