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Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load in relation to risk of overweight in Japanese children and adolescents: the Ryukyus Child Health Study

International Journal of Obesity volume 35, pages 925–936 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

Epidemiologic evidence concerning the role of dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) in obesity during childhood and adolescence is limited, particularly in non-Western populations. We examined the association between dietary GI and GL as well as dietary fiber intake and overweight status in Japanese children and adolescents.

Subjects:

This Japanese cross-sectional study included 15 974 children (6–11 years; 7956 boys and 8018 girls) and 8202 adolescents (12–15 years; 3944 boys and 4258 girls).

Methods:

Dietary intake was assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire for children and adolescents. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported body weight and height. Overweight was defined according to the International Obesity Task Force age- and sex-specific BMI cutoffs, which correspond to an adult BMI of ⩾25 kg m–2.

Results:

The overall prevalence of overweight was 13.2%. Mean (s.d.) dietary GI was 63.0 (3.1), mean dietary GL was 85.0 (12.4) per 4184 kJ (1000 kcal) and mean dietary fiber intake was 5.9 (1.2) g/4184 kJ. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, dietary GL was positively associated with the risk of overweight in male children, female children and male adolescents (P for trend <0.0001, <0.0001 and 0.006, respectively), but not in female adolescents. No such independent associations were observed for dietary GI or fiber intake.

Conclusion:

This large cross-sectional study in Japan suggests that higher dietary GL is associated with increasing risk of overweight in male and female children and male adolescents, but not female adolescents.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the Naha City Municipal Board of Education and Nago City Municipal Board of Education for their valuable support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Preventive Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    K Murakami & S Sasaki

  2. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Y Miyake & K Tanaka

  3. Field Science for Health and Recreation, Faculty of Tourism Sciences and Industrial Management, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan

    M Arakawa

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  1. K Murakami
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Correspondence to K Murakami.

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Murakami, K., Miyake, Y., Sasaki, S. et al. Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load in relation to risk of overweight in Japanese children and adolescents: the Ryukyus Child Health Study. Int J Obes 35, 925–936 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.59

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