Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Body composition, energy expenditure and physical activity

Relationship between BMI and body fatness in three European countries

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 67, pages 254–258 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives:

Body fatness and heart disease risk factors can differ considerably between ethnities for a given body mass index (BMI). Information is lacking on differences between various Caucasian populations within Europe. The aim was to investigate the differences in anthropometrics and risk factors between adults from Iceland, Spain and Ireland.

Subject/methods:

This was a secondary analysis of the baseline data from the SEAFOODplus YOUNG intervention study, in which 324 subjects (20–40 years, BMI 27.5–32.5 kg/m2, from Iceland, Spain and Ireland) participated. Fasting glucose, insulin, blood lipids and body compossition were measured, insulin resistance was calculated using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance.

Results:

Although age and BMI did not differ between Spanish, Irish and Icelandic subjects, Irish subjects had significantly higher waist circumference (3.2 and 6.7 cm) and body fat percentage (4.4 and 2.0%) compared with Icelandic and Spanish participants, respectively. Irish participants had also more unfavorable cardio-metabolic risk factors compared with Spanish and Icelandic subjects. However, correction for waist attenuated the observed differences considerably, in particular for total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides.

Conclusions:

Despite having near identical BMI and age, our results show that study participants from different populations within Europe differ considerably in cardio-metabolic risk factors, partly due to differences in body fat distribution.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. World Health Organization Fact sheet No. 31: Obesity and overweight. www.who.int (Updated March 2011).

  2. Kopelman P . Health risks associated with overweight and obesity. Obes Rev 2007; 8 (Suppl 1), 13–17.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Guh DP, Zhang W, Bansback N, Amarsi Z, Birmingham CL, Anis AH . The incidence of co-morbidities related to obesity and overweight: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health 2009; 9: 88.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Ness-Abramof R, Apovian CM . Waist circumference measurement in clinical practice. Nutr Clin Pract 2008; 23: 397–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Huxley R, Mendis S, Zheleznyakov E, Reddy S, Chan J . Body mass index, waist circumference and waist:hip ratio as predictors of cardiovascular risk—a review of the literature. Eur J Clin Nutr 2010; 64: 16–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Vazquez G, Duval S, Jacobs DR, Silventoinen K . Comparison of body mass index, waist circumference, and waist/hip ratio in predicting incident diabetes: a meta-analysis. Epidemiol Rev 2007; 29: 115–128.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Carroll JF, Chiapa AL, Rodriquez M, Phelps DR, Cardarelli KM, Vishwanatha JK et al. Visceral fat, waist circumference, and BMI:impact of race/ethnicity. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2008; 16: 600–607.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. WHO. Expert Consultation. Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet 2004; 363: 157–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Deurenberg-Yap M, Schmidt G, van Staveren WA, Deurenberg P . The paradox of low body mass index and high body fat percentage among Chinese, Malays and Indians in Singapore. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2000; 24: 1011–1017.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Rush EC, Scragg R, Schaaf D, Juranovich G, Plank LD . Indices of fatness and relationships with age, ethnicity and lipids in New Zealand European, Māori and Pacific children. Eur J Clin Nutr 2009; 63: 627–633.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Rush E, Plank L, Chandu V, Laulu M, Simmons D, Swinburn B et al. Body size, body composition, and fat distribution: a comparison of young New Zealand men of European, Pacific Island, and Asian Indian ethnicities. N Z Med J 2004; 117: U1203.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Rush EC, Goedecke JH, Jennings C, Micklesfield L, Dugas L, Lambert EV et al. BMI, fat and muscle differences in urban women of five ethnicities from two countries. Int J Obes (Lond) 2007; 31: 1232–1239.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Iwao N, Iwao S, Muller DC, Koda M, Ando F, Shimokata H et al. Differences in the relationship between lipid CHD risk factors and body composition in Caucasians and Japanese. Int J Obes (Lond) 2005; 29: 228–235.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Thorsdottir I, Tomasson H, Gunnarsdottir I, Gisladottir E, Kiely M, Parra MD et al. Randomized trial of weight-loss-diets for young adults varying in fish and fish oil content. Int J Obes (Lond) 2007; 31: 1560–1566.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Cankayali I, Demirag K, Kocabas S, Resat Moral A . The effects of standard and branched chain amino acid enriched solutions on thermogenesis and energy expenditure in unconscious intensive care patients. Clin Nutr 2004; 23: 257–263.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Salvino RM, Dechicco RS, Seidner DL . Perioperative nutrition support: who and how. Cleve Clin J Med 2004; 71: 345–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Nordic Council of Ministers. Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. Integrating Nutrition and Physical Activity 4th ed. Copenhagen: Norden, 2004.

  18. Martínez-González MA, Varo JJ, Santos JL, De Irala J, Gibney M, Kearney J et al. Prevalence of physical activity during leisure time in the European Union. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001; 33: 1142–1146.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Leon AS, Jacobs DR, Montoye HJ, Sallis JF et al. Compendium of physical activities: classification of energy costs of human physical activities. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1993; 25: 71–80.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Paffenbarger RS, Wing AL, Hyde RT . Paffenbarger physical activity questionnaire. Am J Epidemiol 1978; 108: 161–175.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Razak F, Anand SS, Shannon H, Vuksan V, Davis B, Jacobs R et al. Defining obesity cut points in a multiethnic population. Circulation 2007; 115: 2111–2118.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. International Diabetes Federation The IDF consensus worldwide definition of the metabolic syndrome [article online]. www.idf.org/webdata/docs/metsyndrome_final.pdf (accessed 15 July 2006).

  23. Jensen MD . Role of body fat distribution and the metabolic complications of obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008; 93 (Suppl 1), S57–S63.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Ramel A, Geirsdottir OG, Arnarson A, Thorsdottir I . Regional and total body bioelectrical impedance analysis compared to DXA in Icelandic elderly. Eur J Clin Nutr 2011; 65: 978–983.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Harrington J, Fitzgerald AP, Layte R, Lutomski J, Molcho M, Sociodemographic PerryIJ . health and lifestyle predictors of poor diets. Public Health Nutr 2011; 14: 2166–2175.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The YOUNG study is part of the SEAFOODplus Integrated Project, which is funded by the European Commission through the 6th Framework Programme Contract with ref. FOOD-CT-2004-506359. Thus, thanks are due to the EU Commission for financial support as well as to the volunteers participating in the study. The trial is registered at the US National Library of Medicine (Nr. NCT00315770).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Landspitali-University Hospital and Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Unit for Nutrition Research, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland

    A Ramel, T I Halldorsson, E A Tryggvadottir & I Thorsdottir

  2. The Department of Physiology and Nutrition, University of Navarra, Navarra, Spain

    J A Martinez

  3. Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    M Kiely

  4. The National Research Institute on Agriculture and Fisheries Research, Lisbon, Portugal

    N M Bandarra

Authors
  1. A Ramel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T I Halldorsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E A Tryggvadottir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J A Martinez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M Kiely
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. N M Bandarra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. I Thorsdottir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A Ramel.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ramel, A., Halldorsson, T., Tryggvadottir, E. et al. Relationship between BMI and body fatness in three European countries. Eur J Clin Nutr 67, 254–258 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.6

Keywords

Search

Advanced search

Quick links