Investigating nutrition and lifestyle factors as determinants of abdominal obesity: an environment-wide study
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background:
The increasing global trends in obesity and its associated burden of disease indicate a need to identify modifiable determinants of obesity.
Methods:
A total of 182 nutrition and lifestyles factors were investigated in relation to abdominal obesity among 7,403 male and 8,328 female participants of the Third U.S. National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES III). We used the first phase (1988–1991) of the NHANES III to identify factors with a false discovery rate (FDR) of <5%. Of these, we tentatively replicated our findings in the second phase (1992–1994) of the survey. Principal component analysis was performed to identify unobserved factors underlying the association between validated factors and abdominal obesity, defined as waist circumference >88 cm for women and >102 cm for men.
Results:
We found five tentatively replicated factors showing significant associations with abdominal obesity in men: serum α-carotene, β-carotene, serum β-cryptoxanthin, serum vitamin D and vigorous physical activity. In women, 7 factors were identified: serum α-carotene, β-carotene, serum β-cryptoxanthin, serum vitamin C, serum vitamin D, vigorous physical activity and aspartame intake. In contrast to the other factors which showed inverse associations with abdominal obesity, aspartame intake displayed a positive relationship with this outcome (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10–1.26 for each log increase in aspartame intake in women). Principal component analysis suggested three principal components underlying such associations, each comprising: (1) serum antioxidants; (2) serum vitamin D and vigorous physical activity; and (3) aspartame intake. All three principal components also displayed significant associations with abdominal obesity.
Conclusion:
Our observational investigation that systematically investigates multiple modifiable factors simultaneously has enabled the creation of data-driven hypotheses regarding the possible role of determinants of abdominal obesity and has identified potential avenues for mechanistic investigations to clarify suitable targets of intervention.
The increasing global trends in obesity and its associated burden of disease indicate a need to identify modifiable determinants of obesity.
Methods:
A total of 182 nutrition and lifestyles factors were investigated in relation to abdominal obesity among 7,403 male and 8,328 female participants of the Third U.S. National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES III). We used the first phase (1988–1991) of the NHANES III to identify factors with a false discovery rate (FDR) of <5%. Of these, we tentatively replicated our findings in the second phase (1992–1994) of the survey. Principal component analysis was performed to identify unobserved factors underlying the association between validated factors and abdominal obesity, defined as waist circumference >88 cm for women and >102 cm for men.
Results:
We found five tentatively replicated factors showing significant associations with abdominal obesity in men: serum α-carotene, β-carotene, serum β-cryptoxanthin, serum vitamin D and vigorous physical activity. In women, 7 factors were identified: serum α-carotene, β-carotene, serum β-cryptoxanthin, serum vitamin C, serum vitamin D, vigorous physical activity and aspartame intake. In contrast to the other factors which showed inverse associations with abdominal obesity, aspartame intake displayed a positive relationship with this outcome (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10–1.26 for each log increase in aspartame intake in women). Principal component analysis suggested three principal components underlying such associations, each comprising: (1) serum antioxidants; (2) serum vitamin D and vigorous physical activity; and (3) aspartame intake. All three principal components also displayed significant associations with abdominal obesity.
Conclusion:
Our observational investigation that systematically investigates multiple modifiable factors simultaneously has enabled the creation of data-driven hypotheses regarding the possible role of determinants of abdominal obesity and has identified potential avenues for mechanistic investigations to clarify suitable targets of intervention.
Date Issued
2016-11-14
Date Acceptance
2016-10-20
Citation
International Journal of Obesity, 2016, 41 (2), pp.340-347
ISSN
0307-0565
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Start Page
340
End Page
347
Journal / Book Title
International Journal of Obesity
Volume
41
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2017 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000394143700018&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Nutrition & Dietetics
BODY-MASS INDEX
RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIALS
CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE
VITAMIN-D
NONNUTRITIVE SWEETENERS
SERUM CONCENTRATIONS
WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE
ADIPOSITY MEASURES
NATIONAL-HEALTH
BETA-CAROTENE
Publication Status
Published