Diet of second-generation Japanese-American men with and without non-insulin-dependent diabetes

Article Abstract:

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is more prevalent among second-generation Japanese-American men residing in King County, Washington than among men of similar age from the United States white population or the population in Japan. This finding suggests that the increased incidence of NIDDM among second-generation Japanese-Americans may be due to an environmental factor interacting with a possible genetic predisposition to diabetes among Japanese people. An important environmental factor is diet, although the role of diet in the development of NIDDM is not clear. Factors that may contribute to the development of diabetes include excess calories leading to obesity; certain locations of the excess fat on the body; and high intakes of fats or carbohydrates. The role of dietary protein in the development of NIDDM has not been studied extensively. The diet in Japan tends to be low in fat, high in carbohydrates, and moderate in proteins, and may contribute to the low rates of heart disease and diabetes in Japan. The dietary intake of 229 second-generation Japanese-American men, including 78 with diabetes, 72 with impaired glucose tolerance (which can be a pre-diabetic state), and 79 with normal glucose tolerance, was assessed. Diabetic men tended to have diets that were higher in fat and protein than men with impaired or normal glucose tolerance. However, the number of calories consumed was similar for all groups. The findings show that the diet of second-generation Japanese-American men resembles that of American men rather than the diet of men in Japan. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Analysis, Japan, Food and nutrition, Diet, Food habits, Diet in disease

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Fatness, fat distribution, and glucose tolerance in second-generation Japanese-American (Nisei) men

Article Abstract:

Previous research has explored whether obesity causes non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Being overweight may contribute to development of this disease, also known as adult-onset diabetes, but the research findings to date have been inconclusive. The lack of agreement between studies probably occurred because the investigators used different definitions for both obesity and diabetes. A group of Japanese-American men was divided into three categories based on level of blood sugar after drinking a glucose (sugar) solution and according to World Health Organization criteria. Of the 229 men, 79 were normal, 72 had impaired glucose tolerance (abnormally high glucose) and 78 had NIDDM. These categories form a continuum from normal to diabetic, with impaired glucose tolerance in between. On average, the men with normal blood sugar were slightly less overweight than the other two groups, but it was concluded that no clear link between obesity and diabetes existed in these subjects. When the location of fat deposits was considered, diabetic men had more fat in certain parts of the body than normal men. Abdominal fat deposits may be a risk factor for developing NIDDM, but more research is needed to demonstrate this relationship. It is emphasized that these results apply only to Japanese-American men, a group with a high rate of NIDDM.

Research, Causes of, Complications and side effects, Diseases, Obesity, Glucose tolerance tests, Glucose tolerance test, Adipose tissues, Adipose tissue

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Evidence for a secular change in obesity, height, and weight among Navajo Indian schoolchildren

Article Abstract:

The prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) among Navajo Indians has been increasing over the last two decades. Increasing rates of NIDDM have been observed in other Indian tribes and have been attributed to an increase in obesity, one of the major risk factors in the development of NIDDM. This observation is the basis for a study undertaken to measure obesity, height and weight among Navajo Indian schoolchildren. The findings of this study were compared with reference data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and with surveys of Navajo children. Twice as many children exceeded the 95th percentile of weight for their age (11.2 percent of girls and 12.5 percent of boys) when compared with the NCHS reference population. Mean heights increased 4.4 percent among girls and 6.1 percent among boys, compared with data from 1955. In all age groups tested, mean weights increased 18.7 percent and 28.8 percent for girls and boys, respectively. The results demonstrate that over the past 35 years there has been a secular change in height, weight and obesity among Navajo Indian children. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Social aspects, Diagnosis, Obesity in children, Childhood obesity, Navajo Indian Reservation

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