Prevalence of overweight and obesity in US Hispanic populations

Article Abstract:

It is well known that obesity increases the risk for developing high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Previous studies have reported that diseases associated with obesity are more common in US Hispanic populations than in US white populations. The Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted from 1982 to 1984, was the first large-scale study to evaluate the health and nutritional status of Hispanics living in the US. The data obtained from this survey were used to determine the relationship between obesity and age, gender, economic status, and social and cultural factors in Hispanics. The study included Mexican Americans, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans. Those with a body mass index (BMI, a measure of obesity calculated as body weight in kilograms divided by height measured in square meters, kg/m2) exceeding the 95th and 85th percentiles of the US reference standards for body weight based on age and height were considered to be obese and overweight, respectively. For adult males in this study, the prevalence of obesity and overweight were, respectively, 11 and 34 percent for Mexican Americans, 10 and 31 percent for Puerto Ricans, and 9 and 34 percent for Cubans. For females, the prevalence of obesity and overweight were, respectively, 15 and 42 percent for Mexican Americans, 8 and 41 percent for Puerto Ricans, and 15 and 38 percent for Cubans. The incidence of obesity increased with increasing age for Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with an increased incidence of obesity in Mexican Americans. Central body fat (fat located around the waist) is associated with a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes than body fat on the lower parts of the body. In this study, males had more central body fat than females, even though the females had more overall body fat than the males. The results of this study indicate that obesity and overweight are almost twice as common in US Hispanic populations than US white populations. Therefore, diseases associated with obesity will be more common in these populations. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Demographic aspects, Obesity, Hispanic Americans

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Maternal and fetal responses to the stresses of lactation concurrent with pregnancy and of short recuperative intervals

Article Abstract:

It is rare for a woman to be breast feeding one child while pregnant with her next child in most developed countries, but this situation is common in some societies. Mothers breast feed their children for up to several years, and while lactation inhibits ovulation to some extent, many women do become pregnant during this time. A study was conducted in rural Guatemala to investigate the effects of concurrent lactation and pregnancy on the nutrition of the fetus and the mother. Women in two communities were offered nutritious supplements at no cost, and the amounts they requested and consumed were recorded along with their reproductive history. Of 504 pregnant women, 253 (50 percent) were still breast feeding their previous child. Among the mothers who overlapped lactation and a subsequent pregnancy, 41 percent continued to breast feed into the second trimester and 3 percent continued into the third trimester of pregnancy. The nutritional stress of this combination was assessed based on the amount of supplements consumed by the women. As expected, mothers who were combining lactation and pregnancy consumed more supplements. Mothers who had a history of short recuperative intervals (times when not pregnant or lactating) consumed more supplements and had lower body fat stores. It was found that the growth of the fetus was not adversely affected by concurrent lactation or short recuperative intervals, because the mother's nutrient stores were depleted instead. Thus the mother's body appears to protect the fetus from nutritional stress; in order to protect the mother, supplemental nutrition may be needed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

International aspects, Developing countries, Pregnant women, Breast feeding

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Consequences for maternal nutrition of reproductive stress across consecutive pregnancies

Article Abstract:

When reproduction occurs frequently, lactation may overlap with pregnancy. This shortens the duration of recovery from pregnancy and lactation and, thereby, increases the risk of nutritional deficiency in the mother. Previous studies have demonstrated that stresses on nutritional status are created by insufficient recovery from reproductive cycles and lactation. Women who are breast-feeding during pregnancy must fulfill the energy needs for milk production and growth of the fetus as well as their own needs. The responses to stress associated with changes occurring throughout consecutive pregnancies were assessed in women from Guatemala. The intake of nutrient supplements by mothers, their fat stores, and birth weights of their infants were evaluated. Overlapping and shortened recovery periods were associated with increased stress, as indicated by increased intake of nutrient supplements and reduced fat stores. Birth weight was not affected by stress, indicating that the growth of the fetus is protected at the expense of the nutritional condition of the mother. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Physiological aspects, Mothers

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