Are the recent secular increases in the waist circumference of adults independent of changes in BMI?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Several studies showed that the waist circumference of US adults has increased over the past 25 y. However, because of the high correlation between waist circumference and body mass index (BMI; in kg/m²) (r ∼ 0.9), it is uncertain if these trends in waist circumference exceed those expected on the basis of BMI changes over this time period.

Objective

We assessed whether the recent trend in waist circumference was independent of changes in BMI, age, and race-ethnicity.

Design

We analyzed data from the 1999-2000 through 2011-2012 cycles of the NHANES.

Results

The mean waist circumference increased by ∼2 cm (in men) and ∼4 cm (in women) in adults in the United States over this 12-y period. In men, this increase was very close to what would be expected b

SUBMITTER: Freedman DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4609894 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature