Relaxed natural selection contributes to global obesity increase more in males than in females due to more environmental modifications in female body mass.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Relaxed natural selection, measured by Biological State Index (Ibs), results in unfavourable genes/mutations accumulation in population. Obesity is partly heritable. We aim to examine and compare the effects of relaxed natural selection on male and female obesity prevalence.

Methods

Data for 191 countries of the world were captured for this ecological study. Curvilinear regressions, bivariate and partial correlations, linear mixed models and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between Ibs and sex-specific obesity prevalence. Per capita GDP, urbanization and caloric intake were controlled for as the confounding factors. Fisher r-to-z transformation, R2 increment in multivariate regression and F-test were used to compare the

SUBMITTER: You W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6051589 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature