1995 Volume 44 Issue 2 Pages 287-296
In 176 Japanese women aged 20-79, participating in a health assessment programme, we studied the associations between several metabolic features and the type of obesity based on body mass index and waist to hip circumference ratio. We propose the existence of three types of obesity based on BMI and WHR : Type-I, obese women who have a high BMI and a low WHR, Type-II, obese women who have a low BMI and a high WHR, and Type-III, obese women who have both a high BMI and a high WHR. Age was categorized into three levels for all analyses (≤49, 50 - 59, and ≥60 yr) . There was no significant association of WHR with any metabolic variable after adjustment for the effects of the BMI in any group. The results of the present study show that the amount of body fat is in itself more important than the WHR. Where p values were significant, levels of metabolic risk factors for disease increased across the tertiles composed from a combination of the BMI and WHR, except for HDL-ch and HDL-ch/T-ch, where levels fell. Although the means of these metabolic parameters in each type of obesity were all within the normal range, significant differences were observed between the group with Type-III obesity and the nonobese group for these parameters.
In conclusion, the most“dangerous”subgroup of obesity appeared to be Type-III obesity in which high levels of BMI and WHR coexist.
