Obesity Facts (Oct 2016)

Changes in Waist Circumference among German Adults over Time - Compiling Results of Seven Prospective Cohort Studies

  • Marjolein Haftenberger,
  • Gert B.M. Mensink,
  • Susanne Vogt,
  • Barbara Thorand,
  • Annette Peters,
  • Beatrice Herzog,
  • Saskia Hartwig,
  • Karin Halina Greiser,
  • Till Ittermann,
  • Sabine Schipf,
  • Henry Völzke,
  • Benedikt Merz,
  • Ute Nöthlings,
  • Manja Koch,
  • Jasmine Neamat-Allah,
  • Verena Katzke,
  • Rudolf Kaaks,
  • Heiner Boeing,
  • Ursula Bachlechner,
  • Christa Scheidt-Nave,
  • Anja Schienkiewitz

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1159/000446964
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 5
pp. 332 – 343

Abstract

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Aim: This study aims to quantify longitudinal changes in waist circumference (WC) among adults aged 45-64 years in Germany. Methods: Data of 15,444 men and 17,207 women from one nationwide and six regional prospective German cohort studies were analyzed. The sex-specific mean change in WC per year of follow-up was assessed for each study separately. Findings from the cohort-by-cohort analysis were combined by applying meta-analytic methods. Progression to central obesity (WC ≥ 102 cm in men and ≥ 88 cm in women) within a standardized period of 10 years was described for each study. Results: The estimated mean change in WC per year of follow-up for all cohorts combined was 0.53 (95% confidence interval 0.29-0.76) cm/year for men and 0.63 (0.48-0.77) cm/year for women, but varied between the included studies. Within 10 years, about 20% of individuals with low WC (Conclusion: The increase in mean WC with aging along with a profound increase of central adiposity is obviously and may have several adverse health effects. Obesity prevention programs should also focus on abdominal obesity.

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