Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T10:47:34.975Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Weight Changes in Adult Twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

R. Fabsitz ,
M. Feinleib  and
Z. Hrubec
R. Fabsitz*
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biometry Program, National Heart, Lung, and, Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
M. Feinleib
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biometry Program, National Heart, Lung, and, Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
Z. Hrubec
Affiliation:
National Academy of Sciences – National Research Council, Washington, DC
*
NHLBI, Federal Building, Room 300-A, Bethesda, MD 20205, USA

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Longitudinal study of 514 pairs of US white male twin veterans was made possible by compiling data from military records, mailed questionnaires, and physical examinations. Height and weight were used to calculate the Quetelet index for twins at different ages covering induction into the Armed Forces (generally 17–24 years), 25 years, 40–50 years at questionnaire response, and 42–56 at physical examination. Cross-sectional analyses of Quetelet Index at these 4 points in time showed consistent evidence of significant genetic variance. Additional twin analyses of change in Quetelet Index both from induction and from age 25 to approximately age 48 were done. Both analyses showed significant genetic variance for change in Quetelet Index during this time span of 25 or more years for most subjects. Heritability estimates were 0.6 for change in Quetelet Index from induction (mean age 20) to examination (mean age 48) and 0.7 for change in Quetelet Index from age 25 to examination. While studies of younger twins have shown significant genetic influence on growth (height and weight), this study of adults demonstrates significant genetic influence on change in weight even after maturation.

Keywords

WeightQuetelet IndexHeritabilityTwinsObesity
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 29 , Issue 4 , October 1980 , pp. 273 - 279
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1980

References

REFERENCES

1. Christian, JC, Kang, KW, Norton, JA (1974. Choice of an estimate of genetic variance from twin data. Am J Hum Genet 26:154–161.Google ScholarPubMed
2. Christian, JC, Feinleib, M, Norton, JA (1975. Statistical Analysis of Genetic Variance in Twins. Am J Hum Genet 27(6):807.Google Scholar
3. Feinleib, M, Garrison, RJ, Fabsitz, R, et al (1977. The NHLBI twin study of cardiovascular disease risk factors: Methodology and summary of results. Am J Epidemiol 106(4):284–295.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. Feinleib, M, Garrison, RJ, Stallones, L, et al (1979. A comparison of blood pressure, total cholesterol and cigarette smoking in parents in 1950 and their children in 1970. Am J Epidemiol 110(3):291–303.Google Scholar
5. Fischbein, Siv (1977. Intra-pair similarity in physical growth of monozygotic and of dizygotic twins during puberty. Ann Hum Biol 4(5):417–430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Furusho, T (1968. On the manifestation of genotypes responsible for stature. Hum Biol 40:437–455.Google Scholar
7. Jablon, S, Neel, JV, Gershowitz, H, et al (1967. The NAS-NRC Twin Panel: Methods of construction of the panel, zygosity diagnosis and proposed use. Am J Hum Genet 19:133–161.Google Scholar
8. Shurtleff, D (1974): Some characteristics related to the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death. In Kannel, WB, Gordon, T (eds): “Framingham Study, 18-Year Follow-Up. Section 30.” Washington, DC: DHEW:27.Google Scholar
9. Wilson, RS (1976. Concordance in physical growth for monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Ann Hum Biol 3:1–10.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10. Wilson, RS (1979. Twin growth: Initial deficit, recovery, and trends in concordance from birth to nine years. Ann Hum Biol 6(3):205–220.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed