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Overweight, obesity and fat distribution in 50- to 64-year-old participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

M Haftenberger ,
PH Lahmann ,
S Panico ,
CA Gonzalez ,
JC Seidell ,
H Boeing ,
MC Giurdanella ,
V Krogh ,
HB Bueno-de-Mesquita  and
PHM Peeters
...Show all authors
M Haftenberger*
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Arthur Scheunert Allee 114–116, D-14558 Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany
PH Lahmann
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Arthur Scheunert Allee 114–116, D-14558 Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany
S Panico
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
CA Gonzalez
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
JC Seidell
Affiliation:
Centre of Chronic Diseases Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
H Boeing
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Arthur Scheunert Allee 114–116, D-14558 Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany
MC Giurdanella
Affiliation:
Cancer Registry, 'Civili – M.P. Arezzo' Hospital, Ragusa, Italy
V Krogh
Affiliation:
Epidemiology Unit, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy
HB Bueno-de-Mesquita
Affiliation:
Centre of Chronic Diseases Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
PHM Peeters
Affiliation:
Julius Center for General Practice and Patient Oriented Research, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
G Skeie
Affiliation:
Institute for Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway
A Hjartåker
Affiliation:
Section for Medical Statistics, University of Oslo, Norway
M Rodriguez
Affiliation:
Andalusian School of Public Health, Granada, Spain
JR Quirós
Affiliation:
Council for Health and Social Affairs of Asturia, Oviedo, Spain
G Berglund
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden
U Janlert
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, University of Umeå, Sweden
KT Khaw
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK
EA Spencer
Affiliation:
Cancer Research UK, Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, UK
K Overvad
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Aarhus, Denmark
A Tjønneland
Affiliation:
Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark
F Clavel-Chapelon
Affiliation:
INSERM, E3N–EPIC Group, Institute Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
B Tehard
Affiliation:
INSERM, E3N–EPIC Group, Institute Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
AB Miller
Affiliation:
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
K Klipstein-Grobusch
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Arthur Scheunert Allee 114–116, D-14558 Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Germany
V Benetou
Affiliation:
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece
G Kiriazi
Affiliation:
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece
E Riboli
Affiliation:
International Agency for Cancer Research, Lyon, France
N Slimani
Affiliation:
International Agency for Cancer Research, Lyon, France
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected]
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Abstract

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Objective:

To describe anthropometric characteristics of participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

Design:

A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data of a European prospective cohort study.

Subjects:

This analysis includes study populations from 25 centres in nine European countries. The British populations comprised both a population-based and a ‘health-conscious’ group. The analysis was restricted to 83 178 men and 163 851 women aged 50–64 years, this group being represented in all centres.

Methods:

Anthropometric examinations were undertaken by trained observers using standardised methods and included measurements of weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences. In the ‘health-conscious’ group (UK), anthropometric measures were predicted from self-reports.

Results:

Except in the ‘health-conscious’ group (UK) and in the French centres, mean body mass index (BMI) exceeded 25.0 kg m-2. The prevalence of obesity (BMI≥30 kg m-2) varied from 8% to 40% in men, and from 5% to 53% in women, with high prevalences (>25%) in the centres from Spain, Greece, Ragusa and Naples (Italy) and the lowest prevalences (<10%) in the French centres and the ‘health-conscious’ group (UK). The prevalence of a large waist circumference or a high waist-to-hip ratio was high in centres from Spain, Greece, Ragusa and Naples (Italy) and among women from centres in Germany and Bilthoven (The Netherlands).

Conclusions:

Anthropometric measures varied considerably within the EPIC population. These data provide a strong base for further investigation of anthropometric measures in relation to the risk of chronic diseases, especially cancer.

Keywords

EPIC studyAnthropometryObesityFat distributionCross-sectional studyEurope
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 5 , Issue 6b , December 2002 , pp. 1147 - 1162
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2002

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