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Descriptive epidemiology of body mass index in Japanese adults in a representative sample from the National Nutrition Survey 1990–1994

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of obesity and reference percentile curves of body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) in Japanese adults.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional nationwide surveys (The National Nutrition Survey, Japan) carried out in 1990–1994. A sample of 23 556 males and 28 751 females aged 15–84 y was used for this analysis.

RESULTS: The prevalence of grades 1 (BMI: 25.0–29.9), 2 (30.0–39.9) and 3 (≥40.0) overweight, was estimated to be 24.3%, 1.84% and 0.019% in males, respectively, and 20.2%, 2.87% and 0.032% in females, respectively, subjects aged 35–64 y after standardization to the age-distribution of the standard world population (). The age-standardized prevalence of obesity (for BMI≥26.4, a criterion of the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity; and ≥30.0 was 13.6% and 1.86% in males, respectively, and 13.5% and 2.90% in females, respectively, subjects aged 35–64 y.

CONCLUSIONS: The standardized prevalence of obesity (BMI≥30.0) in Japanese adults was quite low compared with the data in western populations.

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Yoshiike, N., Matsumura, Y., Zaman, M. et al. Descriptive epidemiology of body mass index in Japanese adults in a representative sample from the National Nutrition Survey 1990–1994. Int J Obes 22, 684–687 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0800651

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0800651

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