High prevalence of excess fat and central fat patterning among Mongolian pastoral nomads

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council
Cynthia M Beall, Melvyn C Goldstein

Abstract

This paper presents information on body size, body composition, and fat patterning in a sample of 750 pastoral nomads aged 5 to 84 years, native residents of Moost district, Mongolia and evaluates the results from the perspective of morphological adaptation to a cold climate. Mongolian nomad men and children have average BMIs close to the U.S. 25th percentile while women have average BMIs close to the U.S. reference median. The prevalence of excess fatness assessed by the Arm Fat Index rises from 5 to 15% during childhood to 65% or more in each adult age-sex group except women 70+ years. The pattern of fat deposition is markedly central (abdominal) among women and children while it is normally so among men: women and children have a very high ratio of waist-to-hip circumference and children have a moderately high ratio of subscapular-to-triceps skinfold compared with other populations. A body composition favoring centrally deposited fat may be adaptive to a cold stressed population because it would aid in heat production (abdominal fat is thermogenic) and heat conservation (more spherical body size and better insulation) in the age-sex groups that are usually at a thermal disadvantage because of small body size and/or low basal...Continue Reading

References

Oct 1, 1990·Hormone and Metabolic Research = Hormon- Und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones Et Métabolisme·D C ShenY D Chen
Nov 1, 1990·American Journal of Public Health·A LawsE Barrett-Connor
Aug 1, 1989·The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition·J C SeidellG Doornbos
Mar 1, 1989·Journal of Gerontology·H ShimokataR Andres
Sep 1, 1988·Gynecologic Oncology·C J Cohen
Jun 19, 1987·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·P T WilliamsP D Wood

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Sep 5, 2001·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Victoria A. GallowayEvgueny Ivakine
Feb 13, 2018·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Stephanie PayneJay Stock
Aug 14, 2018·Journal of Internal Medicine·M K Andersen, T Hansen
Jan 1, 1994·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Andris Rode, Roy J Shephard
Jan 1, 1994·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·William R LeonardRem I Sukernik
Aug 26, 1998·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·P T Katzmarzyk, W R Leonard
Apr 16, 1998·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·S KirchengastJ Huber
Mar 1, 1995·Human Nature : an Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective·D Singh, S Luis
Jan 1, 1998·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·F FacchiniD Pettener
May 10, 2013·Diabetes Care·Marit Eika JørgensenPeter Bjerregaard
Apr 8, 2014·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Emma PomeroyJonathan C K Wells
Jan 9, 1999·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·C W Kuzawa

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.