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Purpose : The study characterized the anthropometrical and cardiorespiratory profile, and the cardiorespiratory, bio-chemical and immunological responses to 3 × 3 min round (R) free-contact/combat boxing simulation, in elite Olympic Boxers (4 female and 10 male). Methods : The evaluation consisted of resting metabolic rate, anthropometric measurement, maximal graded test exercise (visit 1), free combat simulation (3 × 3 min R, 1 minute rest), and blood samples collected before, during and after the combat (visit 2). Results : Respectively, females and males had (mean±SD; or median: for non-parametric data) body fat percentage (17.2[3.5] and 4.6[0.8]%), predominantly mesomorphic somatotyping, and V ˙ O 2 MAX (50.0 ± 2.5 and 56.2 ± 5.2 ml.kg -1 .min -1 ). The free combat simulation resulted in high cardiovascular strain [mean heart rate corresponding to R1: 92 ± 3; R2: 94 ± 2; and R3: 95 ± 2% of maximal HR] and blood chemistry indicative of acidosis (following R3: 7.21 ± 0.08 pH, bicarbonate 13.1 ± 3.6 mmol.L -1 , carbon dioxide 13.9 ± 3.8 mmol.L -1 , lactate 15.1 ± 3.8 mmol.L -1, and glucose 8.4 ± 1.3 mmol.L -1 ). Further, notable general catabolism, hematological and immune responses were evident post combat simulation (1-hour post R3: creatinine 95.2 ± 14.5 µmol.L -1 , urea 6.4 ± 1.3 mmol.L -1 , white blood cell accumulation 7.8 ± 2.6 × 10 9 .L -1 , hemoglobin 14.9 ± 0.8 g.dL -1 and hematocrit 43.7 ± 1.9%). Conclusions : Notable cardiovascular strain and acidosis are seen from the 3 × 3 free combat simulation whilst pronounced catabolism and immune responses are evident 1-hour post R3. This characterization is the first in male and female (who recently adopted the 3 × 3 min R format, as used by males) elite Olympic boxers and provides a characterization framework to assist practitioners and athletes in their attempts to deliver evidence-informed practice for specific conditioning session design.

Context: A Body Shape Index (ABSI) has been reported to have associations with cardiovascular risk factors. However, there is no information on the association between ABSI and incidence of cardiovascular events., Methods: We investigated the associations between ABSI and first major cardiovascular events (death from cardiovascular disease, nonfatal acute coronary syndrome, and nonfatal stroke) in 1857 subjects from the database of Flow-Mediated Dilation Japan registry and from Hiroshima University Vascular Function registry., Results: The areas under the curves of ABSI to predict the first major cardiovascular events were superior to BMI (men: P = .032, women: P = .015) and waist circumference in women (men: P = .078, women: P = .002). The subjects were divided into 2 groups based on the cutoff value of ABSI for predicting first major cardiovascular events: a low ABSI group (<0.0822 in men and <0.0814 in women) and a high ABSI group (≥0.0822 in men and ≥0.0814 in women). During a median follow-up period of 41.6 months, 56 subjects died (23 from cardiovascular causes), 16 had nonfatal acute coronary syndrome, and 14 had nonfatal stroke. The Kaplan-Meier curves for first major cardiovascular events were significantly different between the 2 groups (men, P < .001; women, P < .001). Multivariate analysis revealed that high ABSI remained an independent predictor of first major cardiovascular events (men: hazard ratio, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.07 to 5.06; P = .033; women: hazard ratio, 8.33; 95% CI, 1.06 to 65.49; P = .044)., Conclusion: High ABSI is independently associated with incidence of cardiovascular events. ABSI calculation should be performed for evaluation of risk of cardiovascular events., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: Anthropometric parameters related with the periocular region (PR) have gained great importance with the optical technology used in the treatment of eye defects. They have also become important parameters that determine the limits of treatment in aesthetic surgery procedures in PR and the treatment of orbital diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of PR measurements with somatotype., Methods: Somatotypes were determined by using the Heath-Carter method. Ten indirect anthropometric measurements, namely nasal root (mf-mf), outer chantal distance (ex-ex), inner chantal distance (en-en), interpupillary distance (p-p), right and left palpebral fissure width (ex-en), palpebral fissure height (ps-pi), and orbital height (os-oi), were taken from PR with Image J program. Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare data with each other. Post-hoc Mann-Whitney U test was used to find out which group caused statistically significant differences according to the results of the Kruskal-Wallis H test., Results: A statistically significant difference was found between some indirect anthropometric measurements taken from PR and somatotypes (P < 0,05). This difference was found to result from central group somatotype, in which no somatotype component has different effects from another one, for both genders. In almost all of the indirect anthropometric measurements, it was found that balanced ectomorph somatotypes reached the highest median values, while central group somatotypes had the lowest median values., Conclusion: As a result of this study, somatotype affects the appearance of PR. It will be possible to obtain more accurate and reliable results in aesthetic surgery interventions and identification studies. Our study is the first and a pioneer in its field in the literature. It will inspire and guide future researchers, surgeons, anthropologists, and forensic doctors who will work in this field., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.)

Climbing is an Olympic discipline in full development and multidisciplinary in nature, where the influences of body composition and nutritional status on performance have not yet been clarified despite the quest for a low weight in anti-gravity disciplines such as climbing. The present cross-sectional study aimed to conduct nutritional (3-day dietary diaries) and body composition (ISAK profile) assessments on sport climbing athletes by gender and climbing level during the months of February and March 2024. The t -test for independent samples and the Mann-Whitney U-test, as well as an ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis H-test, were used to compare the distributions of two or more groups, respectively, and Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to estimate the correlations between the different variables. The mean age of the 46 Spanish climbers (22 men and 24 women) was 30 years (SD: 9) with 7.66 years of experience (SD: 6.63). The mean somatotype of the athletes was classified as balanced mesomorph. Negative correlations were observed between fat mass variables and climbing level ( p < 0.010), and positive correlations were observed with forearm circumference ( p < 0.050). The mean energy availability (EA) was 33.01 kcal-kg FFM -1 d -1 (SD: 9.02), with 55.6% of athletes having a suboptimal EA status and 35.6% having low energy availability (LEA). The carbohydrate and protein intakes were below the recommendations in 57.8% and 31.1% of athletes, respectively. There were deficient intakes of all micronutrients except phosphorus in males. These findings suggest that climbing athletes are at a high risk of developing low energy availability states and concomitant problems. Optimal nutritional monitoring may be advisable in this type of athlete to try to reduce the risk of LEA.

Body shape phenotypes combining multiple anthropometric traits have been linked to postmenopausal breast cancer (BC). However, underlying biological pathways remain poorly understood. This study investigated to what extent the associations of body shapes with postmenopausal BC risk is mediated by biochemical markers. The study included 176,686 postmenopausal women from UK Biobank. Four body shape phenotypes were derived from principal component (PC) analysis of height, weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumferences, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The four-way decomposition of the total effect was used to estimate mediation and interaction effects simultaneously as well as the mediated proportions. After 10.9 years median follow-up, 6,396 incident postmenopausal BC were diagnosed. There was strong evidence of positive associations between PC1 (general obesity) and PC2 (tall, low WHR), and BC risk. The association of PC1 with BC risk was positively mediated by testosterone and negatively by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), with the overall proportion mediated (sum of the mediated interaction and pure indirect effect (PIE)) accounting for 11.4% (95% confidence intervals: 5.1 to 17.8%) and -12.2% (-20.5% to -4.0%) of the total effect, respectively. Small proportions of the association between PC2 and BC were mediated by IGF-1 (PIE: 2.8% (0.6 to 4.9%)), and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) (PIE: -6.1% (-10.9% to -1.3%)). Our findings are consistent with differential pathways linking different body shapes with BC risk, with a suggestive mediation through testosterone and IGF-1 in the relationship of a generally obese body shape and BC risk, while IGF-1 and SHBG may mediate a tall/lean body shape-BC risk association., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) have become a global public health concern among adolescents and young adults. However, Chinese university students exhibit a high prevalence of eating disorders. This study aims to investigate the effects of self-esteem (SE) and body shape (BS) on ED behaviors among Chinese university students., Methods: Using random sampling, 946 Chinese university students (aged 18 to 24, M = 19.94, SD = 1.04) participated in a survey comprising the Sick, Control, One, Fat, and Food Questionnaire (SCOFF-Q), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BS-Q), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RS-S) to assess their eating disorder or non-eating disorder (NED) behavior., Results: There was a significant positive correlation between body shape and eating disorder behaviors (r = 0.19, p < 0.01), while there was a significant negative correlation between self-esteem and eating disorder behaviors (r = -0.14, p = 0.001 < 0.01). Gender was a moderating factor in the relationship between body shape and eating disorder behaviors (t = 3.14, p = 0.002 < 0.01), while parents' marital status was a moderating factor in the relationship between self-esteem and eating disorder behavior (t = 2.72, p = 0.007 < 0.01). Body shape (z = 6.47, p = 0.001 < 0.01), self-esteem (z = -2.81, p = 0.005 < 0.05), and gender (z = 3.06, p = 0.002 < 0.01) significantly influenced eating disorder behavior among Chinese university students aged 18-24 years., Conclusions: There was a direct effect between body shape and self-esteem and eating disorder behaviors among Chinese university students aged 18-24 years. Alarmingly, female university students are becoming susceptible to external influences on self-esteem and body shape, leading to eating disorder behaviors at an increasingly younger age in China.

It remains unknown whether adiposity subtypes are differentially associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). To move beyond single-trait anthropometric indicators, we derived four multi-trait body shape phenotypes reflecting adiposity subtypes from principal components analysis on body mass index, height, weight, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist and hip circumference. A generally obese (PC1) and a tall, centrally obese (PC3) body shape were both positively associated with CRC risk in observational analyses in 329,828 UK Biobank participants (3728 cases). In genome-wide association studies in 460,198 UK Biobank participants, we identified 3414 genetic variants across four body shapes and Mendelian randomization analyses confirmed positive associations of PC1 and PC3 with CRC risk (52,775 cases/45,940 controls from GECCO/CORECT/CCFR). Brain tissue-specific genetic instruments, mapped to PC1 through enrichment analysis, were responsible for the relationship between PC1 and CRC, while the relationship between PC3 and CRC was predominantly driven by adipose tissue-specific genetic instruments. This study suggests distinct putative causal pathways between adiposity subtypes and CRC.

Across its Holarctic range, Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) populations have diverged into distinct trophic specialists across independent replicate lakes. The major aspect of divergence between ecomorphs is in head shape and body shape, which are ecomorphological traits reflecting niche use. However, whether the genomic underpinnings of these parallel divergences are consistent across replicates was unknown but key for resolving the substrate of parallel evolution. We investigated the genomic basis of head shape and body shape morphology across four benthivore-planktivore ecomorph pairs of Arctic charr in Scotland. Through genome-wide association analyses, we found genomic regions associated with head shape (89 SNPs) or body shape (180 SNPs) separately and 50 of these SNPs were strongly associated with both body and head shape morphology. For each trait separately, only a small number of SNPs were shared across all ecomorph pairs (3 SNPs for head shape and 10 SNPs for body shape). Signs of selection on the associated genomic regions varied across pairs, consistent with evolutionary demography differing considerably across lakes. Using a comprehensive database of salmonid QTLs newly augmented and mapped to a charr genome, we found several of the head- and body-shape-associated SNPs were within or near morphology QTLs from other salmonid species, reflecting a shared genetic basis for these phenotypes across species. Overall, our results demonstrate how parallel ecotype divergences can have both population-specific and deeply shared genomic underpinnings across replicates, influenced by differences in their environments and demographic histories., (© 2024 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The aims of the study were: 1) to evaluate the changes in anthropometric variables, body composition, somatotype and body proportions of elite basketball players throughout the pre-season period; 2) to evaluate the changes in anthropometric variables, body composition, somatotype and body proportions of elite basketball players throughout the in-season period; and 3) to observe if the age and position influenced the variables analyzed. A total of 17 players belonging to the men's ACB league team competing in the Euroleague (age = 23.42 ± 5.28 years-old) participated in the study. The players underwent an anthropometric measurement before and after the pre-season, as well as four evaluations throughout the in-season. Anthropometric indices, somatotype components according to Heath and Carter, and adiposity were calculated. The results show that during the pre-season, body mass, BMI, sum of 6 and 8 skinfolds, waist/hip ratio, adipose tissue (kg), adipose tissue percentage, and endomorphy decreased, while ectomorphy increased. However, no significant changes were found in the variables analyzed throughout the season; except for endomorphy, which increased along the in-season. Playing position and age did not have a significant influence on the changes in the anthropometric variables throughout the pre-season and the in-season. In conclusion, while changes in the anthropometric variables in the pre-season were observed, these remained the same during the in-season., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Variability in body shape and soft tissue geometry have the potential to affect the body's interaction with automotive safety systems. In this study, we developed a methodology to capture information on body shape, superficial soft tissue geometry, skeletal geometry, and seatbelt fit relative to the skeleton-in automotive postures-using Open Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Volunteer posture and belt fit were first measured in a vehicle and then reproduced in a custom MRI-safe seat (with an MR-visible seatbelt) placed in an Open MR scanner. Overlapping scans were performed to create registered three-dimensional reconstructions spanning from the thigh to the clavicles. Data were collected with ten volunteers (5 female, 5 male), each in their self-selected driving posture and in a reclined posture. Examination of the MRIs showed that in the males with substantial anterior abdominal adipose tissue, the abdominal adipose tissue tended to overhang the pelvis, narrowing in the region of the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS). For the females, the adipose tissue depth around the lower abdomen and pelvis was more uniform, with a more continuous layer superficial to the ASIS. Across the volunteers, the pelvis rotated rearward by an average of 62% of the change in seatback angle during recline. In some cases, the lap belt drew nearer to the pelvis as the volunteer reclined (as the overhanging folds of adipose tissue stretched). In others, the belt-to-pelvis distance increased as the volunteer reclined. These observations highlight the importance of considering both interdemographic and intrademographic variability when developing tools to assess safety system robustness., (Copyright © 2024 by ASME.)

Purpose: dentification of bioimpedance and clinical features in young men with chronic pelvic pain inflammatory syndrome (CP/CPPS NIH IIIa) depending on the somatotype., Method: s. 150 men of the first period of adulthood from 22 to 35 years old with CP/CPPS NIH IIIa were examined from 2018 to 2022 years. The average age was 31 [28; 34] year. Somatotypes were computed according to Carter and Heath. Body composition was assessed anthropometry and bioimpedance analysis., Results: Ectomorphs had the least clinical, laboratory and instrumental manifestations of CP/CPPS NIH IIIa, the levels of total and free testosterone were the highest. The active cell mass predominated in the component composition of the body. Manifestations in mesomorphs had a moderate degree of severity. Endomorphs had the most severe manifestations of CP/CPPS NIH IIIa, the largest amount of fat mass was noted in the body composition than in men of other somatotypes, the hormonal status was characterized by the lowest levels of free and total testosterone, and the highest level of estradiol., Discussion: Based on the literature data and our own results, it can be assumed that the identified changes in the body component composition and hormonal status of men contribute to the maintenance of chronic inflammation in the prostate, organ ischemia, impaired intracranial metabolism, recurrent course of CP/CPPS NIH IIIa, which significantly reduces the patients quality of life and increases the risk of prostate inflammation with age., Conclusion: Determining the somatotype and conducting a component analysis of body composition allows patients to be divided into groups according to the severity of manifestations of CP/CPPS NIH IIIa. The revealed patterns allow us to classify male endomorphs into the group with the most severe manifestations of CP/CPPS NIH IIIa.

Children tend to categorize novel objects according to their shape rather than their color, texture, or other salient properties-known as "shape bias." We investigated whether this bias also extends to the social domain, where it should lead children to categorize people according to their weight (their body shape) rather than their race (their skin color). In Study 1, participants (n = 50 US 4- and 5-year-olds) were asked to extend a novel label from a target object/person to either an object/person who shared the target's shape/weight, color/race, or neither. Children selected the shape-/weight-matched individual over the color-/race-matched individual (d objects  = 1.58, d people  = 0.99) and their shape biases were correlated across the two domains. In Study 2, participants (n = 20 US 4- and 5-year-olds) were asked to extend a novel internal property from a target person to either a person who shared the target's weight, race, or neither. Again, children selected the weight-matched individual (d = 1.98), suggesting they view an individual's weight as more predictive of their internal properties than their race. Overall, results suggest that children's early shape bias extends into the social domain. Implications for weight bias and early social cognition are discussed. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Preschoolers extend novel labels based on people's weight rather than their race. Preschoolers infer internal features based on people's weight rather than their race. Shape biases are present, and correlated, across the social and object domains., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

High cortisol production in Cushing's syndrome leads to fat centralisation. The influence of modest cortisol variations on body shape, however, is less clear. We examined potentially causal associations between morning plasma cortisol and body shape and obesity with inverse-variance weighted random-effects models in a two-sample Mendelian randomisation analysis. We used publicly available summary statistics from the CORtisol NETwork (CORNET) consortium, UK Biobank, and the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) consortium. Only in women, morning plasma cortisol (proxied by ten genetic polymorphisms) was associated positively with waist size reflected in waist-to-hip index (WHI, 0.035 standard deviation (SD) units change per one SD cortisol increase; 95% confidence interval (0.002-0.067); p = 0.036) and "a body shape index" (ABSI; 0.039 (0.006-0.071); p = 0.021). There was no evidence for associations with hip index (HI) or body mass index (BMI). Among individual polymorphisms, rs7450600 stood out (chromosome 6; Long Intergenic Non-Protein-Coding RNA 473 gene, LINC00473). Morning plasma cortisol proxied by rs7450600 was associated positively with WHI and inversely with HI and BMI in women and men. Our findings support a causal association of higher morning plasma cortisol with larger waist size in women and highlight LINC00473 as a genetic link between morning plasma cortisol and body shape., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The aim of the study was to identify the variables of the internal compensatory mechanisms that differentiate the body build and posture of people with Down syndrome (DS) from the intellectual disability (ID) population. It was assumed that gaining knowledge in the abovementioned aspect will allow for a better understanding of the limitation of the kinesthetic abilities of people with ID and DS and simultaneously enable to optimize the process of planning and interventions to improve physical activity in this population with the adequate use of theirs strengths in the biomechanical and morphofunctional systems., Methods: The methodology of this systematic review was developed according to the PRISMA guidelines. A search of PubMed, EBSCO, Scopus databases was conducted to identify all studies on DS/ID and the body build and posture from 2003 to 2023., Results: 395 articles were assessed to determine eligibility, while 22 studies met the inclusion criteria and were subjected to detailed analysis and assessment of their methodological quality. The differentiation of the body build and posture in DS population can be induced by both internal and external compensatory mechanisms. It is difficult to confirm the direct effect of the intrinsic variables that impact the body build and posture in the ID population, excluding people with DS., Conclusions: Compared to other ID, the intrinsic differences in the body build and posture in DS individuals were induced by gender, age, and level of ID. The tendency for diversity between DS and other ID populations in body build and posture may be determined by the presence of the third copy of chromosome 21 in DS group. Internal compensatory processes may be induced mainly by abnormalities in the structure of the cervical vertebrae and feet. IQ should not be used as the only variable that identifies the population of people with ID., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: To explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI), chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) and the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in populations with different body types defined by BMI., Methods and Results: 24 191 participants from the Jinchang cohort were involved in the prospective cohort study with a 2.3-year follow-up. Information from epidemiological investigations, comprehensive health examinations and biochemical examinations was collected. MASLD was assessed by abdominal ultrasonography. BMI and CVAI were calculated using recognized formulas. Cox regressions, Restricted cubic spline (RCS) and Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed. The risk of MASLD increased with the increase in BMI and CVAI (P trend <0.001), and there was a nonlinear dose-response relationship. In the total population, BMI and CVAI increased the risk of MASLD with adjusted HR (95%CI) of 1.097 (1.091-1.104) and 1.024 (1.023-1.026), respectively. The results were similar in the lean and overweight/obese groups. There was also a nonlinear relationship between CVAI and MASLD (P non-linearity <0.001), no matter in which group. The area under the curve of CVAI was significantly higher than that of BMI in females with different body types, and the areas in the whole females were 0.802 (95%CI: 0.787-0.818) and 0.764 (95%CI: 0.747-0.780), respectively. There was no significant difference in the ability of BMI and CVAI to predict MASLD in all-sex and males, either in lean or overweight/obese groups., Conclusions: CVAI and BMI were independently associated with the risk of MASLD regardless of body types defined by BMI, and CVAI showed better diagnostic ability for MASLD in females., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None declared., (Copyright © 2023 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Obesity and diabetes are associated inversely with low-grade prostate cancer risk and affect steroid hormone synthesis but whether they modify each other's impact on prostate cancer risk remains unknown., Methods: We examined the independent associations of diabetes, body mass index (BMI), 'a body shape index' (ABSI), hip index (HI), circulating testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) (per one standard deviation increase) and oestradiol ≥175 pmol/L with total prostate cancer risk using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models for UK Biobank men. We evaluated multiplicative interactions (p MI ) and additive interactions (relative excess risk from interaction (p RERI ), attributable proportion (p AR ), synergy index (p SI )) with obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 ) and diabetes., Results: During a mean follow-up of 10.3 years, 9417 incident prostate cancers were diagnosed in 195,813 men. Diabetes and BMI were associated more strongly inversely with prostate cancer risk when occurring together (p MI  = 0.0003, p RERI  = 0.032, p AP  = 0.020, p SI  = 0.002). ABSI was associated positively in obese men (HR = 1.081; 95% CI = 1.030-1.135) and men with diabetes (HR = 1.114; 95% CI = 1.021-1.216). The inverse associations with obesity and diabetes were attenuated for high-ABSI ≥79.8 (p MI  = 0.022, p RERI  = 0.008, p AP  = 0.005, p SI  <0.0001 obesity; p MI  = 0.017, p RERI  = 0.047, p AP  = 0.025, p SI  = 0.0005 diabetes). HI was associated inversely in men overall (HR = 0.967; 95% CI = 0.947-0.988). Free testosterone (FT) was associated most strongly positively in normal weight men (HR = 1.098; 95% CI = 1.045-1.153) and men with diabetes (HR = 1.189; 95% CI = 1.081-1.308). Oestradiol was associated inversely in obese men (HR = 0.805; 95% CI = 0.682-0.951). The inverse association with obesity was stronger for high-FT ≥243 pmol/L (p RERI  = 0.040, p AP  = 0.031, p SI  = 0.002) and high-oestradiol (p RERI  = 0.030, p AP  = 0.012, p SI  <0.0001). The inverse association with diabetes was attenuated for high-FT (p MI  = 0.008, p RERI  = 0.015, p AP  = 0.009, p SI  = 0.0006). SHBG was associated inversely in men overall (HR = 0.918; 95% CI = 0.895-0.941), more strongly for high-HI ≥49.1 (p MI  = 0.024)., Conclusions: Obesity and diabetes showed synergistic inverse associations with prostate cancer risk, likely involving testosterone reduction for diabetes and oestrogen generation for obesity, which were attenuated for high-ABSI. HI and SHBG showed synergistic inverse associations with prostate cancer risk., (© 2024 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Understanding why some clades diversify greatly while others do not is a major goal of evolutionary biology. Both abiotic and biotic factors are important in driving unequal morphological diversity across the tree of life. However, few studies have quantified how abiotic habitat and community composition differences influence unequal morphological diversification in spatiotemporally diffuse radiations. We use geometric morphometrics, abiotic habitat data generated by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyses, evolutionary simulations, and phylogenetic comparative methods to determine whether random evolution, habitat variation, competition for niches, or a combination of factors influenced the unequal body shape diversity of a Gondwanan freshwater fish radiation. We find that Neotropical characiform lineages, which exhibit substantially more body shape diversity than their African counterparts, occupy significantly more slope and elevation habitats than African lineages. Differences in habitat occupation between the continental radiations occur through a combination of likely competition with cypriniform fishes in Africa restricting access to higher slope and elevation habitats and significantly more low-elevation and slope habitats available in the Neotropics. Our findings suggest that spatiotemporally widespread radiations, like Characiformes, do not diversify across homogenized habitats and biotic assemblages, with differences in community structure and physical habitat playing an important role in driving unequal morphological diversification., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE). All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Length-weight relationships (LWR) and relative condition factor were described for species of deep-water crustaceans caught with bottom trawls in a depth range between 150 and 535 m during August and December of 2009, and March and May of 2010 in the Colombian Caribbean Sea. A linear regression was performed using the logarithmically transformed data to calculate the a and b coefficients of the LWR for 22 crustacean species corresponding to 13 families and 19 genera and three types of crustaceans (shrimp, crab, lobster). Six crustacean species showed a maximum total length greater than that reported in SeaLifeBase: Garymunida longipes (77.00 mm), Eunephrops bairdii (220.00 mm), Metanephrops binghami (197.46 mm), Penaeopsis serrata (149.00 mm), Polycheles typhlops (196.27 mm) and Pleoticus robustus (240.00 mm). A total of 11 species (50.0%) exhibited isometric growth, five species (22.7%) negative allometric and six species (27.3%) positive allometric. This study shows the first estimates of LWR for 12 species of deep-water crustaceans in the Colombian Caribbean Sea. We demonstrate for the first time that the growth parameters (intercept and slope) of the LWR varying significantly as a function of the body shape of crabs, lobsters and shrimps in deep-water crustaceans., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article., (©2024 Paramo et al.)

How is the fundamental sense of one's body, a basic aspect of selfhood, incorporated into memories for events? Disrupting bodily self-awareness during encoding impairs functioning of the left posterior hippocampus during retrieval, which implies weakened encoding. However, how changes in bodily self-awareness influence neural encoding is unknown. We investigated how the sense of body ownership, a core aspect of the bodily self, impacts encoding in the left posterior hippocampus and additional core memory regions including the angular gyrus. Furthermore, we assessed the degree to which memories are reinstated according to body ownership during encoding and vividness during retrieval as a measure of memory strength. We immersed participants in naturalistic scenes where events unfolded while we manipulated feelings of body ownership with a full-body-illusion during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. One week later, participants retrieved memories for the videos during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. A whole brain analysis revealed that patterns of activity in regions including the right hippocampus and angular gyrus distinguished between events encoded with strong versus weak body ownership. A planned region-of-interest analysis showed that patterns of activity in the left posterior hippocampus specifically could predict body ownership during memory encoding. Using the wider network of regions sensitive to body ownership during encoding and the left posterior hippocampus as separate regions-of-interest, we observed that patterns of activity present at encoding were reinstated more during the retrieval of events encoded with strong body ownership and high memory vividness. Our results demonstrate how the sense of physical self is bound within an event during encoding, which facilitates reactivation of a memory trace during retrieval., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press.)

This study demonstrates how to generate a three-dimensional (3D) body model through a small number of images and derive body values similar to the actual values using generated 3D body data. In this study, a 3D body model that can be used for body type diagnosis was developed using two full-body pictures of the front and side taken with a mobile phone. For data training, 400 3D body datasets (male: 200, female: 200) provided by Size Korea were used, and four models, i.e., 3D recurrent reconstruction neural network, point cloud generative adversarial network, skinned multi-person linear model, and pixel-aligned impact function for high-resolution 3D human digitization, were used. The models proposed in this study were analyzed and compared. A total of 10 men and women were analyzed, and their corresponding 3D models were verified by comparing 3D body data derived from 2D image inputs with those obtained using a body scanner. The model was verified through the difference between 3D data derived from the 2D image and those derived using an actual body scanner. Unlike the 3D generation models that could not be used to derive the body values in this study, the proposed model was successfully used to derive various body values, indicating that this model can be implemented to identify various body types and monitor obesity in the future.

Objective: Aim: The current study introduces a novel diagnostic algorithm employing bioimpedance analysis to comprehensively evaluate body composition in children, assessing fat content, skeletal muscle content, and fat distribution., Patients and Methods: Materials and Methods: Bioelectrical impedance measurements were obtained using the TANITA MC-780 MA analyzer. Indicators such as body weight, BMI, total fat content, absolute limb muscle mass, skeletal muscle strength, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were assessed. A sample of 101 children aged 9 to 14 were studied using the proposed algorithm, refining BMI-based classifications., Results: Results: The algorithm comprises three steps, categorizing children based on fat content, presence of sarcopenia, and central fat distribution. It identified diverse somatotypes within the groups classified by BMI. Notably, it revealed prognostically unfavorable somatotypes, such as sarcopenic obesity with central fat distribution, highlighting potential health risks. Current BMI-centric diagnoses may misclassify cardiometabolic risks, making early detection challenging. The algorithm enables a detailed evaluation, unmasking metabolically unfavorable conditions like sarcopenic obesity. The incorporation of functional tests, such as a standardized hand-grip test, enhances diagnostic accuracy. The proposed WHR indicator for characterizing fat distribution provides a practical method for determining somatotypes in children., Conclusion: Conclusions: This comprehensive algorithm offers an alternative to BMI-based classifications, enabling early detection of obesity and associated risks. Further validation through large-scale epidemiological studies is essential to establish correlations between somatotypes and cardiometabolic risks, fostering a more nuanced and individualized approach to pediatric obesity management.

Objective: The goal of this follow-up to a randomized proof-of-concept study was to determine if targeting body shape concern (BSC) has a clinically significant impact on long-term weight change among adult women of higher body weight with BSC. A secondary aim was to observe the maintenance of body image improvements during follow-up., Method: In the original 4-week trial, women were randomized to behavioral weight loss recommendations alone (control; n = 15) or combined with the evidence-based body project intervention (n = 17). All participants were directed to continue monitoring diet and exercise through Week 8. The current analysis focused on follow-up data collected on weight, BSC, internalized weight bias, internalized thin ideal, and body appreciation at 8 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months. Percent weight change was calculated from baseline and compared against clinical milestones of -2.5% and -5%. An intent-to-treat approach was used for individuals lost to follow-up (n = 11)., Results: Body project participants achieved the clinically significant target of -2.5% weight loss by 12 months. Control participants did not reach the milestone and regained lost weight at 12 months. Neither condition reached the 5% clinical target. Both groups experienced improved body image, but body project participants maintained a greater magnitude of improvement in all measures except internalized thin ideal at 12 months., Conclusion: The current study provides preliminary evidence that targeting BSC among women with BSC who want to lose weight may improve long-term weight loss. Further intervention development and testing are warranted., Public Significance: The results of this study suggest that targeting negative body image among adult women with high BSC might be a pathway to improve long-term weight loss in behavioral weight management. This is aligned with precision medicine priorities to optimize weight-related health care., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: The current study aimed to examine how the trajectory of a body shape index (ABSI) could predict mortality in a prospective cohort of 5587 participants., Methods: A Growth Mixture Model (GMM) was employed to identify ABSI and body shape trajectories spanning from 2000 to 2018. Multivariate Cox regression models with hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were built to assess the association of death from all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) with ABSI and body shape trajectories., Results: We found that individuals with a low ABSI-marked increase (Class II) and high ABSI-marked increase trajectory (Class III) had a higher risk of all-cause (adjusted HR for Class II, 1.37; 95%CI, 1.04-1.79; adjusted HR for Class III, 1.42; 95%CI, 1.05-1.91) and non- CVD mortality (adjusted HR for Class II, 1.38; 95%CI, 1.00-1.91; adjusted HR for Class III, 1.42; 95%CI, 1.00-2.05) as well as an increased risk of CVD (adjusted HR for Class II, 1.40; 95%CI, 1.14-1.71; adjusted HR for Class III, 1.42; 95%CI, 1.13-1.78) and coronary heart disease (CHD) (adjusted HR for Class II, 1.52; 95%CI, 1.18-1.96; adjusted HR for Class III, 1.47; 95%CI, 1.11-1.95. The trajectories of body shape phenotypes did not show any significant associations with mortality, CVD, or CHD events., Conclusions: ABSI trajectories might be associated with subsequent risk of mortality and CVD events., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Kazemian, Mehran, Masoumi, Amouzegar and Azizi.)

Background/objectives: Body shape misperception (BSM) is the disagreement between the subjectively perceived body size and body mass index. This study investigated the association between BSM and unhealthy eating behaviors (UEB) among Korean adolescents., Subjects/methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2019 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey with 55,748 participants. UEB were measured according to the weekly consumption frequency of caffeinated energy drinks, fast food, carbonated beverages, and sugar-sweetened beverages. The covariates included demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and health-related factors. Multiple logistic regression analysis determined the association between BSM and UEB., Results: Among the participants, 37,607 (67.5%) reported UEB. The gap between UEB among those with BSM was the largest between the underestimated and accurately estimated groups. Participants who underestimated their body shape were likelier to engage in UEB (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.25). Both sexes with underestimation of body size showed an association with UEB compared to those with accurate estimations (girls: AOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.09-1.30; boys: AOR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.26)., Conclusions: Underestimating body shape can provoke UEB among Korean adolescents. The need for appropriate school health interventional programs to prevent underestimating body shape is emphasized to avoid UEB., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no potential conflicts of interests., (©2023 The Korean Nutrition Society and the Korean Society of Community Nutrition.)

Variation in morphological traits of anurans has evolved due to the pressures imposed by inhabiting different environments. The Japanese stream toad, Bufo torrenticola , breeds in running water, such as mountain streams, where the larvae grow. This lotic-breeding habit of B. torrenticola was suggested to have evolved from a lentic-breeding ancestor. Evolutionary shift of breeding habit from lentic- to lotic-breeding caused larval morphological changes to adapt to the stream habitat. However, morphological adaptation associated with the larval habitat of these three types of Japanese toads has not been explored well. In this study, we applied geometric morphometrics and distance measurements to compare body and eye characters among the tadpoles of three Japanese toads. The results showed that B. torrenticola has more dorsally and posteriorly positioned eyes, and a longer and wider rostrum because of having a larger mouth and more-developed oral muscles than its close relatives. These characters might be related to lotic lifestyle. Meanwhile, tadpoles of B. torrenticola and its sister taxon B. japonicus japonicus showed similar eye growth pattern, supporting their close phylogenetic relationship. Some of the lotic-adapted characters have also been reported in other lotic tadpoles, which is indicative of convergent evolution among stream-adapted tadpoles.

Body shape is a fundamental metric of animal diversity affecting critical behavioral and ecological dynamics and conservation status, yet previously available methods capture only a fraction of total body-shape variance. Here we use structure-from-motion (SFM) 3D photogrammetry to generate digital 3D models of adult fishes from the Lower Mississippi Basin, one of the most diverse temperate-zone freshwater faunas on Earth, and 3D geometric morphometrics to capture morphologically distinct shape variables, interpreting principal components as growth fields. The mean body shape in this fauna resembles plesiomorphic teleost fishes, and the major dimensions of body-shape disparity are similar to those of other fish faunas worldwide. Major patterns of body-shape disparity are structured by phylogeny, with nested clades occupying distinct portions of the morphospace, most of the morphospace occupied by multiple distinct clades, and one clade (Acanthomorpha) accounting for over half of the total body shape variance. In contrast to previous studies, variance in body depth (59.4%) structures overall body-shape disparity more than does length (31.1%), while width accounts for a non-trivial (9.5%) amount of the total body-shape disparity., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Endotherms use their appendages-such as legs, tails, ears and bills-for thermoregulation by controlling blood flow to near-surface blood vessels, conserving heat when it is cold, and dissipating heat in hot conditions. Larger appendages allow greater heat dissipation, and appendage sizes vary latitudinally according to Allen's rule. However, little is known about the relative importance of different appendages for thermoregulation. We investigate physiological control of heat loss via bird bills and legs using infrared thermography of wild birds. Our results demonstrate that birds are less able to regulate heat loss via their bills than their legs. In cold conditions, birds lower their leg surface temperature to below that of their plumage surface, retaining heat at their core. In warm conditions, birds increase their leg surface temperature to above that of their plumage surface, expelling heat. By contrast, bill surface temperature remains approximately 2°C warmer than the plumage surface, indicating consistent heat loss under almost all conditions. Poorer physiological control of heat loss via bird bills likely entails stronger selection for shorter bills in cold climates. This could explain why bird bills show stronger latitudinal size clines than bird legs, with implications for predicting shape-shifting responses to climate change.

Background: Epidemiologic studies have established obesity as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). These studies relied on body-mass index (BMI) and body size silhouettes as the primary measures of obesity. Unfortunately, the causal mechanisms through which obesity confers MS risk are not yet known., Objectives: To investigate the causal effects of multiple specific measures of body fat on MS risk in populations of European descent, using Mendelian randomization (MR)., Methods: MR is a genetic instrumental variable analysis utilizing genome-wide association (GWA) summary statistics to infer causality between phenotypes. MR analyses were performed to investigate the relationships between seven measures of body fat (BMI, waist-hip ratio, visceral adipose tissue [VAT], subcutaneous adipose tissue, and arm-, leg-, and trunk-fat to total body fat ratio) and MS risk., Results: Only BMI and VAT were significantly associated with MS risk in separate MR analyses (β BMI =0.27, p BMI <0.001; β VAT =0.28, p VAT =0.006). High correlation between BMI and VAT instruments suggest that two-sample MR associations for BMI and VAT likely capture the same causal mechanisms., Conclusions: BMI and VAT were causally associated with MS risk in European populations, though their effects do not appear independent, suggesting overlap in the role of overall body mass and visceral obesity in MS pathogenesis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A Body Shape Index (ABSI) predicts mortality independent of body mass index and had a negative relationship with self-rated health (SRH), which had a positive effect on the EuroQol (EQ)-5D index. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ABSI and the EQ-5D index and to verify the mediating effect of SRH in Korean adults. This study included 13,381 participants aged ≥20 years from the 7th (2016-2018) Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The participants were classified into tertile groups based on the ABSI (T1, T2, and T3 groups). Demographic characteristics, health-related factors, ABSI, SRH, and EQ-5D scores were evaluated. Women (p<0.001), rural areas (p<0.001), married persons (p<0.001), low education level (p<0.001), low income (p<0.001), and older age (p<0.001) were higher in the T3 group. The monthly drinking (p<0.001), current smoking (p<0.001), and mental stress rates (p<0.001) were the highest in the T1 group. The overall average SRH scores and EQ-5D index were 3.08 points and 0.94 points, respectively. ABSI and SRH (r = -0.161, p<0.001) and ABSI and EQ-5D (r = -0.229, p<0.001) showed a negative correlation. However, SRH and EQ-5D scores (r = 0.433, p<0.001) were positively correlated. The overall effect of the independent variable ABSI on the dependent variable EQ-5D was -0.959. SRH partially mediated the effect of ABSI on EQ-5D (indirect effect coefficient = -0.200). These results can be used as basic data to develop strategies and programs to improve health-related quality of life by adjusting ABSI and SRH., Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests., (Copyright: © 2023 Her et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Anthropometric parameters are crucial prerequisite to achieve success in professional running sports. However, it is not clear how these parameters are relevant for athletes performing on a less demanding sport level as academic competitions. To help coaches and selectors working on this level, we have explored anthropometric variables and body composition in 68 academic athletes: 26 sprinters, 22 middle distance runners, and 20 long distance runners. Sprinters have a more massive body shape, shorter lower legs in relation to the length of the thigh, broader shoulders and narrower hips, greater musculature and cellular mass. A slender figure, a longer shin, and the greatest subcutaneous fat and extracellular mass characterize long-distance runners. Middle-distance runners are the slimmest, and have a narrow trunk and little subcutaneous fat. Sprinters and long-distance runners are mesomorphic, while middle-distance runners present more mixed mesomorph-ectomorph type. The principal component analysis highlighted the importance of the overall size of the body, limbs musculature and the length of the lower limb together with its segments, and also body fatness. This approach emphasized the morphological distinctiveness of runners at particular distances and allows the use of somatic features as predictors of running performance., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between breast cancer and somatotypes during early life by meta-analysis and give the corresponding advice., Methods: Observational studies till April 5, 2021, which explore women with/without breast cancer who used the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale/Sørensen Somatotypes to evaluate their somatotype before 18 years of age and distant breast cancer risk were included. Using random/fixed-effect models, the pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Then a nonlinear dose-response meta-analysis was conducted using restricted cubic spline analysis., Results: Six articles involving 15,211 breast cancer patients from 341,905 individuals were included for performing a meta-analysis of early somatotype and breast cancer risk. The pooled results showed that the protection became stronger with the increase of somatotype until it reached 6. The restricted cubic spline model indicated a linear relationship between somatotypes and breast cancer (P-nonlinearity = 0.533). Subgroup analysis of menopausal status showed that increasing somatotype during childhood was increasingly protective against postmenopausal breast cancer from somatotype 3 to somatotype 6, with a 0.887-fold (RR = 0.887, 95% CI: 0.842, 0.934) to 0.759-fold (RR = 0.759, 95% CI: 0.631, 0.913) decreased risk of breast cancer (P-nonlinearity = 0.880), but this association was not found in the population with premenopausal breast cancer (P-nonlinearity = 0.757). When stratified by age, among people younger than 10 years of age, an increase in somatotype was associated with a statistically significant reduction in breast cancer risk. From somatotype 3 to somatotype 6, the risk of breast cancer was reduced by 9.7-27.7% (P-nonlinearity = 0.175)., Conclusions: With early-life adiposity, our data support an inverse association with breast cancer risk, especially age less than 10 years and in postmenopausal women. Since girls with overweight likely remain overweight or even develop obesity in adulthood. While adults with overweight and obese are at increased risk of breast cancer and other types of cancer and various chronic diseases. Hence, we recommend that children should maintain a normal or slightly fat somatotype throughout all periods of life., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Evaluating lifelong weight trajectories is challenging due to the high costs of studies that follow individuals from childhood to adulthood. The use of silhouette scales has been a new approach to assess the body shape trajectory across life as a proxy for body weight trajectory. Depending on body shape trajectories, individuals may be more prone to develop diseases in adulthood. Therefore, identifying factors related to them is essential for public health. This study aimed to evaluate body shape trajectories across the lifespan and to verify associations between them, birth weight, body mass index, and sociodemographic conditions in a Brazilian cohort., Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis conducted with 14,014 participants of first follow-up data collection of Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). ELSA-Brasil is a multicentric prospective cohort study initiated in 2008 with civil servants of six public institutions in the Northeast, South and Southeast regions of Brazil. We applied a clustering method to longitudinal data to identify body shape trajectories from 5 to 40 years of age and assessed the associations between these trajectories and birth weight, body mass index and sociodemographic conditions (race, education, maternal education and monthly per capita family income) using multiple correspondence analysis., Results: We found five body shape trajectories for women and three for men. Low birth weight was associated with a slight to moderate increase in shape. High birth weight was associated with maintaining large body size in both sexes and markedly increased body shape in women. Higher sociodemographic status and white race were associated with marked increases in body shape in men and maintenance of medium body shape in women., Conclusions: The study shows that variables related to worse lifetime weight status (evaluated by anthropometry), such as presence of obesity, are also associated with worse body shape trajectories, as assessed with silhouette scales. Our results suggest that body shape trajectories are a good indicator of body weight trajectories and may be used when cohort studies are not possible., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Overweight and obese females demonstrate a significantly increased risk of anovulatory infertility. This study aims to investigate whether depression score could mediate the association between a body shape index (ABSI) and infertility, especially in overweight and obese population., Methods: We included 5431 adult female Americans from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2013-2018) database. ABSI manifested the body shape using waist circumference, weight, and height. Infertility or fertility status was defined by interviewing female participants aged ≥ 18 through the reproductive health questionnaires. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) with total scores between 0 and 27. To investigate the association of infertility with ABSI and other individual components, survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression was performed. Mediation analysis of PHQ-9 score was conducted to disentangle the pathways that link ABSI to infertility among the NHANES participants., Results: 596 (10.97%) females were categorized with having infertility among 5431 participants. Participants with infertility showed higher ABSI and PHQ-9 score, appearing greater population proportion with depression symptoms. In the multivariable logistic regression model, ABSI (adjusted odds ratio = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.50) and PHQ-9 (adjusted odds ratio = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.07) were positively associated with infertility. PHQ-9 score was estimated to mediate 0.2% (P = 0.03) of the link between ABSI and infertility in all individuals, but to mediate 13.5% (P < 0.01) of the ABSI-infertility association in overweight and obese adult females., Conclusion: The association between ABSI and infertility seems to be mediated by depression symptoms scored by PHQ-9, especially in those adult females with overweigh and obesity. Future studies should be implemented to further explore this mediator in ABSI-infertility link., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Endorsement of the thin beauty ideal increases risk for future body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among women. Visual-based media is theorized to be a central pathway through which the thin ideal is internalized. This internalization process results in formation of automatic pro-thin and anti-fat attitudes. However, it is often difficult to separate the contribution of visual-based media and other forms of communication in the creation of such attitudes. Using a novel auditory implicit association test, we show that women with congenital blindness with no previous exposure to body shapes develop automatic pro-thin and anti-fat attitudes to the same extent as sighted women. This result was replicated in studies conducted in two countries involving a combined total of 62 women with blindness and 80 sighted women. Results suggest that internalization of the thin ideal can occur without visual exposure to images of the thin beauty ideal or visual exposure to one's own body., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To study the somatotype variations adjusted by altitude, age, sex, and BMI categories, and to assess the health status of the children population., Methods: A sample of 460 children aged 8-13 years was assessed in a cross-sectional study conducted on anthropometric measurements between 2011 and 2015. Data were categorized into two age groups: Group 8-10, Group 11-13 and two altitudes: Highland (>2000 masl), lowland (<2000 masl). The somatotypic profile was determined by the Heath and Carter's study method and the Body Mass Index was used to assess children nutritional status. Generalized linear latent variable models (GLLVM) were performed to test the association between somatotype and geographic altitude. Individual age-sex specific somatotypes were plotted in a two-dimension somatochart, and group dispersion was displayed by the somatotype attitudinal mean., Results: The sample has an overall endomorph-mesomorph body type, exhibiting different patterns when altitude and sex were considered. The GLLVM showed that the whole somatotype was different by altitude. Highland children occupied central to endomorphic-mesomorphic places in the somatochart with lower variation. In both altitudes, girls exhibited higher endomorphy than boys. Several discrepancies between the BMI categorization and the somatotype were observed., Conclusions: Jujenean children show differential body patterns across geographic altitude which exhibit age and sex variations. Children have a differential tendency to a fat mass gain. The BMI showed some inconsistencies with somatotype, leading to a misclassification of the child nutritional status, this highlights the importance of not to treat the BMI in isolation but with other determinants of the health status., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

I examined the actual situation of the desire to be thin among young Japanese women from the perspective of ideal body shape and actual measured body shape. In total, 90 young Japanese women were evaluated using a questionnaire (perceived body shape and desired body composition change) and assessments of sarcopenia (muscle strength, physical ability, and muscle mass). Participants were classified into the underweight (body mass index [BMI] < 18.5 kg/m 2 , 74%), normal-weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m 2 , 20%), or obese (25 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m 2 , 6%) groups. The normal-weight group needed to gain an average of 2.2 kg to reach the objective ideal weight, but participants desired to lose an average of 4.5 kg. The underweight group needed to gain an average of 10.3 kg to reach the objective ideal weight, but participants desired to maintain their current body weight. Data on muscle mass for the diagnosis of sarcopenia showed low values for the underweight group. Most participants were classified into the normal-weight and underweight groups, but these groups showed a high percentage of women with a desire to be thin. The body shape of young adult women should be carefully considered not only as a health issue of thinness during the fertile period but also as a countermeasure to sarcopenia (low skeletal muscle mass) during the aging process., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic low-grade inflammation. Although chronic inflammatory conditions and diabetes are associated with anaemia, less is known about associations of obesity and body shape, independent of each other, with erythrocyte and reticulocyte parameters., Methods: We investigated the associations of body mass index (BMI) and the allometric body shape index (ABSI) and hip index (HI), which are uncorrelated with BMI, with erythrocyte and reticulocyte parameters (all continuous, on a standard deviation (SD) scale) in UK Biobank participants without known metabolic, endocrine, or major inflammatory conditions (glycated haemoglobin HbA1c < 48 mmol/mol, C-reactive protein CRP < 10 mg/L). We examined erythrocyte count, total reticulocyte count and percent, immature reticulocyte count and fraction (IRF), haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular haemoglobin mass (MCH) and concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular and reticulocyte volumes (MCV, MRV), and red cell distribution width (RDW) in multivariable linear regression models. We additionally defined body shape phenotypes with dichotomised ABSI (≥ 73 women; ≥ 80 men) and HI (≥ 64 women; ≥ 49 men), including "pear" (small-ABSI-large-HI) and "apple" (large-ABSI-small-HI), and examined these in groups according to BMI (18.5-25 normal weight; 25-30 overweight; 30-45 kg/m 2 obese)., Results: In 105,853 women and 100,854 men, BMI and ABSI were associated positively with haemoglobin, haematocrit, and erythrocyte count, and more strongly with total reticulocyte count and percent, immature reticulocyte count and IRF. HI was associated inversely with all, but least with IRF. Associations were comparable in women and men. In groups according to obesity and body shape, erythrocyte count was ~ 0.6 SD higher for obese-"apple" compared to normal-weight-"pear" phenotype (SD = 0.31*10 12 /L women, SD = 0.34*10 12 /L men), total reticulocyte count was ~ 1.1 SD higher (SD = 21.1*10 9 /L women, SD = 23.6*10 9 /L men), immature reticulocyte count was ~ 1.2 SD higher (SD = 7.9*10 9 /L women, SD = 8.8*10 9 /L men), total reticulocyte percent was ~ 1.0 SD higher (SD = 0.48% women and men), and IFR was over 0.7 SD higher (SD = 5.7% women and men). BMI but not ABSI or HI was associated more weakly inversely with MCV, MRV, and MCH, but positively with MCHC in men and RDW in women., Conclusions: In obesity uncomplicated with diabetes, larger BMI and ABSI are associated with increased erythropoiesis and reticulocyte immaturity., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

In addition to age-related weight gain, menopause adds additional challenges for women with the occurrence of significant metabolic alterations and central and visceral fat redistribution. The changes in body composition then influence risks of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disruption, cancer, fracture, lung disease, sexual dysfunction, mental health disorders and dementia. They may also heighten the severity of vasomotor symptoms. Treatment of these changes requires a flexible long-term strategy. This narrative review explores the pathogenesis of the metabolic changes at menopause and effective management options.

A concern of reverse causation exists about the association between nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) prognosis and body mass index (BMI) at diagnosis, while the prognostic impact of BMI measured years before diagnosis is unknown. Therefore, we investigated associations of prediagnosis and pretreatment BMI and body shape on NPC mortality. From a population-based patient cohort in southern China between 2010 and 2013, we included 2526 incident NPC cases with prospective follow-up through 2018. We assessed the associations of BMI and body shape at age 20 years, 10 years before diagnosis, and at diagnosis with NPC mortality, combining strategies of stratification and statistical adjustment to minimize reverse causation. We observed 25% lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64-0.89) and 25% lower NPC-specific mortality (HR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.61-0.91) among overweight vs normal-weight NPC cases at diagnosis. Lean body shapes 1 and 2 at diagnosis were associated with 68% and 23% higher all-cause mortality, respectively, compared to normal body shape 3. No effect modification by cancer stage was detected for associations with all-cause or NPC-specific mortality. Associations with BMI and body shape 10 years before diagnosis were similar but attenuated, while body size and shape at age 20 were not associated with mortality. Being overweight at diagnosis decreased mortality, and thinner body shape increased mortality, compared to normal weight/body shape. These associations may be due to poorer nutrition and treatment intolerance, resulting in treatment discontinuation and worse survival outcomes., (© 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Cancer published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of UICC.)

Context: The establishment of a correlation between tooth dimensions and body size is crucial within the realm of forensic odontology. While numerous investigations have focused on the association between tooth morphology or width and stature, limited reports exist regarding the correlation between overall body structure or build and odontogenic parameters. This study focuses on finding a correlation between inter-arch dimensions and the body build of an individual., Aims: This study aimed to examine the potential correlation between an individual's somatotype (body build) and the measurements of inter-canine and inter-premolar maxillary arch widths., Study Settings: Dayananda Sagar College of Dental Sciences., Study Design: A cross-sectional study., Methods and Material: The sample size of the study was 153 individuals aged 18-25 years. Impressions for the maxillary arch were taken, study models were made and inter-arch measurements were taken using a digital Vernier calliper. For body build measurements, Heath-Carter somatotype measuring technique was used. The collected data were entered into an Excel sheet, and statistical analysis was done., Statistical Analysis Used: Principal component analysis., Results: On using principal component analysis, it was seen that there exists no correlation between body build of an individual when compared to inter-canine and inter-premolar distances., Conclusions: While no positive correlation has been seen between the odontometric parameters and specific body type, it can be argued that this can be due to the cited limitations of the study. Hence, we conclude with the note that a more detailed study would offer more viable and credible results., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.)

Aim: To examine the association between body mass index (BMI)-independent allometric body shape indices and kidney function., Materials and Methods: We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, using summary statistics from UK Biobank, CKDGen and DIAGRAM. BMI-independent allometric body shape indices were: A Body Shape Index (ABSI), Waist-Hip Index (WHI) and Hip Index (HI). Kidney function outcomes were: urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), estimated glomerular filtration rate and blood urea nitrogen. Furthermore, we investigated type 2 diabetes (T2D) as a potential mediator on the pathway to albuminuria. The main analysis was inverse variance-weighted random-effects MR in participants of European ancestry. We also performed several sensitivity MR analyses., Results: A 1-standard deviation (SD) increase in genetically predicted ABSI and WHI levels was associated with higher UACR (β = 0.039 [95% confidence interval: 0.016, 0.063] log [UACR], P = 0.001 for ABSI, and β = 0.028 [0.012, 0.044] log [UACR], P = 6 x 10 -4 for WHI) in women, but not in men. Meanwhile, a 1-SD increase in genetically predicted HI was associated with lower UACR in women (β = -0.021 [-0.041, 0.000] log [UACR], P = 0.05) and in men (β = -0.026 [-0.058, 0.005] log [UACR], P = 0.10). Corresponding estimates in individuals with diabetes were substantially augmented. Risk of T2D increased for genetically high ABSI and WHI in women (P < 6 x 10 -19 ) only, but decreased for genetically high HI in both sexes (P < 9 x 10 -3 ). No other associations were observed., Conclusions: Genetically high HI was associated with decreased risk of albuminuria, mediated through decreased T2D risk in both sexes. Opposite associations applied to genetically high ABSI and WHI in women only., (© 2023 The Authors. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Certain demographic groups are less likely to receive efficient Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and poor representation of these groups in the manikins used for CPR simulation may play a role. The aim of the DIVERSE Study was to survey organizations that teach CPR to determine the demographic characteristics of the manikins they utilize for simulations. Institutions, businesses, and non-governmental organizations which provide CPR certification in North and Latin America were surveyed through a collaboration with the Emerging Leaders group of the Interamerican Society of Cardiology (SIAC). A total of 56 survey responses were received from North America (n = 18; 869 total manikins) and Latin America (n = 38; 1514 total manikins). Of the total manikins (n = 2383), 12% were non-white, 6% represented women, <1% represented a non-lean body habitus, and 1% represented pregnant individuals. Despite the importance of diverse manikin representation in simulation training, diverse representation is lacking in manikins used in North and Latin America., (Crown Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Divergence in body shape is one of the most widespread and repeated patterns of morphological variation in fishes and is associated with habitat specification and swimming mechanics. Such ecological diversification is the first stage of the explosive adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes in the East African Rift Lakes. We use two hybrid crosses of cichlids (Metriaclima sp. × Aulonocara sp. and Labidochromis sp. × Labeotropheus sp., >975 animals total) to determine the genetic basis of body shape diversification that is similar to benthic-pelagic divergence across fishes. Using a series of both linear and geometric shape measurements, we identified 34 quantitative trait loci (QTL) that underlie various aspects of body shape variation. These QTL are spread throughout the genome, each explaining 3.2-8.6% of phenotypic variation, and are largely modular. Further, QTL are distinct both between these two crosses of Lake Malawi cichlids and compared to previously identified QTL for body shape in fishes such as sticklebacks. We find that body shape is controlled by many genes of small effect. In all, we find that convergent body shape phenotypes commonly observed across fish clades are most likely due to distinct genetic and molecular mechanisms., (© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Though much work has examined how sexual orientation and body shape are jointly constituted, less has examined the joint perception of body shape, gender/sex, and sexuality. We draw upon multifarious person perception approaches to examine how personality and sexuality-related traits are attributed to bodies of varying shape (skinny, average, fat) when presented with differing social identities along the axes of gender/sex (male, female) and sexual orientation (heterosexual, lesbian/gay). In a sample of 991 participants, we found robust evidence that trait application varied by both body shape and sexual orientation. Further, supporting our hypotheses, we found that gay male bodies were perceived as more feminine than heterosexual male bodies, and skinny male bodies were perceived as more feminine than other body shapes. Supporting additional hypothesizing, lesbian female bodies were perceived as more masculine than heterosexual female bodies, and fat female bodies were perceived as the most masculine across sexual orientations. Partially supporting our hypotheses, we found that average bodies were perceived as the most typical for all identities; further, bodies perceived as less typical of their social identity category were perceived as experiencing heightened prejudice on the basis of body shape.

Although recent evidence has revealed that a body shape index (ABSI) is correlated with the incidence of death among different ethnicities, there remains a paucity of studies investigating the impact of ABSI on mortality within the Chinese elderly. Our objective was to ascertain the link between ABSI, as well as its alterations over time, and all-cause mortality among Chinese aged 65 y and above. A total of 3789 participants were enrolled from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Cox regressions and restricted cubic splines were employed to assess the association of ABSI and relative changes with all-cause mortality. When nonlinearity was detected, a restricted cubic spline regression was subsequently conducted to compute hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The median survival time was 46 months, and 1342 individuals (35.4%) were reported to have died. ABSI contributed independently to rising death rates among Chinese old populations according to univariate and multivariate Cox regressions. Statistically significant associations were also found stratified by age, sex, and lifestyle. A U-shaped association of ABSI changes with all-cause mortality ( p = 0.027) was observed, indicating that old adults with stable ABSI during the follow-up period experienced the lowest risk of mortality. After multivariable adjustment, participants with a 10% reduction in ABSI changes had an increased 9.4% risk of death, while participants with a 10% rise in ABSI changes had an increased 1.9% risk. ABSI and its changes are predictors for all-cause mortality among the elderly Chinese population, which emphasizes the clinical importance of monitoring ABSI and keeping it stable over time.

Background: Body shape and fitness (BSF) is critical for overall well-being, while university students in China are subjected to stress, peer pressure, performance anxiety, busy schedules, and lack of sleep, which can easily lead to poor BSF. This study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude, and practice of BSF and related factors among university students in China., Methods: This web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on students of 15 universities in China between September 1st and November 30th, 2022. The KAP scores were evaluated using a 38-item questionnaire, including social demography, knowledge, attitude, and practice. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with KAP., Results: A total of 995 valid questionnaires were collected. There were 431 (43.3%) males and 564 (56.7%) females. Most participants were sophomores (51.2%) and freshmen (36.3%). Most participants had a BMI of 18-24 kg/m 2 (66.1%). The students scored highly on BSF-related knowledge (8.30 ± 1.49), moderately on attitude (37.20 ± 4.46), and low on practice (19.64 ± 4.62). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that attitude score (P = 0.001), sex (P = 0.001), grade (P = 0.011), body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.050), parent's education level (P = 0.005), monthly allowance (P < 0.050), and sleep quality and habits (P = 0.016) were independently associated with practice scores., Conclusions: University students in China were found to have good knowledge, moderate attitude, and poor practice toward BSF. Attitude, sex, grade, BMI, parents' education, monthly living expenses, and sleep quality and habits affected their practice. More BSF-related courses or activities are required to motivate students, especially females., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Associations of body shape with breast cancer risk, independent of body size, are unclear because waist and hip circumferences are correlated strongly positively with body mass index (BMI)., Methods: We evaluated body shape with the allometric "a body shape index" (ABSI) and hip index (HI), which compare waist and hip circumferences, correspondingly, among individuals with the same weight and height. We examined associations of ABSI, HI, and BMI (per one standard deviation increment) with breast cancer overall, and according to menopausal status at baseline, age at diagnosis, and oestrogen and progesterone receptor status (ER+/-PR+/-) in multivariable Cox proportional hazards models using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort., Results: During a mean follow-up of 14.0 years, 9011 incident breast cancers were diagnosed among 218,276 women. Although there was little evidence for association of ABSI with breast cancer overall (hazard ratio HR = 0.984; 95% confidence interval: 0.961-1.007), we found borderline inverse associations for post-menopausal women (HR = 0.971; 0.942-1.000; n = 5268 cases) and breast cancers diagnosed at age ≥ 55 years (HR = 0.976; 0.951-1.002; n = 7043) and clear inverse associations for ER + PR- subtypes (HR = 0.894; 0.822-0.971; n = 726) and ER-PR- subtypes (HR = 0.906; 0.835-0.983 n = 759). There were no material associations with HI. BMI was associated strongly positively with breast cancer overall (HR = 1.074; 1.049-1.098), for post-menopausal women (HR = 1.117; 1.085-1.150), for cancers diagnosed at age ≥ 55 years (HR = 1.104; 1.076-1.132), and for ER + PR + subtypes (HR = 1.122; 1.080-1.165; n = 3101), but not for PR- subtypes., Conclusions: In the EPIC cohort, abdominal obesity evaluated with ABSI was not associated with breast cancer risk overall but was associated inversely with the risk of post-menopausal PR- breast cancer. Our findings require validation in other cohorts and with a larger number of PR- breast cancer cases., (© 2023. The Author(s).)