Reduced fat oxidation and obesity risks among the Buryat of Southern Siberia

Abstract

Over the last 20 years, obesity and associated metabolic diseases have emerged as major global health problems. Among urbanizing populations of developing regions of the world, childhood undernutrition often coexists with adult overnutrition, a phenomenon known as the "dual nutritional burden". A recent work (Frisancho 2003: Am J Hum Biol 15:522-532) suggests that linear growth stunting in early childhood may contribute to adult obesity by reducing the body's ability to oxidize fat. We test central aspects of this model drawing on data from 112 adult Buryat herders (53 males; 59 females) from Southern Siberia. The results are consistent with the predictions of the model, but only for women. Shorter Buryat women (height-for-age Z-scores < or = -1) have significantly lower fasting fat oxidation levels compared to their taller counterparts. Shorter women are also significantly heavier and fatter, and have higher serum lipid levels. Among all Buryat women, reduced fat oxidation is significantly correlated with percent body fatness, serum triglyceride levels, and serum leptin levels, after controlling for relevant covariates. Additionally, Buryat women with high dietary fat intakes and low fat oxidation are significantly fatter and have higher lipid and leptin levels than those with low fat intakes and high fat oxidation. These results suggest that developmental changes in fat oxidation may play a role in the origins of obesity among populations with high rates of linear growth stunting. Further longitudinal research is necessary to elucidate the pathways through which early-life undernutrition may increase risks for adulthood obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Fat free mass explains the relationship between stunting and energy expenditure in urban Mexican Maya children

“…These studies suggest that physiologic shifts may occur with stunting, increasing the risk of excess weight gain in stunted individuals, which may lead to individual double burden. Findings from indigenous adult Siberians implicate reduced fat oxidation as one of these physiological shifts (Leonard et al 2009). We did not measure directly metabolic activity at the physiological level in these urban Maya children and this needs to be done to better evaluate our findings in light of past research.…”

“…In addition, the most impoverished segments of lesser-developed nations may have experienced a relatively rapid and acute shift from general protein-energy undernutrition to a more complex mix of under-supply of specific amino acids, vitamins and other micro-nutrients (Delisle 2008). There is indirect evidence from research with adults indicating that this change in the nature of malnutrition is accompanied by metabolic shifts, such as reduced fat oxidation with increased risk of overweight/obesity (Florencio et al 2003;Leonard et al 2009). …”

How useful is BMI in predicting adiposity indicators in a sample of Maya children and women with high levels of stunting?

“…Adults and adolescents with short stature have been shown to have increased mortality rates (Song and Sung, 2008), cardiovascular risk factors, (Florencio et al, 2007;Kruger et al, 2004) and lower economic productivity (Case and Paxson, 2008). Also short adults are at an increased risk of obesity (Hoffman et al, 2000b, c;Leonard et al, 2009;Lopez-Alvarenga et al, 2003;Martins et al, 2004). The dual burden of simultaneous short stature and obesity is increasingly common in developing countries individuals (Doak et al, 2005(Doak et al, , 2000.…”

Stunting, adiposity, and the individual‐level “dual burden” among urban lowland and rural highland peruvian children

“…Alternatively, there is some evidence that stunted children have an altered body composition and fat distribution (Hoffman et al, 2007; Martins et al, 2004; Mukuddem-Petersen and Kruger, 2004; Wilson et al, 2012) that predisposes them to excess adiposity and abdominal fat distribution. This may be due to greater insulin sensitivity (Martins and Sawaya, 2006) and/or reduced fat oxidation (Hoffman et al, 2000; Leonard et al, 2009) among stunted individuals (although see Said-Mohamed et al, 2012; Wren et al, 1997). …”