Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T22:42:11.959Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Obesity, socioeconomic variables and eating habits in New Zealand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

J. A. Birkbeck
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Summary

Evidence from a national sample of New Zealand adults demonstrates a high prevalence of obesity, including severe obesity. Maori subcutaneous fat distribution is different from white, the former having relatively greater subscapular than triceps skinfolds compared to whites. Obesity is more prevalent in Maori. In whites, higher educational attainment tends to be associated with lesser indices of obesity and greater stature. The obese do not appear to have greater dietary energy intakes, but are less likely to consume breakfast than the non-obese.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1981, Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abraham, S. & Johnson, C.L. (1980) Prevalence of severe obesity in adults in the United States. Am. J. clin. Nutr. 33, 364.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Abraham, S., Lowenstein, F.W. & O'Connell, D.E. (1975) Preliminary Findings of the First Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 1971–1972. Anthropometric and Clinical Findings. National Center for Health Statistics, Rockville.Google Scholar
Benson-Cooper, D., Bird, D., Laino, J.K., Hannah, E.E., Carrell, R.W. & Beaven, D.W. (1975) Obesity in a New Zealand community. N.Z. med. J. 82, 115.Google Scholar
Billewicz, W.Z., Kemsley, W.F.F. & Thomson, A.M. (1962) Indices of adiposity. Br. J. prev. soc. Med. 16, 183.Google ScholarPubMed
Birkbeck, J.A. (1979) New Zealanders and their Diet. National Heart Foundation, Auckland.Google Scholar
Center for Disease Control (1972) Ten-State Nutrition Survey in the United States, 1968–1970 III Clinical and Anthropometry. Health Services and Mental Health Administration, Atlanta.Google Scholar
Committee on Nutritional Anthropometry, NRC (1956) Recommendations concerning body measurements for the characterisation of nutritional status. In: Body Measurements and Human Nutrition. Edited by Brozek, J.. Wayne State University Press.Google ScholarPubMed
Elley, W.B. & Irving, J.C. (1976) Revised socioeconomic index for New Zealand. N.Z. J. educ. Stud. 11, 25.Google Scholar
Florey, C Du V. (1970) The use and interpretation of ponderal index and other weight-height ratios in epidemiological studies. J. chron. Dis. 23, 93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Center for Health Statistics (1972) Skinfold thickness of children 6–11 years. National Center for Health Statistics, Rockville.Google Scholar
Seltzer, C.C. & Mayer, J. (1965) A simple criterion of obesity. Postgrad. Med. 38, A101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stanhope, J.M., Prior, I.A.M. & Malcolm, J.B. (1975) Coronary risk factors in New Zealand Maori and European adolescents: the Rotorua Lakes Study 2. N.Z. med. J. 82, 336.Google Scholar
Weiner, J.S. & Lourie, J.A. (1969) Human Biology: a Guide to Field Methods. Blackwell, Oxford.Google Scholar