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Fat and Fat Distribution in Menopause: Chinese Aspects

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Nutrition and Diet in Menopause

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Key Points

  • Available studies on body fat distribution and menopause suggest that menopause is associated with an acceleration in the accumulation of abdominal adipose tissue, and most likely, intra-abdominal fat.

  • This trend toward central obesity favors increased cardiovascular, cancer, and metabolic risks, and may partially mediate the increased morbidity and mortality after menopause.

  • Compared with other races and ethnic groups, Asians such as Chinese, Japanese, and Singaporeans were reported to be with lower BMI but with higher percent body fat and more abdominal fat at any given level of BMI.

  • Chinese women undergoing menopausal transition and postmenopausal women were associated with decreased lean mass, and increased percent body fat, trunk fat mass, and trunk–leg fat mass ratio comparing with women remained premenopausal.

  • Limited evidence identified the effect of menopause on fat distribution among Chinese women; however, more research was needed to confirm the findings with longitudinal design, larger sample size, and more advanced measuring technologies.

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Abbreviations

WHR:

Waist-to-hip ratio

SWAN:

Study of women’s health across the nation

WC:

Waist circumference

DXA:

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

BMI:

Body mass index

CT:

Computed tomography

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

MRS:

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy

SHBG:

Sex hormone binding globulin

HRT:

Hormone replacement therapy

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, USA

    Xiaoguang Ma M.D., M.Phil.

  2. Obesity and Body Composition Research Center, Chronic Disease Research Institute, Zhejiang University School of Public Health, 866 Yu-hang-tang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China

    Wei He M.D. & Shankuan Zhu M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Xiaoguang Ma M.D., M.Phil.
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  2. Wei He M.D.
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  3. Shankuan Zhu M.D., Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shankuan Zhu M.D., Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social, College of Health and Social Care, Department of Midwifery, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, United Kingdom

    Caroline J. Hollins Martin

  2. Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public, Health, and School of Medicine, University of Arizona, Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson, 85724-5155, Arizona, USA

    Ronald Ross Watson

  3. Dept. Nutrition & Dietetics, King's College, Stamford St. 150, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

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Ma, X., He, W., Zhu, S. (2013). Fat and Fat Distribution in Menopause: Chinese Aspects. In: Hollins Martin, C., Watson, R., Preedy, V. (eds) Nutrition and Diet in Menopause. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-373-2_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-373-2_20

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-373-2

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