THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BEHAVIORAL-PATTERN, OVERALL AND CENTRAL ADIPOSITY IN A POPULATION OF HEALTHY FRENCH MEN

The relationship between obesity, both general obesity (BMI) and centr al obesity (measured by the ratio of iliac and thigh circumferences), and a behavioural pattern, which includes alcohol consumption, smoking , stress and lack of sporting activity, was investigated in 467 middle -aged French working men. BMI and central obesity were closely correla ted (r = 0.34). Alcohol consumption was positively associated with cen tral obesity (P < 0.001) but it did not significantly influence BMI. B MI decreased with cigarette smoking (P < 0.001), but central obesity o nly increased significantly after adjustment for BMI (P < 0.05); thus for a given BMI, smoking was associated with a greater degree of centr al adiposity. Resting heart rate (considered as a measure of stress) w as positively associated with both BMI and the iliac-thigh ratio (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), the latter association being due to general obesity. Sporting activity and BMI were only marginally associated (P < 0.07) b ut central obesity decreased with activity (P < 0.01). Jointly, alcoho l consumption, cigarette smoking, the resting heart rate and sporting activity explained 8% of the variance in the iliac-thigh ratio; after adjustment for BMI these behavioural variables still explained 6% of t he variance. Central adiposity, which has recently been described as a risk factor for coronary heart disease, non-insulin dependent diabete s and hypertension, was significantly associated with a potentially mo difiable behavioural pattern.