OBESITY AND THE OCCURRENCE OF HEAT DISORDERS

Obesity is often associated with poor heat tolerance, This case-contro l study was to determine the effect of obesity measured by the Body Ma ss Index (BMI) on the occurrence of heat disorders. The subjects, 218 soldiers with heat disorders and 537 controls, were matched for age an d sex. Obesity was defined as a BMI of greater than 27. The odds ratio for obese soldiers was 3.53; however, their rectal temperatures were not significantly higher at presentation for heat disorder, The Physic al Employment Standard (PES) classifies soldiers into A, B, C, and E d epending on medical history at the time of enlistment. Soldiers with P ES status of A and B were at a marginally higher risk of heat disorder s, Correcting for the effect of the PES status, the odds ratio for obe se soldiers was 4.29. Therefore, obese soldiers training in a hot and humid environment are at an increased risk of heat disorders.