Luciana Zaccagni

Body image and weight perceptions in relation to actual measurements by means of a new index and level of physical activity in Italian university students.

BackgroundBody image perception depends on anthropometric and psychological factors. Body dissatisfaction is influenced by the socio-cultural environment and is associated with eating disorders and low self-esteem. This study examined the body image perception, the degree of dissatisfaction and the weight status perception inconsistency in relation to sex, weight status and amount of physical activity in a sample of university students.MethodsThe participants were 734 university students (354 females aged 21.5 ± 2.9 yrs and 380 males aged 22.1 ± 3.6 yrs) recruited from the second year of the Sport Sciences degree program. A self-administered questionnaire was used to acquire socio-demographic and sport participation information. Height, weight, BMI and weight status were considered for each subject. Body image perception was assessed by a silhouette matching technique. A new index, FAI (Feel status minus Actual status Inconsistency), was used to assess weight status perception inconsistency.ResultsA large proportion of the sample had normal weight status. On average, females chose as feel status a significantly higher figure than the males (4.7 versus 3.8) and they would have liked to have a significantly thinner figure than the males (3.4 versus 3.6). Therefore, the mean FID (Feel minus Ideal Discrepancy) values (positive in both sexes) were significantly higher in females than in males, meaning higher dissatisfaction. The mean FAI values were positive in females and negative in males, indicating a tendency of the women to overestimate their weight status and of the men to underestimate it. Men were more physically active than women. Less active women showed significantly lower body weight and BMI than more active women. Men less engaged in physical activity showed significantly higher FID than more active men.ConclusionsThese results show greater dissatisfaction and higher weight status perception consistency in females than in males among Italian university students examined. Our findings suggest that the FAI index can be very useful to evaluate the perceived weight status by body image in comparison to actual weight status assessed anthropometrically.

Weight status and perception of body image in children: the effect of maternal immigrant status

BackgroundRecent studies have shown that body image perception is an important factor in weight control and may be influenced by culture and ethnicity. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between immigrant status of the mother and weight status and body image perception of the child.MethodsIn total, 2706 schoolchildren (1405 boys and 1301 girls) aged 8–9 years and their mothers participated in a cross-sectional survey in Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy). Weight and height of the children were measured and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Actual and ideal body image perception by the children and by the mothers with respect to their children was evaluated according to Collins’ body image silhouettes.ResultsThe BMI values were significantly lower in children of immigrants than in children of Italian mothers (F:17.27 vs 17.99 kg/m2; M:17.77 vs 18.13 kg/m2). The prevalence of overweight/obesity was lower, and the prevalence of underweight higher, in children of immigrant mothers than in those of Italian mothers (overweight- F:21.3 vs 29.1%; M. 28.3 vs 31.4%; underweight- F:5.16 vs 3.84%; M:6.63 vs 2.82%). The childrens body image perception was consistent with the differing pattern of nutritional status. In the comparison between actual and ideal figures, the Feel-Ideal Difference Index (FID) scores resulted different between the subsample with foreign-born mother in comparison to the native one (significantly lower in daughters of immigrants) (FID- F: 0.31 vs 0.57; M: 0.35 vs 0.32). There were significant differences in the choice of the ideal figure of the child between immigrant mothers and Italian mothers (FID- F: -0.05 vs 0.19; M: -0.35 vs −0.03): the ideal figure values were higher in the immigrant mothers of male children and lower in the Italian mothers of female children.ConclusionOur results suggest that cultural and behavioral factors linked to ethnicity play an important role in the nutritional status of children and in the perceived and ideal body image.

Body composition and physical activity in Italian university students

BackgroundIncreased sedentary lifestyle and prevalence of overweight/obesity are common in western countries. The purposes of this study were (i) to assess the main health-related anthropometric characteristics in a sample of students in relation to sex, amount of physical activity and sport discipline, and (ii) to investigate the accuracy of the Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist-to-Stature Ratio (WSR) as indicators of body fat percentage (%F) in young adults.Methods734 university students, both sexes, participated in the present research. A self-administered questionnaire acquired socio-demographic information (sex, age) and sport participation (hours/week, sport discipline). Anthropometric measurements and grip strength values were acquired according to standardized procedures. Body composition was assessed by means of the skinfold method.ResultsMost students had normal BMI, WSR and %F. There were significant statistical differences in all anthropometric traits between the two sexes. One-way ANOVAs within sex showed statistically significant differences in biceps skinfold, waist circumference (WC), WSR, body density (BD), %F and fat mass (FM) among different levels of physical activity in males; and in weight, BMI, arm girths and fat free mass (FFM) in females. One-way ANOVAs within sex showed statistically significant differences in arm girths, grip strength and FFM among different sport disciplines in males, and in height, weight, BMI, WC, relaxed arm girth, grip strength, FM and FFM in females. Despite the significant and positive correlation of BMI and WSR with %F both indices had poor sensitivity.ConclusionsPhysical activity plays an important role in body composition parameters: the most active males had the least amount of FM and the most active females had the greatest amount of FFM. BMI and WSR are not accurate indices of adiposity in young adults.

Obesity and physical activity in children of immigrants

Childhood overweight and obesity have increased in recent decades, reaching alarming proportions. Children with a migrant background seem to be particularly at risk of developing overweight and obesity. This article provides an overview of the prevalence of overweight or obesity among North African (NA) children living in their own countries or as immigrants in Europe. The aim is to show the effect of the migration process on this trend and to discuss its possible contributing factors. Publications were identified by a systematic search of PubMed and the existing literature. Original longitudinal or cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity and of physical activity among ethnic groups from North Africa compared with the native population were reviewed. The results confirmed that children of NA origin in Europe have higher levels of overweight and obesity than the native ones, especially girls. However, this trend can also be detected in urban areas of NA countries. Important factors contributing to the increase of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents are discussed, in particular the westernization of eating habits, the level of physical activity and body image perception. The review shows that factors linked to acculturation in the host society and others maintained from the country of origin come into play in determining childhood overweight and obesity among NA immigrants in Europe. The importance of health promotion targeting the groups most at risk of childhood overweight and obesity, i.e. aspects of a healthy diet and the benefits of physical activity, is underlined.

Risk factors of overweight and obesity among preschool children with different ethnic background

In this study, we evaluated the risk factors associated with overweight and obesity in 2,640 preschool children in Italy taking into account the ethnic background of the parents. Height and weight were measured and BMI was calculated. Personal and lifestyle data for the children (birth weight, type of breastfeeding, sleep duration, skipping breakfast, snacking, physical activity) and parents (ethnicity, educational level, occupation, weight, height) were collected by means of a questionnaire. Italian and Other European children generally showed the highest percentage of normal weight, while the other ethnic groups presented a greater imbalance. Overweight and obesity were high in African males, who also presented high birth weight. Breastfeeding was most common, although formula feeding was significantly higher in Italians than in immigrants. Immigrants, particularly males, tended to skip breakfast more than Italians. Physical activity was significantly higher in Italians than in immigrants. In the parents, underweight was particularly high in Italian and Other mothers. African parents had high rates of overweight and obesity and a low educational level. The most common profession was worker for the fathers and housewife for the mothers, with the exception of Italians in which clerical work prevailed. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the BMI of children was closely related to the BMI of the parents and the birth weight. Hence, these are the most informative parameters in preventing obesity.

Anthropometric characteristics and body composition of Italian national wrestlers

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the anthropometric characteristics and body composition of wrestlers from the Italian national team. The study was carried out on a sample of 23 wrestlers (9 females and 14 males) aged 18–33 years. Various anthropometric measurements were performed (weight, height, sitting height, some girths and skinfold thicknesses) and anthropometric indices calculated (body mass index, cormic index, upper arm muscle area, upper arm fat area, and arm fat index). Body composition was assessed and minimum wrestling weight was determined based on a minimum body fat percentage of 5% for males and 12% for females. We undertook comparisons by sex, wrestling style (for males), and weight category. The comparison between mens and womens wrestling corroborated known differences between the sexes; the comparison between wrestling styles stressed the relevance of the cormic index. The most interesting finding of this study was that no female wrestler competed in a lower weight class than her minimum wrestling weight, even if all of them were heavier than values allowed for their weight class. Five of 14 male wrestlers competed in a weight class lower than their minimum wrestling weight, and all of them, except two, were heavier than the uppermost limit of their weight class.

Biological characteristics and ageing in former elite volleyball players

To date, there is very little information about the effects of ageing and sport selection on the characteristics of former athletes. The aim of this study was to analyse anthropometric and physiological characteristics of 146 former elite volleyball players in Italy. The possible effect of an active or inactive lifestyle on ageing was assessed by comparing the biological profiles of subsamples of former athletes with and without regular sport activity. All the former athletes underwent measurements of standard anthropometry (height, sitting height and body mass; skinfold thicknesses; bi-acromial and bi-cristal breadths; upper limb length; upper arm, calf and chest girths), cardio-respiratory function (vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1s; systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rate), muscle strength (handgrip strength), and cognitive function (visual and auditory simple reaction times; Digit-Symbol subtest). Body composition parameters were estimated from anthropometric measurements. Data on lifestyle were collected by questionnaires. The results show that the former players differ from current players in several anthropometric and physiological traits. Selection pressure seems to be more responsible for these differences than ageing. This study underlines the particular performance of former players in cognitive functions. Moreover, it confirms that an active lifestyle has beneficial effects on the biological age profiles of former athletes.

Anthropometric parameters in relation to glycaemic status and lipid profile in a multi-ethnic sample in Italy.

OBJECTIVE To examine the health status of ethnic minorities in Italy. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the association between anthropometric and blood parameters connected with health status. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. Anthropometric data were collected by direct measurements and blood glucose, total cholesterol and TAG were analysed. SETTING Bologna, northern Italy. SUBJECTS A multi-ethnic sample of adult immigrants and Roma. RESULTS Significant correlations between anthropometric and blood parameters were found. Among the ethnic groups, Roma males had the highest values of glucose, total cholesterol and TAG. In the females the situation was more balanced among ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS The data from this survey indicate that poor health status is a very common problem among ethnic groups living in Italy, especially the Roma. The use of anthropometric parameters as rapid indicators of health status in screenings of a large number of subjects could be an effective and cheap method to provide preliminary indications on individuals or ethnic groups at greater risk of poor health.

Anthropometric traits and aging: a cross-sectional survey in diabetic elderly women.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify the peculiar anthropometric changes in elderly diabetic women aged 70 years and above. The subjects were 91 women suffering from type-2 diabetes and 101 healthy female controls; all these 192 North-Italian women were aged 70 years or over. Eight anthropometric measurements were collected for each subject. We observed significant anthropometric differences between diabetic women and controls. The changes with aging were more evident in women suffering from type-2 diabetes than in controls of the same age groups. In conclusion, the diabetic women are more in overweight than the controls. Moreover, diabetes resulted associated with an accelerated process of aging in anthropometric traits.

Giovanni Battista Morgagni: facial reconstruction by virtual anthropology

Abstract Multidisciplinary research was carried out on human skeletal remains to identify if they belonged to the famous pathologist Giovanni Battista Morgagni, who died at a very old age and was buried in a church in Padua. The purpose of this study was to analyze the skull, creating a virtual model necessary for facial reconstruction, so as to contribute to the identification of the skull. The skeletal remains were found buried in the Morgagni family grave. Based on preliminary anthropological evidence, that the skull might be ascribable to Giovanni Battista Morgagni, a digitized model of the skull was created and restored. From this, a virtual facial reconstruction was developed using an assumed relationship between the soft-tissues and the underlying skeletal structure. Finally, the anthropological profile and the face reconstruction were compared with historical documentation and the portrait of Morgagni by Pietro Danieletti, showing clear similarities. Virtual anthropological techniques create new perspectives for anthropological and medical studies and can be used successfully in the forensic sciences to make a positive identification, such as in this case, which has been examined by different experts with similar results.