Factors influencing body composition of postmenopausal women

Graduation date: 1987The purpose of this research was to examine some of\ud the factors which may affect body composition of\ud postmenopausal women. The effect of estrogen, physical\ud activity, diet and lifestyle were examined in 9 women\ud receiving estrogen replacement therapy and 11 women not\ud using this drug. For 3 consecutive days, the subjects\ud collected 24-hour urine samples and recorded their\ud dietary intake. Body fat was estimated by obesity\ud indices based on height and weight and a regression\ud equation based on abdominal skinfold, abdominal\ud circumference and bideltoid diameter (Young, 1964). Lean\ud body mass (LBM) was estimated from urinary excretion of\ud creatinine (Forbes & Bruining, 1976). Physical activity\ud and lifestyle were assessed by a self-administered\ud questionnaire. Age, height, physical activity, diet and lifestyle were similar for the two groups. Estrogen\ud users were heavier than non-users (p < 0.05) and as a\ud group had a higher prevalence of obesity. Percent body\ud fat and LBM also tended to be higher in the estrogen\ud users than in the non-estrogen users. The weight\ud difference between the two groups was already present at\ud age 25 years and persisted through the subsequent 30-year\ud period. All 20 subjects maintained their weight between\ud ages 25 and 35 years, thereafter, increasing in weight\ud significantly (p < 0.05) by decade through age 55 years.\ud For all 20 subjects no correlation was found between\ud energy intake and any measure of obesity or body\ud fatness. Obesity was unrelated to energy consumption.\ud Physical activity did not correlate significantly with\ud any estimate of body composition. Energy intake showed\ud an inverse correlation with hours spent watching\ud television (r = -0.82, p < 0.002). Nutrient intake for\ud most women was adequate; however, calcium intake in women\ud not receiving estrogen replacement therapy may be\ud insufficient