Abstract
Background: Obese individuals may be at increased risk of iron deficiency (ID), but it is unclear whether this is due to poor dietary iron intakes or to adiposity-related inflammation.
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relations between body mass index (BMI), dietary iron, and dietary factors affecting iron bioavailability, iron status, and inflammation [C-reactive protein (CRP)] in a transition country where obesity and ID are common.
Design: Data from the 1999 Mexican Nutrition Survey, which included 1174 children (aged 5–12 y) and 621 nonpregnant women (aged 18–50 y), were analyzed.
Results: The prevalence of obesity was 25.3% in women and 3.5% in children. The prevalence of ID was significantly (P <0.05) higher in obese women and children compared with normal-weight subjects [odds ratios (95% CIs): 1.92 (1.23, 3.01) and 3.96 (1.34, 11.67) for women and children, respectively]. Despite similar dietary iron intakes in the 2 groups, serum iron concentrations were lower in obese women than in normal-weight women (62.6 ± 29.5 compared with 72.4 ± 34.6 µg/dL; P = 0.014), and total-iron-binding capacity was higher in obese children than in normal-weight children (399 ± 51 compared with 360 ± 48 µg/dL; P <0.001). CRP concentrations in obese women and children were 4 times those of their normal-weight counterparts (P <0.05). CRP but not iron intake was a strong negative predictor of iron status, independently of BMI (P <0.05).
Conclusions: The risk of ID in obese Mexican women and children was 2–4 times that of normal-weight individuals at similar dietary iron intakes. This increased risk of ID may be due to the effects of obesity-related inflammation on dietary iron absorption. Thus, ID control efforts in Mexico may be hampered by increasing rates of adiposity in women and children
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 975-983 |
Journal | American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
Volume | 93 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Keywords
- nutrition survey 1999
- c-reactive protein
- overweight children
- serum hepcidin
- united-states
- normal-weight
- adolescents
- hypoferremia
- population
- countries