Relationship of serum cholesterol and truncal body fat distribution among Mexican Americans is accentuated by obesity.

The relationship of body fat distribution to serum cholesterol levels was evaluated in a sample of 3,040 Mexican Americans 18-74 years of age from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) conducted from 1982-1984. Fat distribution was determined by the ratio of trunk to extremity skinfold thicknesses, while the sum of skinfold thicknesses was used as an indicator of total body fat. Results of this study indicate that: 1) Mexican Americans are significantly fatter and have a higher trunk/extremity skinfold ratio than U.S. standards; 2) despite their higher level of total body fat and truncal fat, Mexican Americans have lower serum cholesterol levels than U.S. standards; 3) Mexican American males at the same percentile level of fatness or trunk/extremity skinfold ratio have significantly higher serum cholesterols than females, despite the fact that females have higher absolute values of fat and truncal fat than males; 4) among Mexican American males the association between truncal fat distribution and hypercholesteremia increases with level of fatness. In other words, in Mexican American males the association of truncal fat distribution with hypercholesteremia is accentuated by obesity. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.