The influence of variation in obesity in the sex difference in the prevalence of abnormal glucose tolerance in Tuvalu.

The prevalence of abnormal glucose tolerance in the Polynesian population of Funafuti, Tuvalu (formerly the Ellice Islands) is much higher in females than males. However, the women are more obese than the men. Adjusting for obesity reduced the relative risk of abnormal glucose tolerance between males and females but the differences remained statistically significant. It is concluded that differences in the extent of obesity in the male and female population of Tuvalu explain part (but not all) of the differences in prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance in Funafutians.