Relationship between fatness and hemoglobin levels in the national health and nutrition examinations of the U.S.A.

As shown in a total of 3114 obese individuals and 3027 lean individuals in the National Health and Nutrition Examinations of the U.S.A. (NHANES 1), obese individuals tend to systematically higher hemoglobin levels exceeding those for lean individuals by 0.20gm/dl and by 0.2 Z scores (standard deviation units) at all ages. This fatness related difference in hemoglobin level is increased when the super‐obese (S‐obs) and the super‐lean (S‐lean) are compared instead of the obese (≥p85) and the lean (=Sp 15). Exclusion of individuals with low percent transferrin saturations (≤16 percent) decreases the sample size, especially in childhood, elevates the mean and median hemoglobin levels of both the obese and the lean, but is without major effect on the hemoglobin difference between the obese and the lean (0.24 gm/dl). A nutritional explanation for this fatness effect is consistent with data from NHANES 1 and other nutrition surveys.

Key words:

• hemoglobin
• fatness
• obesity
• fatness effect