Anthropometric measures were collected as part of NSHED by trained research nurses using a protocol standardized across study centers (12). Height and weight were measured using a calibrated wall-mounted stadiometer and scales, respectively. BMI was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters-squared (kg/m2). Obesity is defined according to WHO (13). In a subgroup of 2206 individuals, DEXA scans were performed for the assessment of total and regional adipose distribution (Lunar DPX-L, IQ, or Prodigy IV, GE Lunar, WI, USA), the methods for which have been described in detail previously (10). Briefly, participants dressed in lightweight clothing free of metallic parts, were instructed to lie flat on the DEXA table as the scanning arm passed over their body. DEXA scanners were calibrated daily with body mass phantoms according to the manufacturer's protocols.
