Fat tissue on the march: secular trend of body circumferences and skinfold thicknesses in Slovenia over the 70 years period

Introduction: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among young adults has increased dramatically in recent decades. The survey examined anthropometric indicators of fat tissue amount in the population of adult males and females from Slovenia from 1950 to 2019. Methods: From a large anthropometric database body height, body mass, seven circumferences (C: waist, hip, relaxed and flexed upper arm, forearm, middle thigh, medial calf) and seven skinfold thicknesses (SFT: triceps, biceps, subscapular, iliac crest, supraspinale, front thigh and medial calf) were obtained in different combinations for more than 3400 males and almost 4600 females of age 18 to 29 years, measured in the years between 1950 and 2019. To evaluate the secular trend, data were classified into 10-year periods and compared with ANOVA. Results: Body mass, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip ratio, waist C, relaxed and flexed upper arm C, calf C, Triceps/subscapular ratio, biceps SFT, supraspinale SFT, front thigh SFT, and medial calf SFT increased (p < 0.001) over the last 70 years, however, thigh C decreased (p < 0.001) over the last 30 years. Body mass index and forearm C increased in males and decreased in females. Triceps and subscapular SFT`s increased till 2009 and then decreased in next decade in both sexes. Body fat % increased over the 70-years observed period from 12% to almost 15% in males and from 24% to more than 26% in females. Conclusion: From 1950 to 2009 or even to 2019, large amount of body fat clearly became more prevalent in young adults from Slovenia, which mostly is in line with secular trend in fat tissue in other parts of the world; however, in many measurements this trend slows down or even reverses after 2009 in Slovenia. Slovenian population appears to be leaner compared to other populations.