Introduction: Many details about adolescent women's lifestyles and masked obesity have not been clarified in prior research. Thus, we conducted an exploratory survey on the lifestyle and masked obesity in female college students.

Methods: From September to October in 2012, we investigated 85 female students aged 18-23 years in two colleges in the Kanto area and cross-sectionally investigated the differences in lifestyles between subjects with masked obesity [Body Mass Index (BMI) <25 kg/m² and Body Fat Percentage ≥30%] and those with standard proportions (18.5≤BMI<25 kg/m² and Body Fat Percentage=20-25%). Their body composition was measured using InBody430, and their lifestyles were investigated using a self-administered questionnaire.

Results: Of them, there were 6 subjects (7.1%) with standard proportions and 25 subjects (29.4%) with masked obesity; 44.6% of the 56 subjects with standard weights had masked obesity. Differences were observed in their food intake frequency; the subjects with masked obesity consumed a smaller daily intake of green and yellow vegetables (p<.001) and light-colored vegetables (p=.008), and more frequently consumed mayonnaise (p=.003) and fried foods (p=.018) than those with standard proportions.

Conclusion: Masked obesity may increase the probability of having unhealthy dietary habits. It may be necessary for females with standard weights to receive dietary advice, and to have their body fat percentage regularly measured.

Although decreased dorsiflexion range of motion (DROM) is linked to ankle inversion sprains and other lower limb injuries, the mechanisms underlying these links are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between DROM and the ankle dorsiflexion and inversion, and the foot progression angles during a sidestep cutting maneuver. Nineteen healthy subjects participated in this study. The loaded DROM in a flexed- knee position was measured. The foot and ankle motions were assessed during the sidestep cutting maneuver using a 3D motion analysis system. The low DROM group displayed smaller dorsiflexion and inversion angles, and greater external foot rotation, and performed the task using a significantly greater percent of their DROM than the high DROM group during the sidestep cutting maneuver. In addition, the smaller DROM was associated with smaller dorsiflexion angles, greater external foot rotation, and greater maximum dorsiflexion angles as a percentage of DROM during the sidestep cutting maneuver. The decreased DROM may prevent the ankle from becoming stable during the sidestep cutting maneuver, therefore the ankle may be vulnerable position to an inversion sprain. The kinematic patterns displayed by individuals with a decreased DROM may be a compensatory strategy for dorsiflexion deficits, which may be associated with ankle and knee injuries.

Objective: Smoking cessation treatment, which is now covered by insurance, is usually provided on an outpatient basis for approximately 3 months. It should ideally be evaluated not only by the rate of smoking cessation at the end of the treatment, but also by the length of the continuation of smoking cessation. However, as it is difficult to conduct long-term follow-up after the end of smoking cessation treatment, few studies have followed up successful cases of short-term smoking cessation for a long period in Japan.Methods: In this study, we examined the behaviors of nicotine-addicted patients who consulted our smoking cessation clinic, and investigated the current situation of long-term smoking cessation and involved factors.Results: The rate of smoking cessation at the end of the treatment was 71.8%. We found that 61.1%, 54.0%, and 50.6% of patients successfully quit smoking after the end of treatment for one, 2, and 3 years, respectively. However, 41.1% of male patients who succeeded restarted smoking within 6 months after the end of treatment.Conclusion: Additional support for patients who successfully quit smoking at an early stage at one year, or 6 months for males, is required to encourage them to continue to cease smoking.