Diet In Young Women Research Articles

A high carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio is associated with a low diet quality and high fat mass in young women

Regular intake of dietary fiber is critical for adequate metabolic health and the prevention of obesity. The relevancy of fiber intake is well illustrated by accounting for the ratio of carbohydrates-to-fiber (CFR). However, it is not well known if the CFR is associated with body composition and the quality of diet in young women who are known to have a higher incidence of eating disorders related to restrictive carbohydrate diets. The purpose of this study was to explore the difference in body composition and the quality of diet in women with a low and high CFR. A total of 22 participants were clustered into two groups (group 1 – below the median CFR and group 2 – above the median CFR). Body composition was analyzed via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Dietary analysis via a 3-day food log was conducted to examine the overall energy intake, macronutrient breakdown, and diet quality. One-way ANOVA and Point-biserial analyses were performed to explore group differences and correlations. The mean CFR for Group 1 was 9.23 ± 2.85 and for Group 2 was 20.75 ± 8.71, which was significantly different between the groups F (1,21) = 17.368, p < 0.001. Group 1 (fat mass: 13.07 ± 3.67 kg; body fat percentage: 21.93 ± 5.78%) had a significantly lower fat mass [ F (1,21) = 4.521, p = 0.046] and body fat percentage [ F (1,21) = 7.574, p = 0.012] than Group 2 (fat mass: 16.06 ± 2.89 kg; body fat percentage: 27.59 ± 3.62%). A higher CFR was associated with a higher percentage of carbohydrate intake ( r pb (20) = 0.466, p = 0.029) and a higher percentage of added sugar intake ( r pb (20) = 0.504, p = 0.017). This study confirms the applicability of the CFR as an indicator of diet quality in young women. In addition, the presented differences in body composition suggest that a diet consisting of a low CFR may play a positive role in body composition by maintaining a lower fat mass. • Age had no effect on the carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio. • The carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio is a good measure of diet quality. • A low carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio is associated with reduced fat mass. • A high carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio is associated with a high intake of added sugars.

Factors associated with birthweight decline in Japan (1980\u20132004)

BackgroundBirthweight has been declining consistently for more than 30 years in Japan. This rapid rise in low birthweight is one of the worst among the countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. We examined potential determinants of birthweight decline in Japan.MethodsWe used population-based birth certificate data from vital statistics records and retrieved 40,968,266 birth certificates of neonates born between 1980 and 2004. We analyzed time trends using linear regression analysis in examining whether the decline in birthweight could be explained by obstetrical variables such as gestational age and multiple gestations.ResultsFrom 1980 to 2004, we observed a decline in mean birthweight with a yearly effect of − 8.07 g, which became steeper after 1985, persisted until 1999, and plateaued thereafter. After adjusting for gestational age, gender, birth order, multiple gestations, and fathers’ age, the yearly effect between 1980 and 2004 persisted at − 5.13 g.ConclusionRecent decreases in birthweight among Japanese neonates were not fully explained by trends in gestational age, gender, birth order, multiple gestations, and fathers’ age. Thus, additional factors such as pre-pregnancy maternal body mass index (BMI) and maternal diet should be considered. Reducing the rate of induced deliveries and improving the BMI or diet of young women should be a public health priority.

Moringa oleifera capsule and diet in young women with dropout school

BackgroundTeenagers are the second phase in life after the children's phase. The adolescent phase is called the transitional or transitional phase because in this phase it has not gained status as an adult but is no longer a childhood. The adolescent phase is called the critical period, a phase where there are many problems in growth and development, both physically, mentally, and in activities so that the need for food containing nutrients is large enough. Therefore, intervention efforts to improve adolescent nutrition are very necessary. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Moringa Oleifera leaf capsules on eating patterns in school drop-out adolescent girls aged 12–18 years in Polobangkeng sub-district, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi Province. MethodsThe study was a quasi experiment, the design used was Randomized Controlled Double-Blind Pre-Posttest. This research was conducted in Polobangkeng Utara Subdistrict, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi on March 15, 2020 to May 23, 2020. The population in this study was all young women breaking up schools aged 12–18 years in Polobangkeng Utara District, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi Province as many as 75 people. The sampling technique uses simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using the McNemar and Man Whitney tests. ResultsMoringa leaf extract capsules of respondents who had a good diet before the intervention were 40% and less than 60% but after the intervention had a good diet as much as 100%. The Mc Nemar test p value was 0.004 which the p value <value α (0.05) which shows that there are differences in eating patterns before and after administration of Moringa capsule interventions. Whereas the TTD capsules of respondents who had a good diet before intervention were 26.6%. but changed to poor diet after intervention by 93.3%. Mc Nemar test p value is 0.125 which p value>α value (0.05) which shows that there is no difference in eating patterns before and after TTD capsule intervention. ConclusionThere is an effect of giving Moringa leaf extract capsules to the diet seen from the average median value in the Moringa leaf extract capsule group is greater than 23 of the TTD capsule group which is 8 in teenage girls dropping out of school age 12–18 years in the North Polongbangkeng region Regency. Takalar, South Sulawesi.

Association between Obesity and Omega-3 Status in Healthy Young Women.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) are essential for healthy development and protect against metabolic disease. However, individuals with obesity may be pre-disposed to experiencing lower n-3 PUFA status than normal-weight individuals. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between the omega-3 index (O3I), body mass index (BMI) and dietary intake in healthy young women (n = 300; age = 18–35 y), a group not previously focused on. Intake was adjusted for energy using the residuals method, and associations were explored using independent t-tests and Pearson’s correlations. Participants with obesity were found to have significantly lower O3I than normal-weight participants (p < 0.0001); however, no significant differences were observed in mean n-3 PUFA intakes. Even so, energy-adjusted intakes of n-3 PUFAs, with the exception of alpha-linolenic acid, were significantly correlated with O3I. This study demonstrates that O3I is influenced by both BMI and diet in young women; however the relationship between these two variables may be complex. Current intakes of n-3 PUFA observed in young women may not be effective in achieving target O3I levels in those with obesity, and further research is needed to find effective ways of improving n-3 PUFA status in a group already at increased risk of metabolic disease.

Environmental, Social, and Structural Constraints for Health Behavior: Perceptions of Young Urban Black Women During the Preconception Period—A Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative

ObjectiveObesity and noncommunicable disease are rapidly increasing in sub-Saharan Africa. Prevention efforts are critical, particularly for women before conception to maximize intergenerational effects. The authors sought to examine perceptions of health and everyday factors that influenced nutrition, exercise, and other health behaviors to inform a novel community preconception intervention. DesignFour focus groups, each with 6–10 participants, were conducted using semistructured interview guides. SettingUrban Soweto, South Africa. ParticipantsYoung nulliparous women aged 18–24 years were recruited using snowball sampling. Phenomenon of InterestHealth behaviors of young women and barriers and facilitators to these behaviors. AnalysisAfter inductive thematic analysis, data were further interpreted within the theoretical framework of the Behavior Change Wheel. ResultsThe data suggested an obesogenic environment in which structural and social factors strongly influenced young women's health choices and limited their capacity for behavior change. Conclusions and ImplicationsCommunity interventions to improve young women's diet, physical activity, and health should recognize (1) the home and social contexts as a source of both role models and barriers to change, (2) the current normalization of obesity, and (3) contextual issues of safety and violence within the community. Understanding young women who overcome these barriers could be beneficial.

Development and Validation of the Brief Folate-Specific Food Frequency Questionnaire for Young Women's Diet Assessment.

The tools enabling brief assessment of folate intake may be of great value for public health purposes. The aim of the presented study was to design a brief folate-specific food frequency questionnaire for Central and Eastern European population of women, as well as to assess the validity and reproducibility of the designed Folate-Intake Calculation-Food Frequency Questionnaire (Fol-IC-FFQ) on a group of Polish women aged 20–30 years. Participants collected 3-day dietary records and completed the Fol-IC-FFQ twice (FFQ1: directly after the dietary record; and FFQ2: six weeks later). The analysis included an assessment of validity (comparison of the results of FFQ1 and 3-day dietary record) and of reproducibility (comparison of the results of FFQ1 and FFQ2). In assessment of validity, a Bland-Altman index of 5.3% was observed. In assessment of reproducibility, a Bland-Altman index of 2.7% was observed, the share of individuals classified into the same intake adequacy category was over 85%, the share of individuals classified into the same tertile was almost 75%, the weighted κ statistic indicated substantial agreement (0.67) and correlation was significant (p = 0.0000; R = 0.7995). Assessment of the Fol-IC-FFQ revealed a satisfactory level of validity and very good level of reproducibility in the population of young Polish women. The Fol-IC-FFQ may be considered a valid tool for the assessment of folate intake in young Polish women and a promising tool for the assessment of folate intake in young women in Central and Eastern Europe.

Subcutaneous and segmental fat loss with and without supportive supplements in conjunction with a low-calorie high protein diet in healthy women.

BackgroundWeight loss benefits of multi-ingredient supplements in conjunction with a low-calorie, high-protein diet in young women are unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a three-week low-calorie diet with and without supplementation on body composition.MethodsThirty-seven recreationally-trained women (n = 37; age = 27.1 ± 4.2; height = 165.1 ± 6.4; weight = 68.5 ± 10.1; BMI = 25.1 ± 3.4) completed one of the following three-week interventions: no change in diet (CON); a high-protein, low-calorie diet supplemented with a thermogenic, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a protein gel, and a multi-vitamin (SUP); or the high-protein diet with isocaloric placebo supplements (PLA). Before and after the three-week intervention, body weight, %Fat via dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), segmental fat mass via DXA, %Fat via skinfolds, and skinfold thicknesses at seven sites were measured.ResultsSUP and PLA significantly decreased body weight (SUP: PRE, 70.47 ± 8.01 kg to POST, 67.51 ± 8.10 kg; PLA: PRE, 67.88 ± 12.28 kg vs. POST, 66.38 ± 11.94 kg; p ≤ 0.05) with a greater (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in SUP than PLA or CON. SUP and PLA significantly decreased %Fat according to DXA (SUP: PRE, 34.98 ± 7.05% to POST, 32.99 ± 6.89%; PLA: PRE, 34.22 ± 6.36% vs. POST, 32.69 ± 5.84%; p ≤ 0.05), whereas only SUP significantly decreased %Fat according to skinfolds (SUP: PRE, 27.40 ± 4.09% to POST, 24.08 ± 4.31%; p ≤ 0.05). SUP significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased thicknesses at five skinfolds (chest, waist, hip, subscapular, and tricep) compared to PLA, but not at two skinfolds (axilla and thigh).ConclusionsThe addition of a thermogenic, CLA, protein, and a multi-vitamin to a three-week low-calorie diet improved weight loss, total fat loss and subcutaneous fat loss, compared to diet alone.

Inclusion of pork meat in the diets of young women reduces their intakes of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods: results from a randomized controlled trial.

Adherence of young women to dietary recommendations has been examined predominantly by surveys. This study aimed to determine the quality of women’s diets relative to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE); and to evaluate dietary changes during an intervention trial with pork meat or an iron supplement. A 12-week randomized trial was conducted in young women who were assigned to one of three groups. They maintained three, seven-day food diaries while continuing their routine diet (CG); taking an iron supplement (SG); or incorporating into their diets 500 g/week of pork (PG). Participants (n = 58) provided dietary information on 1218 diary-days. The serves consumed from the vegetable, fruit and dairy groups were lower (p < 0.001), and from the meat and alternatives group greater (p < 0.001) than the recommended serves. PG consumed significantly fewer (p < 0.001) serves of “extra” foods, and ate fruit more frequently (p < 0.001) than CG and SG. The participants’ dietary self-assessment showed poor agreement with the AGHE description of “serve”. The inclusion of pork in the diets of young women is associated with the reduced consumption of energy-dense nutrient-poor “extra” foods and increased frequency of fruit intake. The effect may be explained by diverse factors such as increased food knowledge, cooking skills and the effect of pork on satiety.

Local Role of Food Producers' Communities for a Global One-Health Framework: The Experience of Translational Research in an Italian Dairy Chain

Community is the foundation of public health: the present paper reports the approach and strategy for intervention on the dairy production community developed by the Italian project ALERT (www.alert2015.it), which implements the transfer of technical innovation and technological know-how from public research. Starting from the local role of primary producers, North-South and South-South networking (www.noodlesonlus.org) is needed to share solutions for transnational problems like climatic change, contaminated agro-farming sites and food waste and losses in the era of food crisis. Based on risk analysis, science-society dialogue and global health, the main drivers of this experience of translational research are One Health, i.e. the web of inter-relationships among environment, farm animals and human health, and sustainable food safety (prevention actions on diet of young women, today, to protect next generation’s health) to increase population life expectancy in good health.

The motivation to diet in young women: Fear is stronger than hope

AbstractThis research examined the relative impact of a hoped‐for, thin body and a feared, overweight body on weight‐loss dieting (WLD) motivation. We hypothesised that the women most motivated to engage in WLD would report a higher similarity to, and a higher cognitive availability of, a feared, overweight body. In study 1, WLD motivation was operationalized as WLD intention and in study 2 as a food choice (chocolate bar versus low‐fat snack bar). As expected, those most similar to the feared body and who had a highly available overweight body had the greatest intention to engage in WLD, and were more likely to choose a low‐fat snack over a chocolate bar. The implications of our findings for future research as well as the development of eating pathology in college women are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Uncoupling protein 1 gene −3826 A/G polymorphism is associated with weight loss on a short-term, controlled-energy diet in young women

Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) plays an important role in thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue. Previously, we reported an association between -3826 A/G single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter of UCP1 gene and lower thermogenesis in young women, suggesting this SNP has an adverse effect on the regulation of energy balance. Based on the hypothesis that this SNP (G allele) may have resistance against diet-induced weight loss, we examined its effects on anthropometric and metabolic responses to short-term, controlled-energy diet in young women. Seventeen lean women (20.9 ± 0.2 years; body mass index, 22.1 ± 0.5 kg/m(2)) were fed a controlled-energy diet (5.0 MJ/d, 62% carbohydrate, 19% protein, and 19% fat) administered by dietitians for 2 weeks. Clinical measurements were determined at baseline and after the dietary intervention. The subjects' physical activity was obtained using pedometers and self-reporting. The thermoregulatory sympathetic nervous system was evaluated using heart rate variability power spectral analysis. Upon the completion of the intervention, subjects were genotyped using an allele-specific DNA primer assay and results compared with their clinical measurements focusing on with or without the G allele. After dietary intervention, G allele subjects (A/G + G/G, n = 10) showed significantly smaller changes in body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference compared with A/A genotype subjects (n = 7). Similar changes were observed in parameters regarding glucose or lipid metabolism in both groups. These results suggest that the UCP1 gene -3826 G allele may result in smaller weight loss after a short-term, controlled-energy diet in young, lean women.

Why women of lower educational attainment struggle to make healthier food choices: The importance of psychological and social factors

Women of lower educational attainment are more likely to eat unhealthy diets than women of higher educational attainment. To identify influences on the food choices of women with lower educational attainment, 11 focus groups (eight with women of lower, and three with women of higher educational attainment) were held. Using a semi-structured discussion guide, environmental, social, historical and psychological factors known to be associated with food choice were explored. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Compared to women of higher educational attainment, women of lower educational attainment had less control over their families’ food choices, less support for attempts to eat healthily, fewer opportunities to observe and learn good food-related practices, more negative affect, more perceived environmental constraints and more ambiguous beliefs about the consequences of eating a nutritious diet. These findings provide a starting point for taking forward the design of an intervention to improve the diets of young women.

低脂肪, 低エネルギーに調整した和食の予防医学的効果 : 体脂肪率高値の若年女性における検討

低脂肪, 低エネルギーに調整した和食の予防医学的効果 : 体脂肪率高値の若年女性における検討

Diet, activity, and other health-related behaviors in college-age women.

Morbidity and mortality data for young women in the United States reflect several health risk behaviors for both acute and chronic disease development. Available data suggest that young women's diets are high in total and saturated fat and low in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. As a result, diets of young women are frequently low in iron, folate, and calcium. Prevalence of overweight continues to increase significantly in this population, but inappropriate body image concerns and disordered eating patterns are also common. Inactivity, smoking, and weight cycling are patterns that appear to begin early in women's lives. Some data suggest that young women value nutrition quality and are more likely to attempt positive changes than are young men.

A review of factors affecting the food choices of disadvantaged women

The diets of young women are important not just for their own health but also for the long-term health of their offspring. Unbalanced unvaried diets are more common amongst poor and disadvantaged women. If the diets of these women are to be improved, it is first necessary to understand why they make the food choices they do. Influences on women's food choices range from the global to the individual: environmental factors, such as difficulty in acquiring and affording good-quality healthy foods; social support and social relationships, such as those with parents, spouses and children; life transitions, such as leaving home, living with a partner or having children; individual factors, such as having low perceived control or self-efficacy in making food choices and placing a low value on health in general and on their own health in particular. These interrelated factors all influence food choice, suggesting that if the diets of disadvantaged women are to be improved, it will be necessary to do more than simply educate about the link between diet and health.

Relationships between fecal phytate and mineral excretions depend on the dietary phytate and age

The study was done to determine the effect of dietary phytate and age on the relationships between fecal phytate and mineral excretions. Fourteen young and 14 elderly women were fed two experimental diets, high phytate (HP) and low phytate (LP), for 10 days each with a washout period. Duplicate diet samples from two different menus and complete fecal samples were collected for 5 days during each diet period to analyze phytate and mineral contents. Fecal phytate excretion (319 vs. 177 mg/d, p&lt;0.05) and degradation rate of dietary phytate (80 vs. 74%, p = 0.002) increased significantly during the HP diet compared to the LP diet in young women. There was a positive relationship between fecal phytate and mineral excretions such as calcium, copper, iron and zinc in both HP and LP diet in young women (p&lt;0.05). The linear relationship was greater during LP diet compared to the HP diet. However, no association was found in elderly women. Fecal phytate had a positive relationship with mineral excretion suggesting the negative effect of un‐degraded phytate on mineral absorption. The inhibitory effect of phytate on mineral absorption was affected by dietary phytate and age. Supported by Korea Research Foundation

Analysis of Relationship between Birth Weight by Gestational Age and Decreasing Birth Weight in Kumamoto Prefecture, 1979-1997

This study was conducted to investigate possible factors associated with the recent decrease in birth weight in Kumamoto Prefecture between 1979 and 1997. Vital statistics on birth between 1979 and 1997 were obtained from the records of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan, on the basis of which, infants were divided into low-birth weight (LBW: <2500 g) group and the normal-birth-weight (> or =2500 g) group, and the proportions of birth and birth weights by gestational age (from 22 to 42 weeks) of both groups between 1979 and 1997 were compared. For the normal-birth-weight group, the peaks of the proportions of birth and birth weights by gestational age in 1997 shifted to early gestation, compared with the peaks in 1979. The birth weight by gestational age in 1997 decreased, compared with that in 1979 among the normal-birth-weight group, in particular, the birth weight from 37 to 40 gestational ages decreased significantly, and the mean birth weight showed a linear relationship with these gestational ages as observed in normal fetal development. However, in the LBW group, the mean birth weight showed a small increase after 1992 and a large increase in birth weight by gestational age in the last month of pregnancy in 1997. The changes in the proportions of birth and birth weights by gestational age among the normal-birth-weight group were found to be the important factors the recent decrease in birth weight. These factors might be associated with advances in medical technology and the fact that young women diet in order to slim.

Why do young women diet? The roles of body fat, body perception, and body ideal.

To assess the relative roles of body fat, body perception, and body ideals as motivations for dieting in college women. We compared 45 college women who reported having dieted with 32 who had not, using a novel computerized test of body image called the somatomorphic matrix. As expected, the difference in body fat between subjects' "perceived body" and "ideal body" was significantly greater in dieters than in nondieters (p < .001). Remarkably, however, this difference remained highly significant even after adjusting for the subjects' actual measured body fat (p = .002). Further analysis revealed that this difference persisted, not because dieters had unrealistic ideals of thinness, but because they had distorted perceptions of their fatness. Distorted body image perception, a potentially treatable condition, may play an unexpectedly large role in motivating young women to diet.

Fortification with low amounts of folic acid makes a significant difference in folate status in young women: implications for the prevention of neural tube defects

Mandatory fortification of grain products with folic acid was introduced recently in the United States, a policy expected to result in a mean additional intake of 100 microgram/d. One way of predicting the effectiveness of this measure is to determine the effect of removing a similar amount of folic acid as fortified food from the diets of young women who had been electively exposed to chronic fortification. The objective was to examine the effect on folate status of foods fortified with low amounts of folic acid. We investigated the changes in dietary intakes and in red blood cell and serum concentrations of folate in response to removing folic acid-fortified foods for 12 wk from the diets of women who reportedly consumed such foods at least once weekly (consumers). Consumers (n = 21) had higher total folate intakes (P = 0.002) and red blood cell folate concentrations (P = 0.023) than nonconsumers (women who consumed folic acid-fortified foods less than once weekly; n = 30). Of greater interest, a 12-wk intervention involving the exclusion of these foods resulted in a decrease in folate intake of 78 +/- 56 microgram/d (P < 0.001), which was reflected in a significant reduction in red blood cell folate concentrations (P < 0.05). Cessation of eating folic acid-fortified foods resulted in removing 78 microgram folic acid/d from the diet. Over 12 wk this resulted in a lowering of red blood cell folate concentrations by 111 nmol/L (49 microgram/L). This magnitude of change in folate status in women can be anticipated as a result of the new US fortification legislation and is predicted to have a significant, although not optimal, effect in preventing neural tube defects.

Food preferences and reported frequencies of food consumption as predictors of current diet in young women

Self-reported food preferences and frequencies of food consumption have served as proxy measures of the current diet in consumer research and in nutritional epidemiology studies, respectively. The objective was to determine whether food preferences and food-frequency scores are associated variables that are predictive of nutrient intakes. College-age women (n = 87) completed a 98-item food-frequency questionnaire and rated preferences for many of the same foods on a 9-point category scale. Estimated intakes of fat, fiber, and vitamin C were obtained by using 3-d food records. For virtually all item pairs tested, food preferences and reported frequencies of consumption of the same foods were significantly correlated with each other. The median Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.40 (range: -0.04 to 0.62). Correlations improved when foods were aggregated into factor-based food groups. The slope of the relation between food preferences and frequency of consumption varied with food category. Both food preferences and food frequencies predicted dietary outcomes. Fat consumption was predicted equally well by either approach in a multiple regression model. Intakes of fiber and vitamin C were better predicted by food-frequency scores than by stated preferences for vegetables and fruit. Reported frequencies of food consumption, the core of the food-frequency approach, were associated with food likes and dislikes. Food preferences were a predictor of dietary intakes and may provide an alternative to the food-frequency approach for dietary intake assessment.