High-energy Foods Research Articles

Effect of the Harvest Date on the Chemical Composition of Patauá (Oenocarpus batauaMart.) Fruits from a Forest Reserve in the Brazilian Amazon

This study aims to evaluate the effect of harvest date on the chemical composition of patauá (Oenocarpus batauaMart.). Fruits were harvested monthly during the harvest season (June–December, 2009) from native plants in the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve located in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The patauá was assessed for pulp yield and chemical composition. Variations in the bunch size, quantity of fruits, chemical constituents and calories occur throughout the season. The pulp yield showed two plateaus, the first from June to September and the second from October to December. The pulp yield was highest in the last three months, the amount of added water equilibrates the total solids and the lipids stood out as the major chemical constituent. At the end of harvest, the patauá became dry and oily and less fibrous. Despite the significant differences, considering that the pulp yield and solids content can be standardized by added water, the entire period of the season may be indicated for the patauá can be periodically collected and considered as a high-energy food for the people of Amazon.

Interactions between metabolism and circadian clocks: reciprocal disturbances

Obesity is a medical condition of excess body fat, recognized as a global epidemic. Besides genetic factors, overconsumption of high-energy food and a sedentary lifestyle are major obesogenic causes. A newly identified determinant is altered circadian rhythmicity. To anticipate and adapt to daily changes in the environment, organisms have developed an endogenous circadian timing system, comprising a main circadian clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, principally synchronized to the light-dark cycle. Secondary peripheral clocks are found in various tissues, such as the liver, pancreas, and adipose tissue. These clocks control the rhythmic patterns of myriad metabolic processes. We will review the evidence that metabolic dysfunction is associated with circadian disturbances at both central and peripheral levels and, conversely, that disruption of circadian clock functioning can lead to obesity. The roots of these reciprocal interactions will be illustrated by transcriptional crosstalk between metabolic and circadian systems. Chronotherapeutic approaches of dieting to maintain or restore a proper circadian alignment could be useful to limit the magnitude of metabolic risks.

Understanding socio-economic determinants of childhood mortality: a retrospective analysis in Uganda.

BackgroundTeso sub-region of Eastern Uganda had superior indices of childhood survival during the period 1959 to 1969 compared to the national average. We analysed the reasons that could explain this situation with a view of suggesting strategies for reducing childhood mortality.MethodsWe compared the childhood mortalities and their average annual reduction rate (AARR) of Teso sub-region with those of Uganda for the period 1959 to 1969. We also compared indicators of social economic well being (such as livestock per capita and per capita intake of protein/energy). In addition data was compared on other important determinants of child survival such as level of education and rate of urbanisation.FindingsIn 1969 the infant mortality rate (IMR) for Teso was 94 per 1000 live births compared to the 120 for Uganda. Between 1959 and 1969 the AARR for IMR for Teso was 4.57% compared to 3% for Uganda. It was interesting that the AARR for Teso was higher than that that of 4.4.% required to achieve millennium development goal number four (MDG4). The rate of urbanisation and the level of education were higher in Uganda compared to Teso during the same period. Teso had a per capita ownership of cattle of 1.12 compared to Uganda's 0.44. Teso sub region had about 3 times the amount of protein and about 2 times the amount of calories compared to Uganda.ConclusionsWe surmise that higher ownership of cattle and growing of high protein and energy foods might have been responsible for better childhood survival in Teso compared to Uganda.

The role of energetic value in dynamic brain response adaptation during repeated food image viewing

The repeated presentation of simple objects as well as biologically salient objects can cause the adaptation of behavioral and neural responses during the visual categorization of these objects. Mechanisms of response adaptation during repeated food viewing are of particular interest for better understanding food intake beyond energetic needs. Here, we measured visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and conducted neural source estimations to initial and repeated presentations of high-energy and low-energy foods as well as non-food images. The results of our study show that the behavioral and neural responses to food and food-related objects are not uniformly affected by repetition. While the repetition of images displaying low-energy foods and non-food modulated VEPs as well as their underlying neural sources and increased behavioral categorization accuracy, the responses to high-energy images remained largely invariant between initial and repeated encounters. Brain mechanisms when viewing images of high-energy foods thus appear less susceptible to repetition effects than responses to low-energy and non-food images. This finding is likely related to the superior reward value of high-energy foods and might be one reason why in particular high-energetic foods are indulged although potentially leading to detrimental health consequences.

Nutritional status and dietary habits of the population of the Calchaqui Valleys of Tucuman, Argentina

ObjectiveTo assess the nutritional status and dietary habits of the adult population of the Calchaqui Valleys of Tucuman. MethodsA cross-sectional nutritional survey that included one 24-h recall, a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements was conducted in a representative sample of 113 adult participants. Pregnant and lactating women were excluded. Overweight and obesity were assessed according to body mass index, and the percentage of individuals with cardiovascular risk according to waist circumference and waist-to-hip circumference ratio was determined. Dietary habits were described according to the mean nutrient and food intakes of men and women. ResultsMeans ± standard deviations for total energy intake of men and women were 1856 ± 859 and 1589 ± 799 kcal/d, respectively. The average body mass indices of men and women were 26.8 and 26.7 kg/m2, respectively. Thirty-seven percent of the population was overweight and 22.8% was obese, whereas 1.8% of the population was undernourished. Central adiposity was high (mean waist circumferences 99.8 and 87.3 cm in men and women, respectively). ConclusionsDespite the low average energy intake, the population under study showed a high prevalence of overweight and obesity and a high risk of cardiovascular disease according to the central adiposity values. These findings could be explained by the introduction of new high-energy foods and a sedentary lifestyle or the possibility that the biological characteristics of these individuals make them more predisposed to a rapid increase in adiposity.

Why is treating obesity so difficult? Justification for the role of bariatric surgery

There is little evidence that public health measures adopted so far have had any impact on the rise in the prevalence of obesity. Weight-loss programs have a very high long-term failure rate. There is emerging evidence that weight is regulated by the hypothalamus and is physiologically defended. There is also a strong genetic predisposition to the development of obesity. The availability and promotion of high-energy foods and the absence of any obligatory need for physical activity compound the problem, but this social change is not easily reversible. One way forward is to focus public health measures on preventing obesity in children while making resources available to treat people who are already obese, including providing funding for bariatric surgery in public hospitals.

The prevalence of abdominal obesity and hypertension amongst adults in Ogbomoso, Nigeria

BackgroundIn many developing countries obesity and obesity-related morbidity are now becoming a problem of increasing importance. Obesity is associated with a number of disease conditions, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, gallstones, respiratory system problems and sleep apnoea.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and obesity, as classified according to waist circumference (WC), and further to determine whether there was any association between abdominal obesity and hypertension amongst adults attending the Baptist Medical Centre, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.MethodA cross-sectional descriptive study of 400 adults aged 18 years or older was conducted. Blood pressure and WC measurements were taken and participants completed a standardised questionnaire.ResultsA group of 400 participants were randomly selected (221 women; 179 men), with a mean age of 48.7 ± 16.6 years. The overall prevalence of obesity as indicated by WC was 33.8% (men = 8.9%; women = 53.8%). Women were significantly more sedentary than men (50.8% for men vs 62.4% for women, p < 0.05). Most of the obese participants’ families also preferred high-energy foods (85.2%, p > 0.05). Overall prevalence of hypertension amongst the study population was 50.5%, but without a significant difference between men and women (52.0% for men vs 49.3% for women, p > 0.05). The prevalence of hypertension amongst the obese subset, however, was 60.0%.ConclusionPrevalence of abdominal obesity was found to be particularly significant amongst women in this setting and was associated with hypertension, physical inactivity and the consumption of high-energy diets.

The energetics of male–male endurance rivalry in free-ranging rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta

In many animal species, males engage in endurance rivalry, competing for mating opportunites over extended durations. In the rhesus macaque, a seasonally breeding primate species, energetically costly mating behaviours such as consortship lead to greater reproductive success, and the ability of males to improve their body condition before the mating season may be crucial in determining their ability to use such strategies. Here, we explore relationships between male dominance rank, behaviour, body mass index (BMI) and energetics (assessed through urinary C-peptide of insulin levels, UCPs) in free-ranging rhesus macaques during a 6-month birth season and subsequent 6-month mating season. We analysed measures of general activity, mating behaviours and restlessness, here defined as the rate of change between behaviours. During the birth season, high-ranking males spent more time feeding on high-energy food, were less restless and spent less time travelling than low-ranking males. Restlessness and travelling time were both negatively correlated with male BMI and UCPs. Males in good condition during the birth season were in good condition at the onset of the mating season. During the mating season, high-ranking males participated in more consortships, which were positively correlated with copulatory activity. Copulation was negatively correlated with UCP levels, demonstrating the cost of such mating activities. As a consequence, by the end of the mating season, high-ranking males were in the worst condition. Our results suggest that male rhesus macaques engage in competitive endurance rivalry, and that male condition built during the previous birth season is an integral part of mating success.

The prevalence of abdominal obesity and hypertension amongst adults in Ogbomoso, Nigeria

Background: In many developing countries obesity and obesity-related morbidity are now becoming a problem of increasing importance. Obesity is associated with a number of disease conditions, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, gallstones, respiratory system problems and sleep apnoea. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and obesity, as classified according to waist circumference (WC), and further to determine whether there was any association between abdominal obesity and hypertension amongst adults attending the Baptist Medical Centre, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study of 400 adults aged 18 years or older was conducted. Blood pressure and WC measurements were taken and participants completed a standardised questionnaire. Results: A group of 400 participants were randomly selected (221 women; 179 men), with a mean age of 48.7 ± 16.6 years. The overall prevalence of obesity as indicated by WC was 33.8%(men = 8.9%; women = 53.8%). Women were significantly more sedentary than men (50.8% for men vs 62.4% for women, p &lt; 0.05). Most of the obese participants’ families also preferred high-energy foods (85.2%, p &gt; 0.05). Overall prevalence of hypertension amongst the study population was 50.5%, but without a significant difference between men and women (52.0% for men vs 49.3% for women, p &gt; 0.05). The prevalence of hypertension amongst the obese subset, however, was 60.0%. Conclusion: Prevalence of abdominal obesity was found to be particularly significant amongst women in this setting and was associated with hypertension, physical inactivity and the consumption of high-energy diets.

Survey of American food trends and the growing obesity epidemic

The rapid rise in the incidence of obesity has emerged as one of the most pressing global public health issues in recent years. The underlying etiological causes of obesity, whether behavioral, environmental, genetic, or a combination of several of them, have not been completely elucidated. The obesity epidemic has been attributed to the ready availability, abundance, and overconsumption of high-energy content food. We determined here by Pearson's correlation the relationship between food type consumption and rising obesity using the loss-adjusted food availability data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Services (ERS) as well as the obesity prevalence data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our analysis showed that total calorie intake and consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) did not correlate with rising obesity trends. Intake of other major food types, including chicken, dairy fats, salad and cooking oils, and cheese also did not correlate with obesity trends. However, our results surprisingly revealed that consumption of corn products correlated with rising obesity and was independent of gender and race/ethnicity among population dynamics in the U.S. Therefore, we were able to demonstrate a novel link between the consumption of corn products and rising obesity trends that has not been previously attributed to the obesity epidemic. This correlation coincides with the introduction of bioengineered corns into the human food chain, thus raising a new hypothesis that should be tested in molecular and animal models of obesity.

Case 2: Weight loss despite tube feeding

A 15-year-old boy was referred by his family physician for a body mass index of 14 kg/m2. Previously, he had been following the fifth percentile for weight, despite being at the 50th percentile for height. His medical history was notable for eczema, iron-deficiency anemia and bronchitis. He unintentionally lost 4.5 kg over the past year, coinciding with the beginning of high school. He denied abdominal pain, vomiting, headaches, wheezing, reflux, arthritis, rashes and travels, and he passed formed stools daily. He was hungry, ate a varied diet, and denied concerns with body shape, restricting, binging or purging. Although he wished to gain weight, early satiety limited portion sizes. He was not physically active, but had healthy social and academic interests, and an appropriate mood. His mother had depression, two paternal uncles had celiac disease and his father reportedly had a transient malabsorptive problem as a child. Physical examination was normal aside from obviously low weight. Complete blood count, electrolytes, transaminases, total protein, albumin, thyroid function, antinuclear antibody, rheumatoid factor, ferritin, C-reactive protein, urinalysis, celiac and HIV screens were unremarkable. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed mild chronic gastritis without Helicobacter pylori infection. The patient was instructed to consume high-energy foods plus two cans of Ensure (Abbott Laboratories Ltd, Canada) per day. Although consuming an average of 2260 calories per day during the first five weeks, he only gained 1.1 kg. Over the following six months, despite aggressive calorie supplementation with ongoing suggestions from the dietician, he continued to demonstrate suboptimal weight gain, fluctuating between 44 kg and 46 kg. He was, therefore, admitted to hospital where he developed nonbilious and nonbloody emesis. Radiography of his chest and abdomen were unremarkable, as was an upper gastrointestinal contrast study. Nasogastric feeds were started with an intake of up to 3300 calories per day, gaining only 0.3 kg in the first week of admission. A further diagnostic test revealed the diagnosis.

Emerging targets for the treatment of obesity

Rapid adaptation to a modernized lifestyle, characterized by reduced physical activity and increased consumption of a highcalorie and high-energy food, has resulted in a dramatic rise in the prevalence of being overweight and obese people in most industrialized countries. A recent report by the World Health Organization stated that there are more than one billion overweight adults worldwide, at least 300 million of whom are clinically obese. Obesity is a complex metabolic disorder affecting the whole body which can be attributed to either or both genetic background or environmental factors. Abnormalities in controlling fat content in the body are therefore defined by more than simply eating too much or exercising too little and linked to increased risk of developing a number of common, severe diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer and nonalcoholic fatty liver, which contributes to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. A weight loss of even a relatively small percentage (5%) has been shown to lead to significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors in obese patients. However, lifestyle changes alone are usually insufficient to achieve and maintain even such modest weight loss in the morbidly obese. Surgery is a therapeutic option which has been shown to be effective in terms of both weight loss and reduction in morbidity and mortality related to obesity. However, the invasiveness, cost, lack of information on long-term effects and dearth of experienced bariatric surgeons have limited the use of surgery as a treatment option. Safe, effective pharmacological treatment is therefore desirable for patients with associated comorbid conditions who have been unable to maintain a healthy body weight range through diet and exercise alone. However, currently approved pharmacological therapies are limited with regard to efficacy and side-effect profiles, and are unable to achieve such weight maintenance in patients. Given these unmet needs, significant efforts are now being made to characterize molecular mechanisms of obesity that may lead to effective medical treatments and obesity prophylaxis. In this series, we review the therapeutic potential of several novel approaches and molecular targets for treating obesity, focusing on those tissues (brain, adipose, and liver) responsible for obesity. In the first minireview, Wolfgang and Lane focus on the hypothalamic area of the brain and outline the malonyl-CoA hypothesis, which targets the central regulation of energy homeostasis in the whole body. The authors also review the molecular mechanism of the neural system which detects changes in nutrient availability, body weight and adiposity status, focusing on the attractive molecular target CPT1c. The evidence shown in this article underscores the fact that the brain senses and responds to changes in nutrient availability and composition in order to moderate fat content in the body. In the second minireview, Kadomatsu et al. focus primarily on the effect of adipose tissue and liver on obesity and review the functions of novel drug targets ANGPTL2 and ANGPTL6 ⁄AGF, which are structurally similar to but functionally different from angiopoietin, in obesity and obesityrelated metabolic diseases. In the minireview, they discuss in depth that these adipocyte-derived inflammatory mediators may function as key molecules, linking obesity to systemic insulin resistance and circulating levels of these mediators may serve as a marker of obesity-induced metabolic abnormalities in the body. They also outline the function of these two targets that ANGPTL2 activates vascular inflammation and monocyte migration leading to the adipose tissue inflammation, while ANGPTL6/AGF enhances systemic energy expenditure, thereby exerting an anti-obesity effect. In the final minireview, Suwa et al. focus on the novel approach to regulation of adipocyte hyperplasia and describe the molecular functions of the drug target RMI1, which plays a pivotal role in adipocyte hyperplasia in rodents and humans. Recent evidence has indicated that increased adipocyte number is crucial in the development of severe obesity, and these authors present an overview of current findings supporting the notion that RMI1 inhibitor is a promising pharmacological option for controlling adipocyte hyperplasia. We hope that the information presented here about emerging targets functioning in the nerve center and peripheral tissues responsible for obesity will contribute to the research and development of new medicines for treating obesity as well as promoting science in general.

Addressing the public health burden caused by the nutrition transition through the Healthy Foods North nutrition and lifestyle intervention programme

Dietary inadequacies, low levels of physical activity, excessive energy intake and high obesity prevalence have placed Inuit and Inuvialuit populations of the Canadian Arctic at increased risk of chronic disease. An evidence-based, community participatory process was used to develop Healthy Foods North (HFN), a culturally appropriate nutrition and physical activity intervention programme that aimed to reduce risk of chronic disease and improve dietary adequacy amongst Inuit/Inuvialuit in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. HFN was implemented over the course of 12 months in a series of seven phases between October 2008 and 2009 (Nunavut) and June 2008 and 2009 (Northwest Territories). Combining behaviour change and environmental strategies to increase both the availability of healthful food choices in local shops and opportunities for increasing physical activity, HFN promoted the consumption of traditional foods and nutrient-dense and/or low energy shop-bought foods, utilisation of preparation methods that do not add fat content, decreased consumption of high-energy shop-bought foods, and increased physical activity. Messages identified in the community workshops, such as the importance of family eating and sharing, were emphasised throughout the intervention. Intervention components were conducted by community staff and included working with shops to increase the stocking of healthy foods, point of purchase signage and promotion in shops and community settings, pedometer challenges in the workplace and use of community media (e.g. radio and cable television advertisements) to reinforce key messages. HFN represents an innovative multilevel approach to the reduction of chronic disease risk factors amongst Inuit and Inuvialuit, based on strong collaboration with local agencies, government and institutions.

Short Sleep Duration Promoting Overconsumption of Food: A Reward-Driven Eating Behavior?

Short Sleep Duration Promoting Overconsumption of Food: A Reward-Driven Eating Behavior?

Effects of a high fibre diet on the welfare of sows housed in large dynamic groups

RECENT amendments to EU pig welfare legislation state that pregnant sows and gilts must be provided with sufficient amounts of bulky or high fibre diets and high energy food to...

Obesity under affluence varies by welfare regimes: The effect of fast food, insecurity, and inequality

Among affluent countries, those with market-liberal welfare regimes (which are also English-speaking) tend to have the highest prevalence of obesity. The impact of cheap, accessible high-energy food is often invoked in explanation. An alternative approach is that overeating is a response to stress, and that competition, uncertainty, and inequality make market-liberal societies more stressful. This ecological regression meta-study pools 96 body-weight surveys from 11 countries c. 1994–2004. The fast-food ‘shock’ impact is found to work most strongly in market-liberal countries. Economic insecurity, measured in several different ways, was almost twice as powerful, while the impact of inequality was weak, and went in the opposite direction.

The role of functional foods, nutraceuticals, and food supplements in intestinal health.

New eating habits, actual trends in production and consumption have a health, environmental and social impact. The European Union is fighting diseases characteristic of a modern age, such as obesity, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, allergies and dental problems. Developed countries are also faced with problems relating to aging populations, high energy foods, and unbalanced diets. The potential of nutraceuticals/functional foods/food supplements in mitigating health problems, especially in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is discussed. Certain members of gut microflora (e.g., probiotic/protective strains) play a role in the host health due to its involvement in nutritional, immunologic and physiological functions. The potential mechanisms by which nutraceuticals/functional foods/food supplements may alter a host’s health are also highlighted in this paper. The establishment of novel functional cell models of the GI and analytical tools that allow tests in controlled experiments are highly desired for gut research.

Metabolic obesity: A new therapeutic target for cardio-metabolic risk reduction

Summary During the last couple of years, the focus of attention has drifted from coronary risk to cardio-metabolic risk because of the growing epidemic of cardio-metabolic disorders such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Physical inactivity and consumption of high-energy foods are the root causes of this epidemic.

Dugong habitat use in relation to seagrass nutrients, tides, and diel cycles

The dugong is the only herbivorousmammal that is strictly marine and a seagrass community specialist. The pasture available to the dugong varies with the tides because seagrass occurs in both intertidal and subtidal areas. We GPS-tracked seven dugongs within a 24 km2, intensively used seagrass habitat in subtropical Australia in winter.We modeled resource selection within the habitat by comparing the dugongs’ use of space with the distribution of seagrass in an area defined using the combined space-use of the tracked animals. Selection by dugongs for seagrass quantity (biomass) and quality (nutrients) was analyzed within six time/tide combinations to examine the influences of tidal periodicity and the diel cycle on resource selection. Dugong habitat use was consistently centered over seagrass patches with high nitrogen concentrations, except during the day at low tides when the animals had fewer habitat choices and their space use was centered over high seagrass biomass. The association of dugongs with seagrass high in starch was positive during both day and night high tides when the animals could access the intertidal areas where seagrass biomass was generally low. Associations between dugongs and seagrass species were less definite, reflecting the potential for dugongs to exploit several species. Our model of dugong resource selection suggests that nitrogen is the primary limiting nutrient for dugong populations and also confirms the preference of dugongs for high-energy foods.

Pleasure for visual and olfactory stimuli evoking energy-dense foods is decreased in anorexia nervosa

Although patients with anorexia nervosa have been suggested to be anhedonic, few experiments have directly measured their sensory pleasure for a range of food and non-food stimuli. This study aimed to examine whether restrictive anorexia nervosa (AN-R) patients displayed: i) a generalized decline in sensory pleasure or only in food-related sensory pleasure; ii) a modification of hedonic responses to food cues (liking) and of the desire to eat foods (wanting) as a function of their motivational state (hunger vs. satiety) and energy density of foods (high vs. low). Forty-six female participants (AN-R n = 17; healthy controls (HC) n = 29) reported before/after lunch their pleasure for pictures/odorants representing foods of different energy density and non-food objects. They also reported their desire to eat the foods evoked by the sensory stimuli, and completed the Physical Anhedonia Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. AN-R and HC participants did not differ on liking ratings when exposed to low energy-density food or to non-food stimuli. The two groups also had similar physical anhedonia scores. However, compared to HC, AN-R reported lower liking ratings for high energy food pictures regardless of their motivational state. Olfactory pleasure was reduced only during the pre-prandial state in the AN-R group. The wanting ratings showed a distinct pattern since AN-R participants reported less desire to eat the foods representing both low and high energy densities, but the effect was restricted to the pre-prandial state. Taken together these results reflect more the influence of core symptoms in anorexia nervosa (fear of gaining weight) than an overall inability to experience pleasure.