High Rates Of Overweight Research Articles

Differences and Correlation Analysis of Birth Weight and Overweight/Obesity in Shanghai Twin Cohort.

The objective of this study was to analyze differences in birth weight and overweight/obesity in a Shanghai twin cohort. We also wanted to study their association and explore possible risk factors for the discordance of overweight/obesity within twins. This was an internal case-control study designed for twins. The 2012 Shanghai Twin Registration System baseline survey data of a total of 3417 twin pairs were statistically analyzed using SPSS22 software. Results show that the body mass index (BMI) of the Shanghai twin population increased with age. Twins with a high birth weight had a higher BMI and a higher rate of overweight and obesity; 0- to 6-year-old twins, male twins and dizygotic (DZ) twins had higher rates of overweight/obesity than other groups. The greater the discordant birth weight rate of twins, the more obvious the difference in BMI (p < .05). There was a significant difference in overweight/obesity between twins with a relative difference of birth weight ≥15% in DZ twins (p < .05). DZ twins, male twins and 0- to 6-year-old twins were more likely to be discordant in overweight/obese than others. The discordant birth weight within twins was not a risk factor for discordant overweight/obesity. However, attention should be paid to childhood obesity, and appropriate interventions should be made at the appropriate time. Genetics may play an important role in the occurrence and development of overweight/obesity. In conclusion, discordant growth and development in the uterus early in life may not lead to discordant weight development in the future.

What's Impacting the Waistinlines of Black Women? An Examination of the Impact of Race and Racism as Contributing Factors to Overweight and Obesity Health Disparities

Compared to other racial and ethnic minority groups, Black women have higher rates of overweight and obesity (OVO). While many reasons exist for these high rates of OVO, this article takes a deeper look into the social determinants of health that contribute to OVO, focusing on the impact of race and racism, while also providing tangible strategies that can help close the health disparity gap. Race and racism have been long standing issues in America, leading to Black women being marginalized and disenfranchised for generations. Due to historical abuses and discriminatory policies, Black women may live in areas that lack access to quality school systems, nutritious food options, culturally competent health care providers, safe housing or greenspace to engage in physical activity, for example. All of which can lead to unhealthy decision making leading to unwanted weight gain and chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension. Even for affluent and well-educated Black women, the negative impact of racism can still be felt. To combat this problem, action-oriented, forward-thinking solutions need to be implemented at all levels to ensure Black women can live in communities that support healthy decision-making practices. Public Health Practitioners should focus their efforts on advocating and implementing policies that enable Black women to make healthy decisions at all levels, designing and implementing culturally relevant health education and promotion programs and resources that meet the needs of Black women, and training healthcare providers and others to provide culturally competent care and services for Black women to support healthy weight management.

Overweight and obesity among children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)- An experience at tripoli university hospital, Tripoli, Libya

Obesity is one of the global epidemics in children and adult. Children with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) have a higher risk of obesity. CAH is a group of genetic condition that affects adrenal gland steroidogenesis. Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a rare, life threatening, endocrine disorder that affects boys and girls equally. There are few studies reporting on higher rates of overweight and obesity among children with CAH. Lack of such study in Libya warrants the researcher to undergo this study. Data were collected from the total 56 patients (36 with CAH include Classic salt wasting and Simple Virilizing types and 20 normal/control group) with 6-15 years young children who attended at Tripoli University Hospital, Tripoli, Libya for one year from September 2018 to August 2019. The effect of CAH is severe in young age, more prevalence in girls than boys and more cases diagnosed at the 0-1 year young with simple virilizing type. BMI and Lipid profile have no much role in the increase of severity in number of cases. Family history like Obesity and CAH play a major role among the children. CAH affected children have high BP. Ideal dose of Hydrocortisone (HC) for the early treatment of CAH is about 10-15mg/m2/day. Careful dosing during early childhood is needed to prevent increased weight gain and an early adiposity rebound. Larger and longer-term studies are needed to confirm our results.

Neighborhood deprivation index is associated with weight status among long-term survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Area deprivation index (ADI), a measure of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, has been linked to metabolic outcomes in the general population but has received limited attention in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a population with high rates of overweight and obesity. We retrospectively reviewed heights and weights of ≥ 5 year survivors of pediatric ALL (diagnosed 1990-2013). Residential addresses were geocoded using ArcGIS to assign quartiles of ADI, a composite of 17 measures of poverty, housing, employment, and education, with higher quartiles reflecting greater deprivation. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between ADI quartiles and overweight/obesity or obesity alone were calculated with logistic regression. On average, participants (n = 454, 50.4% male, 45.2% Hispanic) were age 5.5 years at diagnosis and 17.4 years at follow-up. At follow-up, 26.4% were overweight and 24.4% obese. Compared to the lowest ADI quartile, survivors in the highest quartile were more likely to be overweight/obese at follow-up (OR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.23-4.44) after adjusting for race/ethnicity, sex, age at diagnosis, and age at follow-up. The highest ADI quartile remained significantly associated with obesity (OR = 5.28, 95% CI: 1.79-15.54) after accounting for weight status at diagnosis. This study provides novel insights into possible social determinants of health inequalities among survivors of childhood ALL by reporting a significant association between neighborhood deprivation and overweight/obesity. Survivors of childhood ALL residing in neighborhood with greater socioeconomic disadvantage may be at increased risk of overweight and obesity and candidates for targeted interventions.

Exercise Capacity and Predictors of Performance After Fontan: Results from the Pediatric Heart Network Fontan 3 Study.

Impaired exercise following Fontan is a surrogate of morbidity. Single-center longitudinal data exist, but there is a lack of contemporary multi-center data. Ramp cycle ergometry was re-performed in consented participants who had originally participated in the Pediatric Heart Network's Fontan cross-sectional study. Annualized change was evaluated at maximal and submaximal exercise. Associations between these outcomes and patient characteristics were analyzed. There were 336 participants in Fontan 3, mean age 23.2years. Paired measurements of peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2) were available for 95; peak exercise data at Fontan 3 were available for 275. Percent-predicted peak VO2 declined by 0.8 ± 1.7% per year (p < 0.001). At Fontan 3, the lowest performing peak VO2 tertile had the highest rate of overweight and obesity (p < 0.001). Female gender was more prevalent in the highest performing tertile (p = 0.004). Paired data at the ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VO2 at VAT) were available for 196; VAT data at Fontan 3 were available for 311. Percent-predicted VO2 at VAT decreased by 0.8 ± 2.6% per year (p < 0.001). At Fontan 3, VO2 at VAT was better preserved than peak VO2 across all tertiles, with higher rates of overweight and obesity in the lower performing group (p = 0.001). Female gender (p < 0.001) and left ventricular morphology (p = 0.03) were associated with better performance. Submaximal exercise is better preserved than maximal in the Fontan population, but declined at the same rate over the study period. The overall longitudinal rate of decline in exercise performance is slower than what has been described previously.

Monitoring the progress of health-related sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Brazilian states using the Global Burden of Disease indicators

BackgroundMeasuring the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) has been the key to verifying the evolution of health indicators worldwide. We analyse subnational GBD data for Brazil in order to monitor the performance of the Brazilian states in the last 28 years on their progress towards meeting the health-related SDGs.MethodsAs part of the GBD study, we assessed the 41 health-related indicators from the SDGs in Brazil at the subnational level for all the 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District from 1990 to 2017. The GBD group has rescaled all worldwide indicators from 0 to 100, assuming that for each one of them, the worst value among all countries and overtime is 0, and the best is 100. They also estimate the overall health-related SDG index as a function of all previously estimated health indicators and the SDI index (Socio-Demographic Index) as a function of per capita income, average schooling in the population aged 15 years or over, and total fertility rate under the age of 25 (TFU25).ResultsFrom 1990 to 2017, most subnational health-related SDGs, the SDG and SDI indexes improved considerable in most Brazilian states. The observed differences in SDG indicators within Brazilian states, including HIV incidence and health worker density, increased over time. In 2017, health-related indicators that achieved good results globally included the prevalence of child wasting, NTD, household air pollution, conflict mortality, skilled birth attendance, use of modern contraceptive methods, vaccine coverage, and health worker density, but poor results were observed for child overweight and homicide rates. The high rates of overweight, alcohol consumption, and smoking prevalence found in the historically richest regions (i.e., the South and Southeast), contrast with the high rates of tuberculosis, maternal, neonatal, and under-5 mortality and WASH-related mortality found in the poorer regions (i.e., the North and Northeast).ConclusionsThe majority of Brazil’s health-related SDG indicators have substantially improved over the past 28 years. However, inequalities in health among the Brazilian states and regions remain noticeable negatively affecting the Brazilian population, which can contribute to Brazil not achieving the SDG 2030 targets.

Avaliação nutricional de policiais militares de uma companhia em Sobral, Ceará, Brasil

Introdução: Os policiais militares são responsáveis por garantir a ordem pública. Entretanto, o seu trabalho possibilita a exposição a ambientes perigosos, com violência e locais insalubres. Assim, há um efeito negativo à saúde destes profissionais. Objetivo: Avaliar o estado e os riscos nutricionais em policiais militares. Métodos: Estudo descritivo, exploratório com abordagem quantitativa, com 75 policiais militares. Foram coletados dados antropométricos (peso, altura, índice de Quételet e circunferência abdominal), dietéticos (recordatório de 24 horas, energia e macronutrientes), pressão arterial, nível de escolaridade, estado civil, remuneração, carga horária de trabalho, consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e tabaco, e atividade física. A adequação nutricional foi classificada conforme recomendações da Dieterary Reference Intakes. Resultados: Houve excesso de peso em 75% dos participantes; 62,7% com circunferência abdominal elevada; 66,7% em uso de bebida alcoólica; 65,7% praticavam atividade física regular; e consumo energético médio de 1715,2 Kcal/dia. Cerca de 64% fazia uso salada e 48% consumiam frutas diariamente.FConclusão: Os dados encontrados mostram que há um alto índice de sobrepeso e obesidade nos policiais militares, com risco de desenvolverem doenças metabólicas e respiratórias.

P36 Hispanic Mothers’ Barriers to Making Healthy Eating Changes Within the Family

<h3>Background</h3> Hispanic adults have the highest rates of overweight and obesity of any racial or ethnic group. Several barriers to healthy eating within the family (eg, lack of time, energy, accessibility, and cost) are well documented. However, few studies have assessed Hispanic mothers' perceived barriers, specifically on implementing healthy eating changes in the family's meals and anticipated family members' responses to healthy eating changes. <h3>Objective</h3> The primary objective of this study was to assess Hispanic mothers' perceived barriers in creating healthy eating changes within the family. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> Sixty-one Mexican-American and Puerto Rican mothers enrolled across 4 states (California, Illinois, Iowa, and Texas) who participated in 13 focus groups. These 4 states were selected due to their locations and concentrations of Mexican-American and Puerto Rican families. Eligibility criteria included being Mexican American or Puerto Rican descent, and having a child between the ages of 6-18. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and then translated to English by 2 independent research assistants for accuracy purposes. The analysis was guided by grounded theory, using a systematic approach to help patterns in the data to be discovered and identified. Themes were created within and across codes by multiple researchers and representative quotes were selected. <h3>Results</h3> Participating mothers felt that the largest barriers to implementing healthy eating changes within the home would be child and spouse resistance. Mothers largely felt that family members would not welcome healthy changes. The resistance mothers encounter may magnify their workload as several mothers talked about having to make multiple meals in a single mealtime to ensure that everyone was fed. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The present study adds to the literature because the focus is on Mexican, Mexican-American, and Puerto Rican families. Family interventions targeting Hispanic families should include an emphasis on empowering parents and providing strategies to increase the likelihood of all family members eating the same meal.

Healthy Habits Questionnaire Feasibility and Utility for High-Risk Children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics provides guidance for pediatric primary care providers to promote healthy weight during childhood. Screening questions on diet and activity habits can help provider assessment and assist counseling for targeted behavior change. We implemented the parent completed, 10-item 5210 Healthy Habits Questionnaire (Ages 2-9 year) in our primary care practice serving low-income minority children with high rates of overweight and obesity. Adherence to the intervention protocol was high, and providers found the content and method of assessment useful for their counseling of individual patients. The aggregate Healthy Habits Questionnaire data provided a snapshot of the health habits in our local clinic population of children, prompting greater awareness for providers and informing their patient care.

Hispanic Maternal Perception of Preschoolers’ Bodyweight Status in Samples from the United States of America and Mexico

Abstract Objectives Childhood obesity is a major public health concern, which disproportionally affects Hispanic children in the United States (US) and Mexico. Mothers are key influencers to their children's health and growth. As part of a pilot obesity prevention study, Hispanic mothers’ perception of their preschoolers’ weight status was assessed to inform the development of intervention strategies. Methods Study subjects were Hispanic mothers and their preschoolers between the ages of 3 and 5 enrolled in participating Head Star Centers in Texas, US or kindergartens in Northern Mexico. Upon informed consent, mothers completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing their perception of their preschoolers’ weight status. Preschoolers’ body weight and height were measured; and their actual weight status was classified using the CDC's age and gender specific BMI references. Results Preliminary data included 85 and 294 child-mother pairs from US and Mexico, respectively. The US sample had a higher rate of overweight and obesity (35%) in comparison to the Mexico sample (19%). There was a great discrepancy between mothers’ perception and their children's actual weight status in both samples. Although only approximately 5% of children were underweight, 14% of American and 24% of Mexican mothers perceived their children being underweight. Contrarily, only 4.8% of American mothers perceived their children as a little overweight or obese, as compared to the actual rate of 35%. Similarly, only 5% of Mexican mothers perceived their children as a little overweight or obese, as compared to the actual rate of 19%. Conclusions Hispanic mothers in the US and Mexico appear to worry about their normal weight children being underweight, while overlooking the overweight and obesity problem. Early childhood obesity prevention programming is needed to aggressively address Hispanic mothers’ preference of chubby children, and the mothers’ underestimation of overweight and obesity among their preschoolers. Funding Sources The Mexico's National Science and Technology Council &amp; The Kellogg´s Institute of Nutrition and Health.

Eating Habits and Their Association with Weight Status in Chinese School-Age Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Poor eating habits increase children’s risk of chronic diseases such as overweight and obesity, adult diabetes, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the eating habits of school-age children and their impact on children’s body mass index. Methods: Multistage cluster sampling was used to sample 2224 students in grades 4 to 6 from 16 primary schools in Changsha. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect general demographic, eating habit, and snack consumption data from school-age children. Height and weight were measured so that the body mass index Z-score could be calculated and evaluated according to the 2007 World Health Organization’s Body Mass Index (BMI) reference standard. Results: The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in school-age children were 17.0% and 8.3%, respectively. Boys had higher rates of overweight and obesity than girls (19.9% vs. 13.6%, 12.9% vs. 3.0%, respectively, p < 0.05). Among the total population of children, 71.6% reported picky eating habits, and 55.1% had late-night snacks. Children who skipped breakfast (OR 1.507 and 95% CI 1.116~2.035) and ate puffed food (OR 1.571 and 95% CI 1.170~2.110) were more likely to be overweight/obese. Conclusions: The eating habits of school-age children are closely related to their weight status. Poor eating habits can be risk factors for overweight and obesity. The dietary management of children should be strengthened so that they develop good eating habits and the incidence of overweight and obesity in school-age children decreases.

Provincial prevalence of overweight and obesity among 0-5 years old children in China in 2013

To study the provincial prevalence of overweight and obesity among 0-5 years old children in China in 2013. Data was from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance among 0-5 years Children and Lactating Women in 2013. A stratified multistage cluster sampling was used among 0-5 years children from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities and selected 55 districts/counties. The weight and height measurement was conducted using a standard method. The questionnaire was used to collect the information of children. The WHO 2006 growth standard and WHO 2007 growth reference were used to define the overweight and obesity in children. The data was calculated using the post-stratified weight based on provincial census from the National Bureau of Statistics in 2010. The sample participants were 32 861 in 2013. The provincial prevalence of overweight was in 3. 3%-16. 1% and in 0. 6%-9. 7% for obesity. Among the provinces with urban survey sites, the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity was Shandong(14. 3% and 5. 2%), the lowest was Hainan(3. 3% and 0. 6%). Among the provinces with rural survey sites, the highest rate of overweight was Shanxi(16. 1%)and the lowest was Qinghai(3. 3%), while the highest rate of obesity was Shanxi(9. 7%)and the lowest was Qinghai(0. 7%). Among the provinces with both urban and rural survey sites, the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity was in Hebei(14. 3% and 6. 6%), the lowest was in Guizhou(3. 5% and 0. 9%). The prevalence of overweight and obesity among 0-5 years old children was higher in central and middle region in China.

Cardiovascular risk factors in younger adults with high-normal blood pressure and essential hypertension

A decreasing trend in the onset age of essential hypertension, asymptomatic course of the disease, and a high prevalence of high-normal blood pressure (pre-hypertension) among young people are predictors of excessive premature mortality. When working with young patients with pre-hypertension or hypertension, the correction of behavioral risk factors and reduction of cardiovascular risk are critical tasks to drive mortality down within the young population. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the prevalence of risk factors among young people. Updated information on the dynamics and variability of risk factors is largely absent. Besides, the assessment of the absolute risk of fatal cardiovascular events in young people is challenging because of the age-related limitations of SCORE riskometer. Objective. To assess the frequencies of cardiovascular risk factors in young people with pre-hypertension or hypertension. Material and Methods. A cross-sectional study included 112 people with pre-hypertension or hypertension aged 25 to 44 years. Patients underwent clinical, laboratory, and instrumental examinations and questionnaire survey. Results. The most common risk factor among young people with pre-hypertension or hypertension was overweight or obesity (65.6 ± 8.6%). The frequency of visceral obesity was 24.7 ± 7.8%. The frequency of smoking was 30.10 ± 8.24%, 41.5% and 3.6% in men and women, respectively (p = 0.0001). Hereditary history of early cardiovascular diseases was found in 57.0 ± 8.9%. The rates of hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycemia, and hyperuricemia were 50.5 ± 8.9%, 30 ± 8.2%, and 42.6 ± 8.8%, respectively. Hyperuricemia was more common in men (71%) than in women (12%), p &lt; 0.01. In addition to reporting the main cardiovascular factors, the article presents data on the frequencies of nutritional risk factors, various types of low physical activity, and data on the frequency of anxiety and depression in young people with pre-hypertension and hypertension. Conclusions. Higher rates of overweight, smoking, and hyperuricemia, but lower rates of early cardiovascular history were found in men compared with women. Young people with pre-hypertension and hypertension had comparable incidence rates of major cardiovascular and behavioral risk factors, with the exception of more frequent dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia in the presence of hypertension. However, hyperuricemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and excessive salt intake were detected more often in men with pre-hypertension than in women. In the group of hypertensive individuals, gender differences were characterized by higher frequencies of overweight, hyperuricemia, and smoking among men.

Increasing the proportion of healthier foods available with and without reducing portion sizes and energy purchased in worksite cafeterias: protocol for a stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial

BackgroundOverconsumption of energy from food contributes to high rates of overweight and obesity in many populations. A promising set of interventions tested in pilot studies in worksite cafeterias, suggests energy intake may be reduced by increasing the proportion of healthier – i.e. lower energy – food options available, and decreasing portion sizes. The current study aims to assess the impact on energy purchased of i. increasing the proportion of lower energy options available; ii. combining this with reducing portion sizes, in a full trial.MethodsA stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial in 19 worksite cafeterias, where the proportion of lower energy options available in targeted food categories (including main meals, snacks, and cold drinks) will be increased; and combined with reduced portion sizes. The primary outcome is total energy (kcal) purchased from targeted food categories using a pooled estimate across all sites. Follow-up analyses will test whether the impact on energy purchased varies according to the extent of intervention implementation.DiscussionThis study will provide the most reliable estimate to date of the effect sizes of two promising interventions for reducing energy purchased in worksite cafeterias.Trial registrationThe study was prospectively registered on ISRCTN (date: 24.05.19; TRN: ISRCTN87225572; doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN87225572).

Lifestyle behaviours and health measures of women at increased risk of breast cancer taking chemoprevention.

Women at increased breast cancer (BC) risk are eligible for chemoprevention. Healthy lifestyles are potentially important for these women to improve efficacy and minimise side effects of chemoprevention and reduce the risk of BC and other lifestyle-related conditions. We investigated whether women taking chemoprevention adhere to healthy lifestyle recommendations, how their lifestyle risk factors and health measures compare to women in the general population, and whether these change whilst taking chemoprevention. Lifestyle risk factors and health measures in 136 premenopausal women taking tamoxifen for prevention of BC (Tam-Prev study) were compared to both national recommendations and an age-matched female population from the Health Survey for England 2012. The Tam-Prev population had high rates of overweight and obesity (59.2%) and low adherence to physical activity recommendations (30.6%) which were comparable to the general population (55.2 and 35.1%, respectively). Fewer Tam-Prev participants were current smokers (10.5 vs. 18.2%, P = 0.032), but more exceeded alcohol recommendations (45.0 vs. 18.7%, P < 0.001). Tam-Prev participants had suboptimal diets; proportions not meeting fibre, saturated fat and non-milk extrinsic sugar recommendations were 87.8, 64.9 and 21.4% respectively. Many Tam-Prev participants had markers of cardiovascular disease risk and the metabolic syndrome. Health behaviours did not change during the first year on tamoxifen. Women taking chemoprevention had a high prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours and health measures, similar to an age-matched English cohort. Improving these measures in women at increased BC risk could significantly decrease rates of BC and other noncommunicable diseases.

Social work and toddler overweight risk: Identifying modifiable child and parent factors across the socioeconomic gradient

ABSTRACT Objective: Childhood obesity is associated with long-term health consequences, yet little is known about the prevalence of child and parent risk factors of overweight across the socioeconomic gradient in early life. This exploratory study documents the prevalence of risk factors that contribute to overweight among toddlers within and across socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: Obesity risk factors were examined within and across SES quintiles in a nationally representative sample. Data were collected from 5,100 mothers and 2-year-old children. Weighted regression models assessed child and parent characteristics that predict toddler weight status in a national sample and samples stratified by SES quintiles. Results: Higher rates of overweight were observed in Q1 (29.2%) and reduced with each successive SES quintile (16.9%—Q5), suggesting a gradient effect. Results indicated factors unique within quintiles, distinct from the full national sample: Q1—motor development; Q2—motor and mental development, maternal BMI, breastfeeding, bottle feeding, introduction of solid foods; Q3—breastfeeding; and Q4–5—introduction of solid foods. Discussion: Findings further existing knowledge of toddler obesity by uncovering risks relevant for specific SES groups. Results yield implications for social workers to refine strategies for improving toddler health and preventing overweight/obesity.

Chlorophyll Supplementation in Early Life Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity and Modulates Gut Microbiota in Mice.

The high rates of overweight and obesity, currently occurring in children, underline the urgent need for preventive strategies in early life before excess weight is gained. In this study, the alleviating obesity property of chlorophyll supplementation in early life is investigated using a 4-week-old C57BL/6J male mice model with obesity induced by high-fat diet (HFD). The present study finds that chlorophyll supplementation in early life can effectively retard body weight gain, improve glucose tolerance, as well as reduce low-grade inflammation in HFD-fed mice. Consequently, high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA demonstrates that chlorophyll supplementation significantly reversed the HFD-induced gut dysbiosis, as evidenced by the decreased Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratios as chlorophyll is introduced. Furthermore, in chlorophyll-fed mice, the increased abundance of Blautia and norank_f_Bacteroidales_S24-7_group, and the decreased abundance of Lactococcus and Lactobacillus, bring about the possibility that chlorophyll's alterations to the gut microbiota composition would be the main factors for dietary chlorophyll alleviating obesity-related indexes. Taken together, these results reveal that the intake of chlorophyll in early life may propel healthy weight management and produce beneficial effects against potential obesity in later life.

Weight-based victimization among sexual and gender minority adolescents: Implications for substance use and mental health.

Weight-based victimization (WBV) involves being the target of intentional physical, verbal, or psychological harm because of one's body weight. Youth experience harmful health consequences from WBV, but this literature has neglected sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth, despite their high rates of overweight and obesity, and mental health problems. The present study assessed health behaviors (substance use), self-rated health, perceived control over stressors, depressive symptoms and self-esteem as a function of WBV in a large, national sample of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) adolescents. Participants (N = 9,838, Mage = 15.6 years, SD = 1.26) completed a web-based battery of questionnaires examining victimization, health, family, and school experiences of LGBTQ adolescents in the United States. WBV was associated with increased odds of alcohol use, binge drinking, marijuana use, and cigarette use, independent of adolescents' age, race, body mass index (BMI), sexual identity, gender identity, caregiver education, and U.S. region. Frequency of WBV at school and weight teasing from family members were both consistently associated with lower self-rated health, lower perceived control over stressors, lower self-esteem, and higher depressive symptom scores. These findings present the first large-scale evidence of the relationship between WBV and adverse health behaviors in SGM youth. Sexual minority youth who experience WBV, especially from family members, may be vulnerable to adverse health behaviors and low perceived health, regardless of their BMI. These findings highlight the importance of considering WBV when examining health behaviors in LGBTQ youth, and increased awareness of these issues among health care professionals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The relationship between payer type and lipid outcomes in response to clinical lifestyle interventions in youth with dyslipidemia

BackgroundPayer-type (government-sponsored health coverage versus private health insurance) has been shown to influence a variety of cardiovascular disease outcomes in adults. However, it is unclear if the payer-type impacts the response to a lifestyle intervention in children with dyslipidemia.MethodsWe analyzed data prospectively collected from patients under the age of 25 years who were referred to a large regional preventive cardiology clinic from 2010 to 2016 in Massachusetts. We compared baseline high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), non-HDL-C, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by payer-type. Further, we analyzed the change in lipid values in response to a clinic-based multidisciplinary intervention over a nearly six-year period by payer-type with multi-variable adjusted linear regression models. We also tested for effect modifications by age, sex, race, and body mass index (BMI) category.ResultsOf the 1739 eligible patients (mean age 13 years, 52% female, 60% overweight and obese, 59% White), we found that patients with government-sponsored coverage (n = 354, 20%) presented to referral lipid clinic with lower HDL-C (− 3.5 mg/dL [1.0], p < 0.001) and higher natural log-transformed TG (+ 0.14 [0.04], p < 0.001) as compared to those with private insurance; however, the association was attenuated to the null after additionally adjusting for BMI category (− 1.1 [0.9], p = 0.13, and + 0.05 [0.04], p = 0.2 for HDL-C and natural log-transformed TG, respectively). We found no difference in baseline LDL-C between payer-types (+ 3.4 mg/dL [3.0], p = 0.3). However, longitudinally, we found patients with private insurance and a self-reported race of White to have a clinically meaningful additional improvement in LDL-C, decreasing 12.8 (5.5) mg/dL (p = 0.02) between baseline and first follow-up, as compared to White patients with government-sponsored health coverage, after adjusting for age, sex, time between visits, and baseline LDL-C.ConclusionsOur results suggest that youth with government-sponsored coverage are referred with poorer lipid profiles than those with private insurance, although this is largely explained by higher rates of overweight and obesity in the government-sponsored health coverage group. White patients with private insurance had substantially better improvement in LDL-C longitudinally, suggesting that higher socioeconomic status facilitates improvement in LDL-C, but is less beneficial for HDL-C and triglyceride levels.

Cultural selection and human food preferences

Genes and culture co-evolve to determine variations in dietary habits. Our evolutionary heritage regarding food choice and food preferences is responsible for the mismatch with the food environments we have created, which leads to problems such as overweight and obesity. Several hypotheses have attempted to explain the high rate of obesity present in today’s world. The thrifty genotype hypothesis suggested that obesity today is a throwback to our ancestors having undergone positive selection for genes that favored energy storage. The drifty genotype hypothesis contends that the prevalence of thrifty genes is not a result of positive selection for energy-storage genes but, rather, is attributable to genetic drift resulting from the removal of predatory selection pressures. Both hypotheses focus on environmental changes over time, positive selection and genetic drift. While genetics plays a significant role, we believe that cultural selection is also responsible for the spread of obesogenic phenomena in Albania. The high rates of overweight and obesity among Albanians today can be explained as a mismatch between our evolutionary past and maladaptive behaviors.