Life Sciences Commons^™

Table For One, Food For Two: A Socio-Economic Perspective On American Obesity, Celestina Victoria Brunetti

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

Research indicates that obesity is linked to socio-economic factors and genetics. Both have an impact on whether a person is or becomes obese. The paper focuses on the impact of the change in food supply along with socio-economic factors, specifically access, time, and cost, and how these factors have affected the American obesity epidemic. This was assessed in part through a case study of the Smith Hill area of Providence, Rhode Island, a food desert that is comprised mainly of Americans near the poverty line, and the Wellspring La Jolla camp—a camp for overweight children from upper-middle class families. The …

The Obesity Epidemic, Lenka Kollar, Evienne Epifano, Molly Mckneight, Jeff Miskovich, Heather Moore

Student Papers in Public Policy

The incidence of chronic, noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, is increasing at an alarming rate on the global scale. The growing prevalence of overweight and obesity have led to an upsurge in cases of diabetes and other obesity-related diseases. About 18 million people die every year from heart disease, of which diabetes and obesity are major predisposing factors. Worldwide, more than 1.1 billion adults are overweight, 312 million of which are obese. The number of children that are overweight or obese is also growing (Hossain, Parvez et al.). Obesity, and the associated diseases, has become a worldwide epidemic and …

Maternal Acculturation Levels And Their Effect On Children's Food Intake, Maternal Perceptions Of Body Size And Maternal Stress, Tracie A. Chavoor

Master's Theses

In the U.S., obesity has hit alarming rates and affects Hispanic children disproportionately. Acculturation, the shift from one culture’s values, beliefs and practices to those of a new culture, may have both negative and positive health effects on immigrants. The objectives of this study were to determine the association between the level of acculturation (low acculturation or high acculturation) of low-income Latina mothers and the foods consumed by their children (0 to 36 months old). The association between acculturation and maternal perceptions of infant and toddler body size, maternal perceptions of her own body size and maternal parenting stress were …

Preventing Paediatric Obesity; Recommendations From A Community-Based Qualitative Investigation, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin, L. Sangster Bouck, Meizi He, G. Pollett

Trish Tucker

Childhood obesity is on the rise, and interventions targeted at pre-school-aged children are essential for the primary prevention of this disease. Physical activity programming and decreasing screen viewing may be advantageous ways to reduce the early onset of obesity. Parents' perceptions regarding effective tools and programmes to target obesity are needed to develop an efficacious programme. Ten semi-structured focus groups were conducted for this qualitative study. Two experienced moderators facilitated all focus groups which were conducted in local day cares, workplaces and play groups, frequented by parents. All focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Strategies to ensure trustworthiness of …

Acceleration Of The Panin Development In Mice Expressing Oncogenic K-Ras Due To A High Fat Diet, Bincy Philip

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Obesity is postulated to be one of the major risk factors for pancreatic cancer, and recently it was indicated that an elevated body mass index (BMI correlates strongly with a decrease in patient survival. Despite the evident relationship, the molecular mechanisms involved are unclear. Oncogenic mutation of K-Ras is found early and is universal in pancreatic cancer. Extensive evidence indicates oncogenic K-Ras is not entirely active and it requires a triggering event to surpass the activity of Ras beyond the threshold necessary for a Ras-inflammation feed-forward loop. We hypothesize that high fat intake induces a persistent low level inflammatory response …

Diet-Induced Obesity Decreases Liver Iron Stores In Mice Fed Iron Deficient, Adequate, Or Excessive Diets, Brett J. Healy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Epidemiological and observational evidence suggests that obesity is related to poor Fe status. To determine interactions between obesity, dietary Fe intake and Fe status; male, weanling C57BL/6J mice were fed either high fat diets to induce obesity or a standard diet for 16 weeks. Fe concentrations of both the high fat or control diet (4.5 vs 3.8 kcal/g) were set at: 5, 50 or 500 mg Fe/kg diet. Mice fed the high fat diets had significantly higher percentage body fat (17.9%) compared to mice fed control diets (5.3%, P<0.001). Among obese mice, dietary Fe levels did not significantly influence body composition. Conversely among lean mice, mice fed the iron excessive diet had significantly less fat mass when compared to mice fed the iron deficient diet (P<0.05). Obesity and/or dietary Fe concentration did not significantly affect plasma Fe levels. ANOVA analysis showed significant effects of diet-induced obesity, dietary Fe and an interaction between both factors on liver Fe levels (P< 0.05). Obese mice had significantly lowered liver Fe levels compared to lean cohorts fed the same amount of dietary Fe (P<0.05 for all comparisons). Moreover, lean mice fed the Fe deficient diet (5 mg Fe/kg diet) had similar liver Fe levels (127 mg Fe/kg ± 0.04) compared to obese mice fed the 50 mg Fe/kg diet (132 mg Fe/kg ± 0.05). These data suggest that obesity, independent of dietary Fe intake, influences liver Fe stores.

Assessment Of Dietary Behaviors Of College Students Participating In The Health Promotion Program Bucs: Live Well, Courtney E. Mckinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rates of adult obesity in the United States continue to rise, especially among the college-age population who typically practice poor dietary choices, contributing to weight gain. College-age students experience a transitional phase called ‘emerging adulthood’ where they learn autonomy in many areas that influence long-term health status. The purpose of the online health promotion program BUCS: Live Well was to promote self-efficacy in ability to incorporate positive dietary changes, assess incidences of positive dietary habits after completing the program, and determine if weight status, residence, and health perceptions influence dietary behaviors. BUCS: Live Well was successful in assessing current dietary …

Participants' Perceived Utility Of Motivational Interviewing Using Co-Active Life Coaching Skills On Their Struggle With Obesity, Courtney Newnham-Kanas, Don Morrow, Jennifer Irwin

Donald Morrow

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the impact of Motivational Interviewing (MI) using Co-Active Life Coaching skills as a treatment for adults (age, 35–55 years) struggling with obesity. Eight women (BMI≥30) who reside in London, Ontario, received 18 coaching sessions over six months with a Certified Professional Co-Active (CPCC) coach. Participants engaged in semi-structured pre- and post-interviews, along with a focus group six months after the last coaching session. The study's CPCC was also interviewed post-intervention to gain an understanding of what it was like coaching this population. All interviews were analysed using inductive content analysis. Following …

The Quantitative Assessment Of Motivational Interviewing Using Co-Active Life Coaching Skills As A Treatment For Adults Struggling With Obesity, Courtney Newnham-Kanas, Jennifer Irwin, Don Morrow, Danielle Battram

Donald Morrow

No abstract provided.

Accounting For Product Substitution In The Analysis Of Food Taxes Targeting Obesity, Zhen Miao, John C. Beghin, Helen H. Jensen

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

We extend the existing literature on food taxes targeting obesity. We systematically incorporate the implicit substitution between added sugars and solid fats into a comprehensive food demand system and evaluate the effect of taxes on sugars and fats. The approach conditions how food and obesity taxes affect total calorie intake. The proposed methodology accounts for the ability of consumers to substitute leaner low-fat and low-sugar items for rich food items within the same food group. This substitution is integrated into a calibrated demand system in addition to the substitution among food groups, using recent food intake data and existing demand …

The Effect Of Alpha-Cyclodextrin On Acute Blood Lipid And Glycemic Responses To A Fat Containg Meal, Evan Neil Fletcher

Wayne State University Theses

Obesity and hyperlipidemia have become major concerns in the United States over the past 30 years. Alpha-Cyclodextrin (á-CD), a naturally occurring soluble dietary fiber, has been shown to reduce dietary fat absorption and improve blood lipid levels in an animal model (mouse and rat) and in human studies. In the current double blind study, 34 healthy male and female participants were recruited to test if á-CD had any acute effect on blood lipid and glycemic responses to a fat containing meal. The participants received the á-CD on one occasion and a placebo the other to determine if there was any …

Effects Of Bariatric Surgery On Adipokine-Induced Inflammation And Insulin Resistance, Zeynep Goktas, Naima Moustaid-Moussa, Chwan-Li Shen, Mallory Boylan, Huanbiao Mo, Shu Wang

Nutrition Faculty Publications

Over a third of the US population is obese and at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and other metabolic disorders. Obesity is considered a chronic lowgrade inflammatory condition that is primarily attributed to expansion and inflammation of adipose tissues. Indeed, adipocytes produce and secrete numerous proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines known as adipokines.When the balance of these adipokines is shifted toward higher production of proinflammatory factors, local inflammation within adipose tissues and subsequently systemic inflammation occur. These adipokines including leptin, visfatin, resistin, apelin, vaspin, and retinol binding protein-4 can regulate inflammatory responses and contribute to the pathogenesis …

Associations Between Dietary Variety And Measures Of Body Adiposity: A Systematic Review Of Epidemiological Studies.Pdf, Maya Vadiveloo, L. Beth Dixon, Niyati Parekh

Maya Vadiveloo