Digital Commons Network^™

Ucp1 Is An Essential Mediator Of The Effects Of Methionine Restriction On Energy Balance But Not Insulin Sensitivity, Desiree Wanders, David H. Burk, Cory C. Cortez, Nancy T. Van, Kirsten P. Stone, Mollye Baker, Tamra Mendoza, Randall L. Mynatt, Thomas W. Gettys

Faculty Publications

© FASEB. Dietary methionine restriction (MR) by 80%increases energy expenditure (EE), reduces adiposity, and improves insulin sensitivity. We propose that the MRinduced increase in EE limits fat deposition by increasing sympathetic nervous system-dependent remodeling of white adipose tissue and increasing uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression in both white and brown adipose tissue. In independent assessments of the role of UCP1 as a mediator of MR's effects on EE and insulin sensitivity, EE did not differ between wild-type (WT) and Ucp1^-/- mice on the control diet, butMR increased EE by 31%and reduced adiposity by 25% in WT mice. In contrast, …

Disease And Dowry: Community Context, Gender, And Adult Health In India, Samuel Stroope

Faculty Publications

Despite growing research on health and residential contexts, relatively little is understood about gendered contexts that are differentially important for women's and men's physical health in low- and middle-income countries. This study advances the prior knowledge by examining whether the local frequency of a salient and gendered practice in India-dowry-is associated with gender differences in physical health (acute illness, illness length, and chronic illness). Analyses are conducted using multilevel logistic and negative binomial regression models and national data on men and women across India (N = 102,763). Results show that as dowry frequency increases in communities, not only do women …

Meat Intake And Insulin Resistance In Women Without Type 2 Diabetes, Larry A. Tucker, James D. Lecheminant, Bruce W. Bailey

Faculty Publications

Purpose. To examine the relationship between meat intake and insulin resistance (IR) in 292 nondiabetic women. Methods. IR was evaluated using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Diet was assessed via 7-day weighed food records. Servings of very lean meat (VLM) and regular meat (meat) were indexed using the ADA Exchange Lists Program. Physical activity was assessed using accelerometers and body fat was measured using the Bod Pod. Results. Meat intake was directly related to HOMA (F = 7.4; P = 0.007). Women with moderate or high meat intakes had significantly higher HOMA levels than their counterparts. Adjusting for body fat …

Ccl20 Is Elevated During Obesity And Differentially Regulated By Nf-Κb Subunits In Pancreatic Β-Cells, Susan J. Burke, Michael D. Karlstad, Kellie M. Regal, Tim E. Sparer, Danhong Lu, Carrie M. Elks, Ryan W. Grant, Jacqueline M. Stephens, David H. Burk, J. Jason Collier

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Enhanced leukocytic infiltration into pancreatic islets contributes to inflammation-based diminutions in functional β-cell mass. Insulitis (aka islet inflammation), which can be present in both T1DM and T2DM, is one factor influencing pancreatic β-cell death and dysfunction. IL-1β, an inflammatory mediator in both T1DM and T2DM, acutely (within 1. h) induced expression of the CCL20 gene in rat and human islets and clonal β-cell lines. Transcriptional induction of CCL20 required the p65 subunit of NF-κB to replace the p50 subunit at two functional κB sites within the CCL20 proximal gene promoter. The NF-κB p50 subunit prevents CCL20 …

Law, Science And The Economy: One Domain?, David S. Caudill

Faculty Publications

In an effort to explore the theoretical and practical promise of ignoring or erasing conventional boundaries and distinctions — such as law/society or inside/outside — in accounts of legal processes and institutions, I consider the problem of financial bias in scientific expertise. I first draw an analogy with science studies, and particularly Latour’s notion of science as a coproduction, which challenges the boundaries (i) between science and society, and (ii) between natural and social influences on the production of scientific knowledge. I then acknowledge the efforts of Philip Mirowski, in his concern that privatization trends degrade science, to overcome an …

An Extract Of Artemisia Dracunculus L. Stimulates Insulin Secretion From Β Cells, Activates Ampk And Suppresses Inflammation, Sita Aggarwal, Giri Shailendra, David M. Ribnicky, David Burk, Namrata Karki, M. S. Qingxia Wang

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Ethnopharmacological relevance Artemisia dracunculus L. (Russian tarragon) is a perennial herb belonging to the family Compositae and has a history of medicinal use in humans, particularly for treatment of diabetes. Aim of the study: In this study a defined plant extract from A. dracunculus L. (termed PMI-5011) is used to improve beta(β) cells function and maintain β cell number in pancreatic islets as an alternative drug approach for successful treatment of diabetes. Materials and methods Mouse and human pancreatic beta cells were treated with defined plant extract of A. dracunculus L. (PMI-5011) …

Induction Of Energy Expenditure By Sitagliptin Is Dependent On Glp-1 Receptor, Felicia Goldsmith, Michael J. Keenan, Anne M. Raggio, Xin Ye, Zheng Hao, Holiday Durham, James Geaghan, Weiping Jia, Roy J. Martin, Jianping Ye

Faculty Publications

Sitagliptin (SG) increases serum GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1) through inhibition of the hormone degradation. Resistant starch (RS) induces GLP-1 expression by stimulating L-cells in the intestine. Sitagliptin and resistant starch may have a synergistic interaction in the induction of GLP-1. This possibility was tested in current study in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes. Hyperglycemia was induced in the diet-induced obese mice by a signal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Sitagliptin (0.4g/100g diet) was tested in the mice (n = 55) with dietary RS (HAM-RS2) at three dosages (0, 15, or 28g/100g diet). Energy and glucose metabolism were monitored in the …

The Importance Of Glp-1 And Pyy In Resistant Starch's Effect On Body Fat In Mice, June Zhou, Roy J. Martin, Anne M. Raggio, Li Shen, Kathleen Mccutcheon, Michael J. Keenan

Faculty Publications

Resistant starch (RS) is a dietary fermentable fiber that decreases body fat accumulation, and stimulates the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) in rodents. GLP-1 and PYY are gut-secreted hormones with antiobesity effect. Thus, blocking the signals of increased GLP-1 and PYY may also block the effect of dietary RS on body fat. In a 10-week study, C57BL/6J and GLP-1 receptor null (GLP-1R KO) mice were fed control or 30% RS diet, and received daily intraperitoneal injection of either saline or PYY receptor antagonist (BIIE0246, 20 μg/kg body weight). Dietary RS significantly decreased body fat accumulation only …

Association Between Nutritional Awareness And Diet Quality: Evidence From The Observation Of Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Luxembourg (Oriscav-Lux) Study, Ala'a Alkerwi, Nicolas Sauvageot, Leoné Malan, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

This study examined the association between nutritional awareness and diet quality, as indicated by energy density, dietary diversity and adequacy to achieve dietary recommendations, while considering the potentially important role of socioeconomic status (SES). Data were derived from 1351 subjects, aged 18–69 years and enrolled in the ORISCAV-LUX study. Energy density score (EDS), dietary diversity score (DDS) and Recommendation Compliance Index (RCI) were calculated based on data derived from a food frequency questionnaire. Nutritional awareness was defined as self-perception of the importance assigned to eating balanced meals, and classified as high, moderate, or of little importance. Initially, a General Linear …

Biogeography Of A Plant Invasion: Plant-Herbivore Interactions, James T. Cronin, Ganesh P. Bhattarai, Warwick J. Allen, Laura A. Meyerson

Faculty Publications

© 2015 by the Ecological Society of America. Theory predicts that native plant species should exhibit latitudinal gradients in the strength of their interactions with herbivores. We hypothesize that if an invasive plant species exhibits a different latitudinal gradient in response to herbivores (e.g., a nonparallel gradient), it can create large-scale heterogeneities in community resistance/susceptibility to the invasive species. We conducted a study of latitudinal variation in the strength of herbivory and defenses of native genotypes of Phragmites australis in North America (NA) and Europe (EU) and European invasive genotypes in NA. Within NA, we tested whether (1) invasive genotypes …

Impact Of Westernization On Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 Levels Among Individuals Of African Ancestry, Karl Eckberg, Holly Kramer, Myles Wolf, Ramon Durazo-Arvizu, Bamidele Tayo, Amy Luke, Richard Cooper

Faculty Publications

IntroductionThe Western diet is associated with high consumption of processed foods preserved with phosphate. Higher dietary phosphate consumption stimulates production of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), which heightens risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality. We hypothesized that adults living in a more westernized society have higher levels of FGF23 due to increased phosphate consumption as measured by urinary phosphate excretion. MethodsWe measured plasma C-terminal FGF23 levels and urinary phosphate and creatinine levels in timed urine collections among 100 African adults living in the rural area of Igbo-Ora, Nigeria (52 women, 48 men), and 100 African Americans (32 women, 68 men) …

Prolonged Proteasome Inhibition Cyclically Upregulates Oct3/4 And Nanog Gene Expression, But Reduces Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Colony Formation, Elizabeth Z. Floyd, Jaroslaw Staszkiewicz, Rachel A. Power, Gail Kilroy, Heather Kirk-Ballard, Christian W. Barnes, Karen L. Strickler, Jong S. Rim, Lettie L. Harkins, Ru Gao, Jeong Kim, Kenneth J. Eilertsen

Faculty Publications

There is ample evidence that the ubiquitin-proteasome system is an important regulator of transcription and its activity is necessary for maintaining pluripotency and promoting cellular reprogramming. Moreover, proteasome activity contributes to maintaining the open chromatin structure found in pluripotent stem cells, acting as a transcriptional inhibitor at specific gene loci generally associated with differentiation. The current study was designed to understand further the role of proteasome inhibition in reprogramming and its ability to modulate endogenous expression of pluripotency-related genes and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) colony formation. Herein, we demonstrate that acute combinatorial treatment with the proteasome inhibitors MG101 or …

Effect Of Blueberry Extract From Blueberry Pomace On The Microencapsulated Fish Oil, Juan Li, Kevin Mis Solval, Luis Alfaro, Jie Zhang, Arranee Chotiko, Jose Luis Brandao Delgado, Alexander Chouljenko, David Bankston, Peter J. Bechtel, Subramaniam Sathivel

Faculty Publications

The effect of the addition of blueberry extract (BE) obtained from blueberry pomace on lipid oxidation of pollock liver oil (PO) during microencapsulation was evaluated. An emulsion containing PO and BE (EBE) was prepared and spray dried in a pilot scale spray dryer. Thiobarbituric acids (TBARS) of EBE were lower (0.41mmol/kg oil) than that of control without BE (ENBE) (0.47mmol/kg oil). Also, TBARS value of 0.49mmol/kg oil for microencapsulated PO with BE (MBE) after spray drying was lower than that of microencapsulated PO without BE (MNBE) (0.57mmol/kg oil). MBE also had a lower TBARS value than that of MNBE after …

Prevalence Of Overweight And Obesity Among Iranian Preschoolers: Interrelationship With Physical Fitness, Hamid Agha-Alinejad, Babak Farzad, Mansoureh Salari, Bonnie Lee Harbaugh, Maghsoud Peeri

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The preschool years are a crucial time to study the determinants of childhood obesity, as it is when eating and physical activity habits are becoming established. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of overweight and obesity among preschoolers living in the capital of Iran and to determine relationships between overweight and obesity and selected motor- and health-related fitness parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted with 190 boys and 191 girls aged 5-6 years. Study children were selected from the kindergartens in Tehran, the capital of Iran. All children underwent …

Sertraline Effects On Cerebrospinal Fluid Monoamines And Species-Typical Socioemotional Behavior Of Female Cynomolgus Monkeys, Carol A. Shively, Thomas C. Register, James Dee Higley, Stephanie L. Willard

Faculty Publications

Rationale—Although widely prescribed, little is known about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) effects on social behavior and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) monoamines in female primates.

Objective—To determine the effects of sertraline on agonistic and affiliative behavior.

Methods—21 adult female cynomolgus monkeys were housed in small, stable social groups, trained to participate in oral dosing, and began a 5-week cumulative dose response study. Serial doses of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg of sertraline were administered orally for one week each. Behavior was recorded daily during 10-minute observations before and 4 hours after dosing. On the 7th day of dosing, circulating …

Social Disparities: Household Income In Poverty Stricken Ecuador Affecting Cognitive Function In Children, A. Chamberlain, M. Williams, Jane H. Lassetter

Faculty Publications

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is one of the largest nutritional disorders in the world. Approximately 25% of the world’s population has anemia with 50% of those cases being IDA, according to the World Health Organization. The reduced oxygen carrying capacity associated with anemia can have many adverse effects. Many anemia studies have been done on infants but few have been done on school-aged children. A charity organization in Ecuador has been identifying anemia prevalence among children within a suburb of Guayaquil. To further identify possible risks resulting from anemia, a study comparing cognitive function with anemia rates was conducted in …

Elevated Hypertension Risk For African-Origin Populations In Biracial Societies: Modeling The Epidemiologic Transition Study, Richard S. Cooper, Terrence E. Forrester, Jacob Plange-Rhule, Pascal Bovet, Estelle V. Lambert, Lara R. Dugas, Kathryn E. Cargill, Ramon A. Durazo-Arvizu, David A. Shoham, Liping Tong, Guichan Cao, Amy Luke

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES:: Blood pressures in persons of African descent exceed those of other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Whether this trait is attributable to the genetic factors in African-origin populations, or a result of inadequately measured environmental exposures, such as racial discrimination, is not known. To study this question, we conducted a multisite comparative study of communities in the African diaspora, drawn from metropolitan Chicago, Kingston, Jamaica, rural Ghana, Cape Town, South Africa, and the Seychelles. METHODS:: At each site, 500 participants between the age of 25 and 49 years, with approximately equal sex balance, were enrolled for a longitudinal …

Examining The Motivations And Barriers Influencing The Decisions Of Louisiana State University College Of Agriculture Freshmen To Participate In International Experiences, Shelli Danjean, J. C. Bunch, Joey Blackburn

Faculty Publications

© 2015, Assoc. Int. Agricultural and Extension Education. All rights reserved. Over the past decade, universities in the United States (U.S) have increased time and financial investments put toward internationalizing their curricula, particularly in efforts to increase students’ participation in international experiences (IEs). Despite efforts, only 10% of U.S students participated in an IE in the 2011/2012 academic year, of which only 1.3% included students in agriculturally-related majors. The purpose of the study was to examine the motivations and barriers influencing the decisions of College of Agriculture (CoA) freshmen to participate in an international experience (IE). The majority of freshmen …

“First, Do No Harm”: Legal Guidelines For Health Programmes Affecting Adolescents Aged 10–17 Who Sell Sex Or Inject Drugs, Brendan M. Conner

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Under-Reporting Of Dietary Energy Intake In Five Populations Of The African Diaspora, Lindsay Orcholski, Amy Luke, Jacob Plange-Rhule, Pascal Bovet, Terrence E. Forrester, Estelle V. Lambert, Lara R. Dugas, Elizabeth Kettmann, Ramon A. Durazo-Arvizu, Richard S. Cooper, Dale A. Schoeller

Faculty Publications

Studies on the role of diet in the development of chronic diseases often rely on self-report surveys of dietary intake. Unfortunately, many validity studies have demonstrated that self-reported dietary intake is subject to systematic under-reporting, although the vast majority of such studies have been conducted in industrialised countries. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether or not systematic reporting error exists among the individuals of African ancestry (n 324) in five countries distributed across the Human Development Index (HDI) scale, a UN statistic devised to rank countries on non-income factors plus economic indicators. Using two 24 h …

New Genetic Loci Link Adipose And Insulin Biology To Body Fat Distribution, D. Shungin, T. W. Winkler, D. C. Croteau-Chonka, T. Ferreira, A. E. Locke, R. Mägi, R. J. Strawbridge, T. H. Pers, K. Fischer, A. E. Justice, T. Workalemahu, J. M.W. Wu, M. L. Buchkovich, N. L. Heard-Costa, T. S. Roman, A. W. Drong, C. Song, S. Gustafsson, F. R. Day, T. Esko, T. Fall, Z. Kutalik, J. Luan, J. C. Randall, A. Scherag, S. Vedantam, A. R. Wood, J. Chen, R. Fehrmann, J. Karjalainen, B. Kahali, C. T. Liu, E. M. Schmidt

Faculty Publications

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, we conducted genome-wide association meta-analyses of waist and hip circumference-related traits in up to 224,459 individuals. We identified 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (WHRadjBMI) and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P<5×10-8). Twenty of the 49 WHRadjBMI loci showed significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which displayed a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation, and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms.

Genetic Studies Of Body Mass Index Yield New Insights For Obesity Biology, A. E. Locke, B. Kahali, S. I. Berndt, A. E. Justice, T. H. Pers, F. R. Day, C. Powell, S. Vedantam, M. L. Buchkovich, J. Yang, D. C. Croteau-Chonka, T. Esko, T. Fall, T. Ferreira, S. Gustafsson, Z. Kutalik, J. Luan, R. Mägi, J. C. Randall, T. W. Winkler, A. R. Wood, T. Workalemahu, J. D. Faul, J. A. Smith, J. H. Zhao, W. Zhao, J. Chen, R. Fehrmann, K. Hedman, J. Karjalainen, E. M. Schmidt, D. Absher, N. Amin

Faculty Publications

Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P < 5 × 10-8), 56 of which are novel. Five loci demonstrate clear evidence of several independent association signals, and many loci have significant effects on other metabolic phenotypes. The 97 loci account for ∼2.7% of BMI variation, and genome-wide estimates suggest that common variation accounts for >20 % of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.

Upregulation Of Mir21 And Repression Of Grhl3 By Leptin Mediates Sinusoidal Endothelial Injury In Experimental Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis, Sahar Pourhoseini, Ratanesh K. Seth, Suvarthi Das, Diptadip Dattaroy, Maria B. Kadiiska, Guanhua Xie, Gregory A. Michelotti, Mitzi Nagarkatti, Anna Mae Diehl, Saurabh Chatterjee

Faculty Publications

Sinusoidal endothelial dysfunction (SED) has been found to be an early event in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) progression but the molecular mechanisms underlying its causation remains elusive. We hypothesized that adipokine leptin worsens sinusoidal injury by decreasing functionally active nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS)3 via miR21. Using rodent models of NASH, and transgenic mice lacking leptin and leptin receptor, results showed that hyperleptinemia caused a 4-5 fold upregulation of hepatic miR21 as assessed by qRTPCR. The upregulation of miR21 led to a time-dependent repression of its target protein Grhl3 levels as shown by western blot analyses. NOS3-p/NOS3 ratio which is controlled …

Reply To T Weishaar, Ramon A. Durazo-Arvizu, Pauline Camacho, Pascal Bovet, Terrence Forrester, Estelle V. Lambert, Jacob Plange-Rhule, Andrew N. Hoofnagle, John Aloia, Bamidele Tayo, Lara R. Dugas, Richard S. Cooper, Amy Luke

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Regional Disparities In Obesity Prevalence In The United States: A Spatial Regime Analysis, Candice A. Myers, Tim Slack, Corby K. Martin, Stephanie T. Broyles, Steven B. Heymsfield

Faculty Publications

Objective Significant clusters of high- and low-obesity counties have been demonstrated across the United States (US). This study examined regional disparities in obesity prevalence and differences in the related structural characteristics across regions of the US. Methods Drawing on model-based estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regional differences in county-level adult obesity prevalence (percent of the adult population [≥ 20 years] that was obese [BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2] within a county, 2009) were assessed with a LISA (Local Indicators of Spatial Association) analysis to identify geographic concentrations of high and low obesity levels. Regional regime analysis was …

Hessian Fly Larval Feeding Triggers Enhanced Polyamine Levels In Susceptible But Not Resistant Wheat, Subhashree Subramanyam, Nagesh Sardesai, Subhash C. Minocha, Cheng Zheng, Richard H. Shukle, Christopher B. Williams

Faculty Publications

Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor), a member of the gall midge family, is one of the most destructive pests of wheat (Triticum aestivum) worldwide. Probing of wheat plants by the larvae results in either an incompatible (avirulent larvae, resistant plant) or a compatible (virulent larvae, susceptible plant) interaction. Virulent larvae induce the formation of a nutritive tissue, resembling the inside surface of a gall, in susceptible wheat. These nutritive cells are a rich source of proteins and sugars that sustain the developing virulent Hessian fly larvae. In addition, on susceptible wheat, larvae trigger a significant increase in levels of amino acids …

Substance Use, Mental Disorders And Physical Health Of Caribbeans At-Home Compared To Those Residing In The United States, Krim K. Lacey, Karen Powell Sears, Ishtar O. Govia, Ivy Forsythe-Brown, Niki Matusko, James S. Jackson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Dairy Consumption And Insulin Resistance: The Role Of Body Fat, Physical Activity, And Energy Intake, Larry A. Tucker, Andrea Erickson, James D. Lecheminant, Bruce W. Bailey

Faculty Publications

The relationship between dairy consumption and insulin resistance was ascertained in 272 middle-aged, nondiabetic women using a cross-sectional design. Participants kept 7-day, weighed food records to report their diets, including dairy intake. Insulin resistance was assessed using the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA). The Bod Pod was used to measure body fat percentage, and accelerometry for 7 days was used to objectively index physical activity. Regression analysis was used to determine the extent to which mean HOMA levels differed across low, moderate, and high dairy intake categories. Results showed that women in the highest quartile of dairy consumption had significantly greater …

Experiences With Weight Loss Triggers In Women Prescribed To Lose Weight By Their Physician, Mark D. Faries, Elizabeth Espie, Erik Gnagy, Kyle P. Mcmorries

Faculty Publications

Background: With the global rise of individuals classified as overweight and obese, weight-related screenings have been promoted to combat their high prevalence and associated health problems. Hopefully, such screenings can act as a ‘trigger’ for health behavior change, however little is known about the experience of weight loss triggers.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to elaborate on the experiences and meanings of weight-control triggers in a sample of overweight women prescribed by their physician to lose weight.
Patients and Methods: We conducted exploratory qualitative interviews, grounded in phenomenological practices, to elaborate on the experience and meaning of weight …

The Relationship Of Female Physical Attractiveness To Body Fatness, Guanlin Wang, Kurosh Djafarian, Chima A. Egedigwe, Asmaa El Hamdouchi, Robert Ojiambo, Harris Ramuth, Sandra Johanna Wallner-Liebmann, Sonja Lackner, Adama Diouf, Justina Sauciuvenaite, Catherine Hambly, Lobke M. Vaanholt, Mark D. Faries, John R. Speakman

Faculty Publications

Aspects of the female body may be attractive because they signal evolutionary fitness. Greater body fatness might reflect greater potential to survive famines, but individuals carrying larger fat stores may have poor health and lower fertility in non-famine conditions. A mathematical statistical model using epidemiological data linking fatness to fitness traits, predicted a peaked relationship between fatness and attractiveness (maximum at body mass index (BMI) = 22.8 to 24.8 depending on ethnicity and assumptions). Participants from three Caucasian populations (Austria, Lithuania and the UK), three Asian populations (China, Iran and Mauritius) and four African populations (Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal) …