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Dietary Variety Is Inversely Associated With Body Adiposity Among Us Adults Using A Novel Food Diversity Index.Pdf, Maya Vadiveloo, L. Beth Dixon, Tod Mijanovich, Brian Elbel, Niyati Parekh

Maya Vadiveloo

Periodontal Microorganisms, Obesity, Chronic Inflammation, And Type 1 Diabetes, Georges Joseph Nahhas

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is a low-grade chronic inflammation in the tissues surrounding the teeth caused by multiple, mostly gram-negative pathogens. It is associated with diabetes, obesity, and chronic inflammation. The specific roles that periodontal microorganism play in these conditions are not well-studied. Hereby, we explored how periodontal bacteria from sub gingival plaque clustered in youth with and without type 1 diabetes, and how such patterns related to body-mass-index percentile (BMI percentile), C-reactive protein (CRP) and adiponectin. Cross-sectional data were collected from 105 youth with type 1 diabetes and 71 without diabetes. Participants were between 12 and 19 years of age receiving …

Exploring The Association Between Depression And Obesity Among Alzheimer's Patients, Stephanie Clugstone

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological disorder that affects elderly individuals, and is becoming an increasing concern among the aging population of the world. Due to the projected increase in incidence of AD, modifiable risk factors such as depression and obesity should be evaluated, as prevention is the only current option. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and depression among AD patients, and to evaluate the association between depression and obesity. Patients were chosen from a subset of the South Carolina Alzheimer’s disease registry, which included information about weight status and depression, as well as several other …

Alterations To Taste Preference In Mc4r Haploinsufficiency Manifest Prior To Dietary Induced Obesity And Are Accompanied By Dendritic Spine Alterations To Medium Spiny Neurons Of The Nucleus Accumbens In Adulthood, Robert Francis Roscoe Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and has become an increasing public health concern for developed nations. Haploinsufficiency of melanocortin receptor 4 has been identified as the single most common monogenetic cause of obesity in humans. Using the MC4R +/- haploinsufficient rat, we sought to determine potential alterations in body weight and morphology, locomotor activity, sucrose concentration preference, and progressive-ratio operant testing in a dietary-induced obesity environment. Rats were placed on four separate diets corresponding to 1.7% saturated fat with 12.2% total kcal/fat, 6% saturated fat with a 40% total kcal/fat, 12% saturated fat with a 40% …

Modulation Of The Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophic Responses To Endothelin-1 By Adipocytes, Suresh Chandra Bairwa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Leptin and adiponectin are the adipokines that are shown to exert pro-hypertrophic and anti-hypertrophic effects respectively, in cardiomyocytes. We sought to determine the direct interaction between the adipocytes and cardiomyocytes during endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and determine the role of leptin and adiponectin.

The adipose tissue conditioned medium (ACM) inhibited the ET-1-induced hypertrophy in a concentration-dependent manner and this anti-hypertrophic effect was more potent or reversed in the presence of leptin receptor antagonist (LRA; 0.1 nM) or adiponectin receptor-1 antibody (ARA; 100 ng/mL), respectively. ACM from heart failure rats induced by coronary artery ligation or obese rats did not mitigate …

A Study Into The Diagnosis Of Obesity In Infants Less Than Two Years Old In The State Of Virginia, Lindsay Ann Bruno

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In 2007, the CDC reported approximately 12.5 million children and adolescents in the U.S. were obese. Among 24-month old clinically obese children, only 23% were diagnosed as obese. The most concerning is the prevalence of obesity in 6-month olds; 16% of 6-month old infants in the U.S. are obese, of which only 14% are diagnosed as being obese. Previous research concentrates on the factors that influence infant obesity, but does not address the prevalence of diagnosing obesity in children, particularly those under two years of age. The purpose of this project was to pioneer a survey exploring the prevalence of …

Increased Risk For Vitamin D Deficiency In Obese Children With Both Celiac Disease And Type 1 Diabetes, Nithya Setty-Shah, Louise S. Maranda, Benjamin U. Nwosu

Benjamin U. Nwosu

Background. It is unknown whether the coexistence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and celiac disease (CD) increases the risk for vitamin D deficiency.

Aims. To determine the vitamin D status and the risk for vitamin D deficiency in prepubertal children with both T1D and CD compared to controls, TID, and CD.

Subjects and Methods. Characteristics of 62 prepubertal children of age 2–13 y with either CD + T1D (� = 22, 9.9 ± 3.1 y), CD only (� = 18, 8.9 ± 3.3 y), or T1D only (� = 22, 10.1 ± 2.8 y) were compared to 49 controls of …

Health Professionals’ Roles In Animal Agriculture, Climate Change, And Human Health, Aysha Z. Akhtar, Michael Greger, Hope Ferdowsian, Erica Frank

Michael Greger, MD, FACLM

What we eat is rapidly becoming an issue of global concern. With food shortages, the rise in chronic disease, and global warming, the impact of our dietary choices seems more relevant today than ever. Globally, a transition is taking place toward greater consumption of foods of animal origin, in lieu of plantbased diets. With this transition comes intensification of animal agriculture that in turn is associated with the emergence of zoonotic infectious diseases, environmental degradation, and the epidemics of chronic disease and obesity. Health professionals should be aware of these trends and consider them as they promote healthier and more …

Calcium And Leucine Modulation Of Airway Inflammation, Patricia Louise Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past several decades the prevalence of obesity and asthma have increased in a parallel fashion. Recent studies reported a positive relationship between the two disorders that may in fact be causal. Although the link between obesity and asthma has become widely recognized, the underlying pathophysiological connection is not elucidated. Increased markers of inflammatory and oxidative stress are present in obesity and asthma suggesting the link is immunological. The systemic inflammation observed in obesity may potentially initiate adverse affects in the airways. Previous studies have shown that consumption of dairy foods (rich in calcium and leucine) suppress 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (calcitriol) …

A Novel Mc4r Mutation Associated With Childhood-Onset Obesity: A Case Report, Manpreet Doulla, Adam D. Mcintyre, Robert A. Hegele, Patricia H. Callego

Paediatrics Publications

The melanocortin-4-receptor gene (MC4R) is a key regulator of energy homeostasis, food intake and body weight. MC4R gene mutations are associated with early-onset severe obesity. Most patients are heterozygotes, with some reports of homozygotes and compound het-erozygotes. The authors report a case involving an eight-year-old girl with progressive weight gain from infancy, body mass index 44 kg/m: (>97th percentile), hyperphagia, hvperinsulinemia and increased linear growth. There was no phenotvpe of morbid obesity in the parents or sibling. Coding regions and intron-exon boundaries of the genes encoding leptin, Ieptin receptor, pro-opiomelanocortin and MC4R were analyzed. Two heterozygous coding mutations in …

Motivational Interviewing To Enhance Weight Loss And Eating Self-Efficacy In Overweight And Obese Adults, Theresa K. Buchanan Dr.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Greater than six in ten adults in the United States are overweight or obese which can lead to cardiovascular disease, Type II Diabetes, joint injury and some forms of cancer, costing billions of healthcare dollars each year. Weight loss is difficult, as is maintaining weight loss. The purpose of this project is to investigate if use of the evidenced based (EB) intervention, motivational interviewing (MI), will enhance weight loss and eating self-efficacy (ESE) in overweight and obese adults seeking weight loss at a weight loss clinic over the course of eight weeks. Participants who received MI in addition to current …

The Effectiveness Of A Psychoeducational Intervention On Health Promoting Behaviors And Physical Health Of Adult Patients (18 And Over) On Antipsychotic Medications, Alice O. Mwanda

Doctoral Dissertations

Individuals on antipsychotic medications have been found to be disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity which increases their cardiometabolic risk. Psychoeducation has been found to be an effective strategy for risk reduction of cardiometabolic risks. This intervention examined the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention in adults (aged 18 and above) with severe mental illness. The four session, 8 week intervention encouraged an increase in fruit and vegetable intake and engagement in physical activity. The conceptual frameworks included the Health Promotion Model and Chronic Care Model. Outcome measures included nutrition, physical activity and health promoting behaviors. Biological outcomes included weight, BMI, …

Social Support In An Internet-Based Weight Loss Intervention Among College Students, Yijia Zhang

Masters Theses

Objective: To assess college students’ perceptions regarding online social support in an 8-week Internet-based weight loss intervention.

Participants: Participants were those randomized to the intervention group of an online weight loss intervention targeting overweight and obese college students.

Methods: Members of the intervention group had access to a private discussion forum and weekly live chat sessions, allowing for anonymous interactions. Following the 8-week intervention, intervention group members were invited to complete an online focus group, discussing these tools. The transcripts were directly copied from the live chat conversation history. Using thematic analysis, perceptions regarding online social support were identified, coded …

An Assessment Of A 13-Week Teaching Gardens Intervention On Healthy Behavior Outcomes In 4th And 5th Grade Students At Crestwood Elementary School In Las Vegas, Nevada, Miranda Corgiat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nearly 13 million children and adolescents are considered to be obese in the United States, with children enrolled in Clark County School District showing elevated overweight and obese weight statuses compared to national averages. Carrying an excessive amount of weight can lead children to experience a multitude of complications with their physical and mental health as well as increase their risk of developing various chronic diseases. The American Heart Association's Las Vegas Teaching Gardens program implemented a school-based garden pilot study to target environmental causes of obesity in 4th and 5th grade students at Crestwood Elementary School. The objective of …

Menopause, Rurality, And Obesity In Rural African American Women, Colleen Kilgore

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the US, one in every eight deaths is due to an obesity-related chronic health condition (ORCHC). More than half of African American women (AAW) 20 years old or older are obese or morbidly obese, as are 63% of menopausal AAW. Many have ORCHC that increase their morbidity and mortality and increase health care costs. In 2013, 42.6 percent of AAs living in South Carolina (SC) were obese. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify the cognitive, behavioral, biological, and demographic factors that influence health outcomes (BMI, and ORCHC) of AAW living in rural SC. A sample of …

Home And Workplace Built Environment Supports For Physical Activity, Deepti Adlakha, J. Aaron Hipp, Christine M. Marx, Yang Lin, Rachel Tabak, Elizabeth A. Dodson, Ross C. Brownson

Brown School Faculty Publications

Background: Physical inactivity has been associated with obesity and related chronic diseases. Understanding built environment (BE) influences on specific domains of physical activity (PA) around homes and workplaces is important for public health efforts and interventions to increase population PA. Purpose: To examine the association of home and workplace BE features with PA occurring across specific life domains (work, leisure, and travel). Methods: Between 2012 and 2013, telephone interviews were conducted with participants in four Missouri metropolitan areas. Questions included sociodemographic characteristics, home and workplace supports for PA, and dietary behaviors. Data analysis was conducted in 2013; logistic regression was …

Discordant Documentation Of Obesity Body Mass Index And Obesity Diagnosis In Electronic Medical Records, Jennifer T. Fink, George L. Morris Iii, Maharaj Singh, David A. Nelson, Renee E. Walker, Ron A. Cisler

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: This study examined concordance between presence of obesity body mass index (BMI), defined as BMI ≥ 30, in the patient’s electronic medical record (EMR) and a documented diagnosis of obesity.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the EMR in a large health care system for a 1-year period (2012). A total of 397,313 patients met the study criteria of having at least one physician visit, being at least 18 years of age, and not being pregnant. Of those, 158,327 (40%) had a recorded BMI ≥ 30. We examined the EMR of these obese patients to determine whether a …

Body Mass Index Or Body Fat! Which Is A Better Obesity Scale For Pakistani Population?, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Rehana Rehman, Bushra Chaudhry

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Ojective: To compare two methods of classifying obesity based on body mass index and body fat percentage.
Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2012 to August 2013 at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Male and female volunteers between the ages 15-65 years were selected using simple random sampling. They were classified into different groups for body mass index and body fat percentage measured through bioelectrical impedance scale. The subjects were sub-grouped into underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. SPSS 11 was used for statistical analysis.
Results: The mean age of the 828 healthy volunteers was 25.67±10.10 years. A …

The Health Advantage Of A Vegan Diet: Exploring The Gut Microbiota Connection, Marian Glick-Bauer, Ming-Chin Yeh

Publications and Research

This review examines whether there is evidence that a strict vegan diet confers health advantages beyond that of a vegetarian diet or overall healthy eating. Few studies include vegan subjects as a distinct experimental group, yet when vegan diets are directly compared to vegetarian and omnivorous diets, a pattern of protective health benefits emerges. The relatively recent inclusion of vegan diets in studies of gut microbiota and health allows us the opportunity to assess whether the vegan gut microbiota is distinct, and whether the health advantages characteristic of a vegan diet may be partially explained by the associated microbiota profile. …

Toward A Quantitative Theory Of Food Consumption Choices And Body Weight, Sebastien Buttet, Veronika Dolar

Publications and Research

We propose a calibrated dynamic model of food consumption choices and body weight to study changes in daily caloric intake, weight, and the away-from-home share of calories consumed by adult men and women in the U.S. during the period between 1971 and 2006. Calibration reveals substantial preference heterogeneity between men and women. For example, utility losses stemming from weight gains are ten times greater for women compared to men. Counterfactual experiments show that changes in food prices and household income account for half of the increase in weight of adult men, but only a small fraction of women’s weight. We …

Reflections From An Undergraduate Student Peer Facilitator In The Team Up For Healthy Living School-Based Obesity Prevention Project, Caroline E. Crenshaw, Diana M. Mozen, William T. Dalton Iii, Deborah L. Slawson

International Journal of Health Sciences Education

Team Up for Healthy Living was a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate a cross-peer school-based obesity prevention program in Southern Appalachia. Undergraduate students from the disciplines of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Public Health were trained as peer facilitators to deliver an 8-week curriculum in high school Lifetime Wellness classes. The focus of the curriculum was on improving diet and physical activity with an additional emphasis on enhancing leadership and communication skills. Control group participants received their regularly scheduled Lifetime Wellness curriculum. The current article is about the experiences of an undergraduate kinesiology student participating as a peer-facilitator in the Team-Up for Healthy …

Locus Of Control And Obesity, Florence Neymotin, Louis R. Nemzer

Chemistry and Physics Faculty Articles

In the developed world, the hazards associated with obesity have largely outstripped the risk of starvation. Obesity remains a difficult public health issue to address, due in large part to the many disciplines involved. A full understanding requires knowledge in the fields of genetics, endocrinology, psychology, sociology, economics, and public policy - among others. In this short review, which serves as an introduction to the Frontiers in Endocrinology research topic,we address one cross-disciplinary relationship: the interaction between the hunger/satiation neural circuitry, an individual's perceived locus of control, and the risk for obesity. Mammals have evolved a complex system for modulating …

Health Literacy And Obesity Among Native Hawaiian And Pacific Islanders In The U.S., Jane Lassetter

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Our purpose was to describe relationships between demographic characteristics, body mass index (BMI), and health literacy among Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs).

Design and Sample: In this cross-sectional survey, we interviewed 364 NHPI adults.

Measures: We used Newest Vital Sign (NVS), a health literacy tool; measured heights and weights; and demographic questions.

Results: According to participants’ NVS scores, 45.3% had at least a possibility of low health literacy. Lower NVS scores were associated with increased BMI (r = -0.12, p = 0.027) and increased age (r = -0.26, p < 0.001). Higher NVS scores were associated …

Dog Ownership During Pregnancy, Maternal Activity, And Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study, Carri Westgarth, Jihong Liu, Jon Heron, Andrew R. Ness, Peter Bundred, Rosalind M. Gaskell, Alexander J. German, Sandra Mccune, Susan Dawson

Jihong Liu

The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is an observational study of 14273 UK pregnant singleton mothers in 1990/1991. We examined outcomes of self report of strenuous activity (hours per week) at 18 and 32 weeks of gestation, hours spent in leisure-time physical activities and types, and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI); overweight status was defined as pre-pregnancy BMI$25 and obesity BMI$30. Pet ownership and activity data were reported for 11,466 mothers. Twenty-five percent of mothers owned at least one dog. There was a positive relationship between participation in activity at least once a week and dog ownership …

Physical Activity And Electronic Media Use In The Search For Diabetes In Youth Case-Control Study, Felipe Lobelo, Angela Liese, Jihong Liu, Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, Ralph D'Agostino, Jr., Russell Pate, Richard Hamman, Dana Dabelea

Jihong Liu

No abstract provided.

Acculturation, Physical Activity, And Obesity Among Hispanic Adolescents, Jihong Liu, Janice Probst, Nusrat Harun, Kevin Bennett, Myriam Torres

Jihong Liu

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Infrapatellar And Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Stromal Vascular Fraction And Stromal/Stem Cells In Osteoarthritic Subjects, Pedro Pires De Carvalho, Katie M. Hamel, Robert Duarte, Andrew G.S. King, Masudul Haque, Marilyn A. Dietrich, Xiying Wu, Forum Shah, David Burk, Rui L. Reis, Jennifer Rood, Ping Zhang, Mandi Lopez, Jeffrey M. Gimble, Vinod Dasa

Faculty Publications

© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Since inflammatory mechanisms have been postulated to link obesity to osteoarthritis, the current study evaluated the ratio of immune cells to multipotent stromal cells within the infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SQ) of the knee; each depot has potential as a source of regenerative cells. The immunophenotypes of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) of the IPFP and SQ were determined in tissues from osteoarthritic subjects (n=7) undergoing total knee replacement. Based on a subset of surface antigens, the immunophenotype of ASCs from SQ of OA subjects …

Lymphedema: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis & Management, Bernadine Cruz

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Lymphedema is a disfiguring condition whose hallmark is progressive, increasing swelling which occurs as a result of the accumulation of protein rich fluid in interstitial spaces. Those individuals who are affected suffer from either primary lymphedema or secondary lymphedema; the pathophysiology of both conditions is similar. Lymphedema can be a chronic, acute, or transient alteration, which can eventually lead to keratinization of the skin. An increase in the incidence of lymphedema has also been observed with increase in levels of obesity.

Mindful Eating: Trait And State Mindfulness Predict Healthier Eating Behavior, Christian H. Jordan, Wan Wang, Linda R. Donatoni, Brian P. Meier

Psychology Faculty Publications

Obesity and excess weight are significant societal problems. Mindfulness may encourage healthier weight and eating habits. Across four studies, we found a positive relation between mindfulness and healthier eating. Trait mindfulness was associated with less impulsive eating, reduced calorie consumption, and healthier snack choices. In addition, we found a causal effect of mindfulness on healthier eating. An experimental manipulation of state mindfulness led participants to consume fewer calories in a spontaneous eating task. We also found preliminary evidence that mindfulness affects eating behavior by encouraging attitudinal preferences for healthier foods. Taken together, these results provide strong evidence that mindfulness encourages …

Breaking Barriers: The Influence Of Socioeconomic Status On Obesity Among Women In Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Christina Camoriano

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Obesity in Brazil has grown rapidly within the past decade, however research is conflicting in terms of who carries the burden of this disease- the economic elite or the poor. Despite the lack of clarity towards the current distribution of obesity, many studies have come to the conclusion that in developing countries, obesity is growing more rapidly among those of lower socioeconomic status.¹¹ Therefore, the purpose of my research study is to examine how socioeconomic status influences the dietary and exercise habits of lower and lower-middle income women who are obese. This study is relevant because it seeks to …