Digital Commons Network^™

Docosahexaenoic Acid-Rich Fish Oil Supplementation Reduces Kinase Associated With Insulin Resistance In Overweight And Obese Midlife Adults, Rohith N. Thota, Jessica I. Rosato, Tracy L. Burrows, Cintia B. Dias, Kylie A. Abbott, Ralph N. Martins, Manohar L. Garg

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Targeting kinases linked to insulin resistance (IR) and inflammation may help in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in its early stages. This study aimed to determine whether DHA-rich fish oil supplementation reduces glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3), which is linked to both IR and AD. Baseline and post-intervention plasma samples from 58 adults with abdominal obesity (Age: 51.7 ± 1.7 years, BMI: 31.9 ± 0.8 kg/m2) were analysed for outcome measures. Participants were allocated to 2 g DHA-rich fish oil capsules (860 mg DHA + 120 mg EPA) (n = 31) or placebo capsules …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Online Acceptance And Commitment Therapy To Improve Diet And Physical Activity Among Adults Who Are Overweight/Obese, Michael E. Levin, Julie M. Petersen, Carrie Durward, Brittany Bingeman, Elizabeth Davis, Cindy Nelson, Shannon Cromwell

Psychology Student Research

Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown benefit for improving diet, physical activity, and weight among adults who are overweight and obese. However, research to date in this area has primarily evaluated ACT delivered through in-person interventions, which has more limited access relative to online formats. Purpose: The present study evaluated an online guided self-help program that integrated ACT with nutrition education to improve healthy eating and physical activity. Methods: A sample of 79 adults who were overweight/obese were randomized to receive the 8-week ACT on Health program plus weekly phone coaching or to a waitlist. Results: Participants completed …

The Prevalence Of Overweight And Obesity In Irish Children Between 1990 And 2019, Aisling O'Donnell, Maria Buffini, Laura Kehoe, Ann Nugent, John Kearney, Janette Walton, Albert Flynn, Breige Mcnulty

Articles

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the temporal prevalence of overweight and obesity in Irish children through different methodologies and evaluate the change in rates between 1990 and 2019.

A Culturally Competent Phenotypic Evaluation / Obesity Assessment In African And African American Populations: Pilot Study, Catrina Johnson, Robert Corrucini, Daniel Beque, Wanki Moon, Kola Ajuwon, David A. Lightfoot

Articles

BMI, a ratio of weight over height, is a culturally-biased tool imposed upon the scientific, academic and medical communities as an errant measure of obesity across ethnic - ity. Body Mass Index (BMI) relates mass (g) to a relative fat distribution with regards to height. Its genesis is from the actuarially derived and ethnically exclusive height and weight tables that promote the fictional notion of inter-eth - nic ideal weights that would be later adopted by the Na - tional Institutes of Health (NIH) as a competent measure of adiposity. Best practice, movement towards individualized medicine and deployment of effective …

Precarity Beyond Food: How The Closure Of An Independent Grocery Store Shed Light On The Limitations Of Food Access Efforts In Syracuse, New York, Katherine Louisa Ravene Mott

Theses - ALL

On September 11, 2017, the owner of an independent grocery store in Syracuse, New York’s Near Westside neighborhood announced that the store would close within the month. The Near Westside is often characterized by its high levels of concentrated poverty for African American and Hispanic neighborhood residents. Nojaim Brothers Supermarket opened in 1919 and persisted for 97 years amidst an unfavorable political and economic landscape marked by the creation of both chain grocery stores and supermarkets as well as the effects of urban renewal and disinvestment. I argue that Nojaim’s endurance can be attributed to the embeddedness of the grocery …

Constraint And Trade-Offs Regulate Energy Expenditure During Childhood, Samuel S. Urlacher, J. Josh Snodgrass, Lara R. Dugas, Lawrence S. Sugiyama, Melissa A. Liebert

Biostatistics Collaborative Core: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Children’s metabolic energy expenditure is central to evolutionary and epidemiological frameworks for understanding variation in human phenotype and health. Nonetheless, the impact of a physically active lifestyle and heavy burden of infectious disease on child metabolism remains unclear. Using energetic, activity, and biomarker measures, we show that Shuar forager-horticulturalist children of Amazonian Ecuador are ~25% more physically active and, in association with immune activity, have ~20% greater resting energy expenditure than children from industrial populations. Despite these differences, Shuar children’s total daily energy expenditure, measured using doubly labeled water, is indistinguishable from industrialized counterparts. Trade-offs in energy allocation between competing …

Healthy Choices: The Building Blocks Of A Healthy Lifestyle (An Educational Handout), University Of New England Applied Nutrition Program

All Student-Created Educational Resources

This educational handout provides guidance for healthy weight management through lifestyle interventions including healthy eating, exercise and familial involvement.

Effect Of Metformin On Adolescent Obesity, Mackenzie Mcnamee, Victoriya Eggen

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objectives: Metformin is the first line treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in both adults and children and has been shown to result in weight loss. Pediatric obesity is a major risk factor for the development of T2DM as well as several other diseases. Recently, physicians have reported using Metformin off-label to treat obesity in adolescent patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether Metformin is effective in reducing BMI in obese adolescents.

Methods: Studies were found using PubMed, MeSH, Medline, and CINAHL. The search terms used were: “obesity,” Metformin,” “adolescents,” “children,” “metformin and weight,” …

Perceptions Of Food, Supportive Resistance Resources, And Nutrition Knowledge Of Bariatric Surgery Patients, Savannah K. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Adult overweight and obesity is a life-threatening health concern worldwide. Bariatric surgery is a successful treatment for severely obese individuals however, there is a moderate risk for weight regain. This study evaluated perception of food, supportive resistance resources, and nutrition knowledge, which play important roles in successful weight loss post bariatric surgery. Participants completed a three-part questionnaire at three time intervals: prior to surgery, 2 months post-surgery, and 5 months post-surgery. Results show that bariatric patients’ eating behavior significantly changes post bariatric surgery, but a disordered perception of food remains. Bariatric surgery patients believe support from significant others and family …

Vegetable, Dietary Fiber Consumption And Obesity In Japan And The United States, Megumi Hashida

Theses and Dissertations

The US and Japanese populations do not meet recommended DF intakes. This study indicated the relationship between the variety of vegetables available in markets and vegetable consumption in the US and Japan. The number of vegetables available in markets was determined using online resources from five markets in each country. Mean number of vegetable products in the US was 104.4 products (SD: ±36.8) and mean number of vegetable products in the Japanese markets was 120.2 products (SD: ±15.6). There was no significant relationship between the variety of vegetables in markets and vegetable consumption between the US and Japan. This study …

Lysine Mediation Of Neuroendocrine Food Regulation In Guinea Fowl, Ashley C. Payne, Xiaofei Wang, Michael T. Ivy, A. Stewart, Kiimya Nelson, Carl E. Darris, Samuel N. Nahashon

Biology Faculty Research

In poultry, obesity is partly influenced by food intake, and is increasingly becoming a nationwide problem. Hypothalamic food intake mechanisms are involved metabolically and neurologically via two peptide hormones, leptin and ghrelin, and the amino acid glutamate, which is enzymatically derived from lysine metabolism. We hypothesize that lysine homeostasis mediates regulation of feed intake and performance characteristics via the brain–liver axis through glutamate sensing. The objective was to examine the effects of lysine homeostasis in avian food regulation and performance through neuroendocrine signaling. One-day-old male French Guinea fowl (GF) keets (n = 270) were weighed and randomly assigned to 5 …

Effects Of A 12-Week Vigorous Interval Training Intervention On Pro-Inflammatory Markers In Post-Operative Bariatric And Obese Participants, Brittany Rood

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Increase prevalence of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases linked to inflammation has led to research on pro-inflammatory cytokines, like tumor necrosis factor - alpha (TNF-α) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A₂ (Lp-PLA₂), in attempt to define the relationship between chronic disease, inflammation, and obesity. PURPOSE: Examine the effect of twelve weeks of vigorous intensity interval training on pro-inflammatory markers in post-operative bariatric and obese participants. METHODS: 9 post-operative bariatric individuals [1 man, 8 women; Body mass index (BMI) = 34.23 ± 2.54 kg/m²], 12 obese individuals [5 men, 7 women; BMI=35.77 ± 1.67 kg/m^{2 …}

Obesity In Monterey County, Ruth Gamino

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Obesity has become a concerning health issue within the United States. In Monterey County, obesity is becoming an epidemic among children. In Monterey County in 2015, 48 percent of 7th graders were obese in comparison with 38.7 percent in California overall (Kids Data, 2015). Youth Fit 4 Life (YF4L) is a research-tested intervention program that shares a passion for improving the health of children by promoting healthy habits. The purpose of the program is to address childhood obesity and the psychological issues linked to it. After realizing the obstacles that staff were facing, it was important to create a website …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Rural, Pragmatic, Telemedicine‐ Delivered Healthy Lifestyle Programme, John A. Batsis, Auden C. Mcclure, Aaron B. Weintraub, David F. Kotz, Sivan Rotenberg, Summer B. Cook, Diane Gilbert-Diamond, Kevin Curtis, Courtney J. Stevens, Diane Sette, Richard I. Rothstein

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: The public health crisis of obesity leads to increasing morbidity that are even more profound in certain populations such as rural adults. Live, two‐way video‐conferencing is a modality that can potentially surmount geographic barriers and staffing shortages. Methods: Patients from the Dartmouth‐Hitchcock Weight and Wellness Center were recruited into a pragmatic, single‐arm, nonrandomized study of a remotely delivered 16‐week evidence‐based healthy lifestyle programme. Patients were provided hardware and appropriate software allowing for remote participation in all sessions, outside of the clinic setting. Our primary outcomes were feasibility and acceptability of the telemedicine intervention, as well as potential effectiveness on …

Offering Healthy Foods In Food Trucks, Karina Arvizu Vazquez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Reiter Affiliated Companies Sembrando Salud Program aims to improve health outcomes in the farmworker population by creating healthy ranch communities. Semerando Salud wants to empower their employees to make educated choices that lead to improving health towards a healthier and more productive agricultural community. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is 78% among Latinos are higher than non-Latinos whites. Contributing factors leading to the health problem is a deficiency of physical activity, unhealthy diet, and unable to have access to healthy. Lacking from these contributing factors can cause consequences in the future, just as diabetes and the cost of treatment. …

Overweight And Obesity Status With Dental Caries Among Children Aged 7–12 Years Old In Badung District, Bali 2018, Hariani Rafitha, Putri Bungsu Machmud, Ratna Djuwita, Dwi Gayatri, Fakhrana Ariani Ayub

Kesmas

Dental caries is an infectious disease that Dental is characterized by the dental damage resulting from microorganism products in carbohydrate fermentation. Dental caries and obesity in children are multifactorial diseases associated with eating habits and certain lifestyle factors. This study aimed to assess the association between overweightness, obesity, and dental caries among children aged 7–12 years in Badung district, Bali province in 2018. The total sample of 426 children and their mothers were recruited from all first to fifth elementary grade students in three schools selected by simple random sampling. The logistic regression analysis has demonstrated a significant association between …

The Epidemiological Burden Of Obesity In Childhood: A Worldwide Epidemic Requiring Urgent Action, Mariachiara Di Cesare, Maroje Sorić, Pascal Bovet, J Jaime Miranda, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Gretchen A. Stevens, Avula Laxmaiah, Andre-Pascal Kengne, James Bentham

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: In recent decades, the prevalence of obesity in children has increased dramatically. This worldwide epidemic has important consequences, including psychiatric, psychological and psychosocial disorders in childhood and increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life. Treatment of obesity is difficult and children with excess weight are likely to become adults with obesity. These trends have led member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) to endorse a target of no increase in obesity in childhood by 2025.
Main body: Estimates of overweight in children aged under 5 years are available jointly from the United Nations Children's Fund …

Physical Activity Level And Insulin Resistance In 6,500 Nhanes Adults: The Role Of Abdominal Obesity, James R Fowler

Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study investigated insulin resistance (IR) variation across physical activity (PA) levels in U.S. adults. METHODS: MET-minutes were utilized to quantify PA using 2 methods: 4 categories were based on relative MET-minutes, and 5 were based on U.S. PA guidelines. IR was indexed using the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA). Effect modification was tested by dividing waist circumferences into sex-specific quartiles, and then evaluating the relationship between PA and HOMA-IR within each quartile separately. RESULTS: Relative PA was associated with HOMA-IR after controlling for demographic and demographic and lifestyle covariates (F = 11.5, P < 0.0001 and F = 6.0, P = 0.0012, respectively). Adjusting for demographic and demographic and lifestyle covariates also revealed relationships between guideline-based PA and HOMA-IR (F = 8.0, P < 0.0001 and F = 4.9, P = 0.0017, respectively). Controlling for waist circumference with the other covariates nullified the relationship between PA and HOMA-IR. Effect modification testing showed that when the sample was delimited to adults with extra-large waists (Quartile 4), relative (F = 5.6, P = 0.0019), and guideline-based PA (F = 3.7, P = 0.0098) and HOMA-IR were related. PA and HOMA-IR were not related within the other quartiles. CONCLUSION: High levels of PA may play a meaningful role in glucose and insulin metabolism in those with abdominal obesity, but not in adults with smaller waists.

Utilizing Motivational Interviewing To Encourage Weight Loss In Primary Care, Wendy Sergeant

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Motivational Interviewing is effective mode of communication not used regularly in Primary Care especially with obesity. The project aims to increase use of MI in obese patients among Nurses and Nurse Practitioners, and to demonstrate that MI is feasible and effective with those in Primary Care.

Method Of Predicting Obesity Comprising Measuring Neurotensin, B. Mark Evers, Jing Li, Paul Dobner, Olle Melander

Surgery Faculty Patents

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a method for predicting increased risk of obesity on a non-obese subject. More particularly, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to a method of predicting increased risk of obesity in a non-obese subject by determining a level of neurotensin expression in a biological sample from the subject and comparing the level of neurotensin expression in the sample with a control level. The presently disclosed subject matter further relates to a method of preventing and/or treating obesity in a subject in need thereof by administering to the subject an effective amount of an agent …

Adapting The Diabetes Prevention Program For Low And Middle-Income Countries: Protocol For A Cluster Randomised Trial To Evaluate 'Lifestyle Africa'., Delwyn Catley, Thandi Puoane, Lungiswa Tsolekile, Ken Resnicow, Kandace Fleming, Emily A. Hurley, Joshua M. Smyth, Mara Z. Vitolins, Estelle V. Lambert, Naomi Levitt, Kathy Goggin

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Introduction: Low and middle-income countries like South Africa are experiencing major increases in burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. However, evidence-based interventions to address behavioural factors related to these diseases are lacking. Our study aims to adapt the CDC's National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) within the context of an under-resourced urban community in Cape Town, South Africa.

Methods/analysis: The new intervention (Lifestyle Africa) consists of 17 weekly sessions delivered by trained community health workers (CHWs). In addition to educational and cultural adaptations of DPP content, the programme adds novel components of text messaging and …

Identifying Motivation Toward Healthy Behavior In Overweight And Obese Pregnant Women, Heather Watson

Biennial Convention (CONV)

A mixed methods research study designed to identify motivation toward healthy diet and exercise behaviors in overweight and obese pregnant women, the discussion will revolve around results obtained through completed questionnaires and in-depth interviews with participants, and the implications for future health care interventions.

Adapting An Elementary School Nutrition Context Assessment For High School Settings And Students, Deborah H. John, Beret Halverson, Tia H. Ho

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The school nutrition context is comprised of supportive environmental features, programs, policies, and social relationships that shape students’ healthy dietary choices and patterns. When engaging students as change agents, advocates, and partners in making healthy nutrition choices easier, environmental assessment tools developed for adults may be too complex or inappropriately tailored for youth. Adolescents need practical, user-tailored tools that reliably measure the food and beverage environments they encounter in school to inform youth-led changes to the school nutrition context. To meet this need, an evidence-based school environmental assessment was adapted for use in high schools by students as evaluators. Cooperative …

Impact Of Maternal Overweight And Obesity On Neonates Delivered At Al-Emamain Al-Khadamian Medical City, Areej Al-Omrani, Abdul Karem Jasem Al-Bahadle

Muthanna Medical Journal

The obesity is a problem of global importance with a significant impact on maternal-fetal health. Maternal overweight and obesity cause pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, hypertension and preeclampsia and affects fetal growth. The aim of study is to evaluate neonatal complications at birth associated with maternal obesity, expressed as body mass index (BMI) in a sample unselected geographical population. This is a cross-sectional study; it was done at the departments of NICU and Gynecology in Al-Emamain Alkhadamian Medical City hospital in Baghdad from the period 1st of February 2017 to the 31th of December 2017. A total of 514 …

Contributing Factors To Diabetic Brain Injury And Cognitive Decline, Nirmal Verma, Florin Despa

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

The link of diabetes with co-occurring disorders in the brain involves complex and multifactorial pathways. Genetically engineered rodents that express familial Alzheimer's disease-associated mutant forms of amyloid precursor protein and presenilin 1 (PSEN1) genes provided invaluable insights into the mechanisms and consequences of amyloid deposition in the brain. Adding diabetes factors (obesity, insulin impairment) to these animal models to predict success in translation to clinic have proven useful at some extent only. Here, we focus on contributing factors to diabetic brain injury with the aim of identifying appropriate animal models that can be used to mechanistically dissect the …

Life On Holidays: Study Protocol For A 3-Year Longitudinal Study Tracking Changes In Children's Fitness And Fatness During The In-School Versus Summer Holiday Period, Amanda Watson, Carol Maher, Grant R. Tomkinson, Rebecca Golley, Francois Fraysse, Dorothea Dumuid, Hayley Lewthwaite, Tim Olds

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that children become fatter and less fit over the summer holidays but get leaner and fitter during the in-school period. This could be due to differences in diet and time use between these distinct periods. Few studies have tracked diet and time use across the summer holidays. This study will measure rates of change in fatness and fitness of children, initially in Grade 4 (age 9 years) across three successive years and relate these changes to changes in diet and time use between in-school and summer holiday periods.

Methods: Grade 4 Children attending Australian Government, Catholic …

Sociodemographic And Biometric Factors Associated With Eating Behaviors Among African American Women Aged 18-74, Takiyah J. Thomas, Jammie M. Hopkins, Riba Kelsey-Harris, Folashade Omole, Ernest Alema-Mensah

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Obesity is a growing problem in the United States and is disproportionately increasing among African Americans. The objective of this study is to examine the sociodemographic and biometric factors associated with eating behaviors among African American women.

Methods: We analyzed data from the 2009-2010 dietary screener and weight history questionnaire from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Multivariable analyses were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to determine the association between six specific eating behaviors and different sociodemographic and biometric factors. Analyses were conducted using SAS 9.4.

Results: The analyses show …

Motivational And Physiological Dysregulation Due To Development And Onset Of Obesity Via Melanocortin 4 Receptor +/- Haploinsufficiency, Alex Steiner

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is one of the leading most health risks around the world, being especially problematic in the United States. A combination of high-fat diets and genetic abnormalities are to blame for the ever-growing number of obese individuals.

Melanocortin 4 receptors are vital for regulating energy expenditure and feeding behaviors; mutations of the receptors have been found to be the leading monogenetic cause of obesity. Using MC4R +/- haploinsufficient rats being fed a range of dietary fat, we investigated the physiological and motivational differences using a locomotor task, an operant task with fixed and progressive ratios, as well as a distraction …

Health Care Access By Weight Status In The State Of Georgia, Elizabeth Pullekines, Janani Rajbhandari-Thapa

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Obesity continues to grow in prevalence in the United States and within the state of Georgia. Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic and preventable diseases. As such, obese individuals have higher demand for health care services than non-obese individuals. In addition, the health care system can play a role in preventing obesity and other conditions caused by obesity.

Methods: This research follows the established positive relationship between health care use and access to health care services through insurance coverage. The paper analyzes how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affected insurance coverage and access to health care services …

Extreme Obesity Among Adults In The United States: Spatial Variation And The Association With Mortality, Carrie Mills

Dissertations and Theses

Objectives: The purpose of this dissertation was to create small area estimates to describe and explore the county-level spatial variation of extreme obesity among adults in the United States and to assess the county-level association and spatial variation of extreme obesity and mortality.

Methods: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was used in conjunction with data from the Census Bureau to estimate county-level model-predicted prevalence of extreme obesity using multilevel regression and poststratification. Spatial dependence of estimates was assessed using global Moran’s Index, and local Moran’s Indices were used to identify clusters of higher and lower rates of extreme obesity …