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Systemic Leptin Modulates The Expression Of E-Cadherin, Β-Catenin In The Ovary Of Dietary-Induced Obese Infertile Rats, Olufunke A. Sokan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the numerous complications of obesity is infertility. Leptin has been shown to reverse infertility; however, exact mechanism is poorly understood. Recent evidence indicates Ecadherin/ β-catenin complex, which is a structural constituent of adherens junction, is expressed in the rat ovary during folliculogenesis. We hypothesized that systemic leptin modulates the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in dietary-induced obese infertile rats to reverse infertility. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either regular chow diet (RCD) (n=6) or high fat diet (HFD) (n=14). Oestrus cycles were monitored daily until their cycles became irregular. 100 ug/ml of leptin was given intraperitoneally to HFD-fed …

Co-Morbidities Associated With Adult Obesity In Mississippi, Richmond Lachney

MSN Research Projects

Obesity rates are rapidly increasing in Mississippi and the entire United States. It is estimated that 34.9% of Mississippi residents and 75 million Americans over the age of 20 are considered obese. Numerous studies have shown the high risk of developing co­ morbidities once a person develops obesity. The number of adult Americans living with obesity and its associated co-morbidities is alarming. The purpose of this study was to determine which co-morbidities are most prevalent among obese residents of rural Mississippi and whether they can be reduced or reversed with significant weight reduction. Nola Pender’s Health Promotion Model was utilized …

Online Healthy Lifestyle Support In The Perinatal Period: What Do Women Want And Do They Use It?, Lydia A. Hearn, Margaret R. Miller, Anna Fletcher

Research outputs 2013

Unhealthy weight gain and retention during pregnancy and postpartum is detrimental to mother and child. Although various barriers limit the capacity for perinatal health care providers (PHCPs) to offer healthy lifestyle counselling, they could guide women to appropriate online resources. This paper presents a project designed to provide online information to promote healthy lifestyles in the perinatal period. Focus groups or interviews were held with 116 perinatal women and 76 PHCPs to determine what online information perinatal women and PHCPs want, in what form, and how best it should be presented. The results indicated that women wanted smartphone applications (apps) …

Genetic Determinants Of Habitual Physical Activity And Overweight And Obesity, Harold Lee

Master's Theses

We tested 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with obesity from genome wide association studies for their association with physical activity (PA). Healthy European-American women (n=265) and men (n=230) (23.5±0.3yr, 24.6±0.2kg•m^-2) were genotyped for MC4R (rs17782313), FTO (rs9939609), TMEM18 (rs6548238), NEGR1 (rs2815752), SH2B1 (rs7498665), and KCTD15 (rs11084753), and completed the Paffenbarger PA Questionnaire. We examined gene interactions by summing the number of obesity effect alleles. RESULTS: Normal weight subjects with MC4R T expended 1981.2±741.7kcal∙wk^-1 less than non-carriers in total PA (p=0.008), 1825.9±650.2 kcal∙wk^-1 less in sports/recreation (p=0.027), and 1231.3±552.7 kcal∙wk^-1 less …

How To Get Rid Of Thunder Thighs, Helena E. Yang

SURGE

I appreciate the insightful and important things your muffin top has to say to me, but my thunder thighs still think they’re fat.

I’m overweight (sometimes).

On a BMI scale, I fluctuate in and out of the dreaded “overweight” category. While I acknowledge that the BMI scale has its flaws, it was designed to be a quick approximation of weight to height; it is not designed to be a scientific test. Sometimes I tell myself I am super muscular and the scale doesn’t apply to me, but it’s actually not true. [excerpt]

Parents’ Role In Prevention Of Childhood Obesity, Shireen Shehzad

School of Nursing & Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of The Dining Environment On And Near The Campuses Of Fifteen Post-Secondary Institutions, Tanya M. Horacek, Maria B. Erdman, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Gale Carey, Sarah E. Colby, Geoffrey W Greene, Wen Guo, Kendra Kattelmann, Melissa D. Olfert, Jennifer Walsh, Adrienne A. White

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the restaurant and dining venues on and near post-secondary campuses varying in institution size.
DESIGN: The Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Restaurants (NEMS-R) was modified to evaluate restaurants as fast food, sit down and fast casual; and campus dining venues as dining halls, student unions and snack bar/cafe´s. ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s B and T tests were used to distinguish differences between dining venues and associated institutions by size.
SETTING: The study was conducted at fifteen US post-secondary institutions, 2009–2011.
SUBJECTS: Data presented are from a sample of 175 restaurants and sixty-eight on-campus dining …

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 …

The Effect Of Prenatal And Postnatal Care On Childhood Obesity, Michael M. O. Seipel, Kevin Shafer

Faculty Publications

Childhood obesity continues to be a major public health problem in the United States. If this problem is unresolved, some children will be at risk for disorders such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer and will become a high economic and social burden for society. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, Child and Young Adult sample (N = 6,643), this study examined the relationship between the effect of pre- and postnatal characteristics and obesity. The findings of this study show that the probability of childhood obesity can be lessened if pregnant women do not smoke and …

Childhood Obesity And Overweight: Causes And Implications In Preschool Children, Melissa L. Sittner

Kinesiology and Public Health

The root causes of childhood obesity and overweight are currently hot topics of research. While many causes have been discovered, researchers are still weighing them against one another while taking the lifestyles of at-risk populations into account. Some of these causes include lack of physical activity, increase in screen time, and the implications of health disparities borne of a child’s socioeconomic status. These causes and more are reviewed further and applied to the population of interest: preschool aged children in the United States, and more specifically preschool aged children of San Luis Obispo County in California. The need for multi-level …

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 …

Computational Modeling Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Tdcs) In Obesity: Impact Of Head Fat And Dose Guidelines☆, Dennis Q. Truong, Greta Magerowski, George L. Blackburn, Marom Bikson, Miguel Alonso-Alonso

Publications and Research

Recent studies show that acute neuromodulation of the prefrontal cortex with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can decrease food craving, attentional bias to food, and actual food intake. These data suggest potential clinical applications for tDCS in the field of obesity. However, optimal stimulation parameters in obese individuals are uncertain. One fundamental concern is whether a thick, low-conductivity layer of subcutaneous fat around the head can affect current density distribution and require dose adjustments during tDCS administration. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of head fat on the distribution of current during tDCS and evaluate whether …

Move Montana: An Exercise Program For Children, Adolescents, And Their Families, Deanna Lynn Babb

Dissertations

Despite advances in medical science, the prevalence of obesity in the US has more than doubled in the last three decades, to over 72 million people (CDC, 2009). The purpose of this project was to pilot an exercise program that would increase physical activity in a group of adolescents and one of their parents or guardians. A convenient sample of 10 adults and eight adolescents returned surveys and exercised through the entire eight weeks (N = 18). Ten of the 18 participants (56%), six parents and four adolescents, reported increased frequency of exercise each week throughout the eight week period. …

Effects Of A School-Based Education Intervention On Bmi And Physical Activity, Lauren M. Panner

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

In 2011, the CDC reported that there are 12.5 million obese children and adolescents living in the United States (U.S.). The financial burden of childhood obesity in the U.S. is estimated to be 14 billion dollars. The objective of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to answer the question: In school-aged children, how does school-based, structured, family-oriented physical activity education affect body mass index (BMI) compared to usual education over an eight week time period? The Stetler Model of EBP and the health belief model were used to guide this project in a rural, Northwest Indiana elementary school. For eight …

Development, Evaluation And Refinement Of A Body Mass Index Formula For Large Breed Canine Patients, Dena Lynn Lodato

Theses and Dissertations

The current method of quantifying obesity in the veterinary patient is the subjective body condition score; however, scant research has focused on the development of an objective measurement. The present two part study evaluates the ability to create and refine an objective body mass index (BMI) formula for the large breed canine patient. In the first part of this study, seven morphometric measurements were obtained from seventy large breed dogs allowing the creation of five BMI formulas. In the second part of this study, computed tomography images were obtained from twenty-two dogs and the total percent body fat (TBF) was …

Rates Of Obesity And Incidence Of Diabetes In Hispanics In The United States: An Examination Of The Epidemiological Paradox, Lucy Dean

Honors Theses

Using pooled data from the 2008-2011 National Health Interview Survey and employing multinomial and binomial logistic regression methods, this research examines disparities in rates of obesity and incidence of diabetes between individual Hispanic subgroups in comparison to non-Hispanic whites and blacks. Immigration status(including nativity, duration in the United States, and citizenship status) is hypothesized to play a central role in rates and obesity and incidence of diabetes. Unlike Cuban-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and other Hispanics were more likely to be overweight as well as obese when compared to non-Hispanic whites. Mexican-Americans had the only significance in prevalence of type 2 …

Accuracy Of A Bite-Count Based Calorie Estimate Compared To Human Estimates With And Without Calorie Information Available, James Salley

All Theses

Obesity is an increasing health problem in the US, associated with such dangerous health risks as heart disease and diabetes. Self-monitoring in the form of calorie counting is a critical aspect of successful weight loss. However, calorie estimations are subject to several perceptual and cognitive biases, and there are limited tools available to assist these estimations. The present study seeks to assess the accuracy of participants' estimations of the calorie content of meals in the presence or absence of calorie information, and to compare their accuracy with calorie estimations based on bite count. Data were analyzed for 87 participants from …

Comparison Of Obesity Bias, Attitudes, And Beliefs Among Undergraduate Dietetic Students, Dietetic Interns, And Practicing Registered Dietitians, Sarah E. Welborn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The obesity epidemic in the United States is increasing, and health concerns are also on the rise as they are directly related to obesity. Even though the majority of Americans are overweight or obese, prejudice and weight bias continue to be prevalent and socially accepted in a culture that tolerates discrimination towards these individuals. Health care providers, including registered dietitians, are not exempt from instigating bias towards obese patients causing a decrease in the level of care that they receive. The main purpose of this study was to compare attitudes, beliefs, and bias concerning obesity among undergraduate dietetic students, dietetic …

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 …

140 Characters To Skinny: Social Support Provided By Commercial Weight-Loss Programs Via Twitter, Sarah Arbogast

All Theses

The state of healthcare in the United States is changing. Amidst this change, there is a debate as to whether health is a public good or if health is a private matter. This change and debate challenges health professionals to rethink the way we go about planning health interventions to better address the many public health issues looming the general population today. The recent rise of obesity and at-risk weight in the United States is a major epidemic that has yet to be resolved. There are many approaches to addressing weight management and for many, public health campaigns have not …

The Relationship Between Calcium Intake And Body Mass Index In The Participants Of Hub City Steps, Laura P. Ewoldt

Honors Theses

Background: The social, economic, and health impacts of unhealthy dietary behaviors and sedentary lifestyles are quite significant and even more so in the rural South. The majority of individuals in the US do not adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, specifically fruits, vegetables, and calcium.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to address the issue of calcium intake and obesity in a population of primarily African American women in south Mississippi and to determine if levels of calcium intake had a relationship with body mass index.

Methods and Analysis: Data for the current study was …

Effects Of Short Term High Fat Diet On Obesity And Perivascular Adipose Structure And Function In Mice : Role Of Aldose Reductase, And Aldehyde Metabolizing Enzyme., Daniel Alan Murphy

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of high fat diet and aldose reductase deficiency on the structure and function of murine perivascular adipose tissue. Wild type (WT) (C57 bl/6) and aldose reductase knockout (AR-null) mice were aged to 8 or 18 weeks on a normal chow diet then some were switched to a high fat diet for 4 weeks while others remained on the control diet for the same amount of time. Following 4 weeks, mice were euthanized PVAT was analyzed. High fat feeding significantly increased body fat percentage in both age groups of mice and the area …

The Forgotten Half Of Food System Reform: Using Food And Agricultural Law To Foster Healthy Food Production, Emily Broad Leib

Journal of Food Law & Policy

America is facing widespread problems with its food system, including environmental harms due to externalities from industrial farms; the increasing amount of "food _miles" traveled by the products that make up our daily meals; and the growing size and complexity of recent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. Indeed, the entire system that covers the life cycle of food, through production, processing, distribution, consumption, and food waste management, is in crisis. One of the most disturbing of these well-documented problems with the industrial food system is the increase in rates of obesity and diet-related illnesses. Obesity rates in the U.S. have more …

The U.S. Department Of Agriculture As A Public Health Agency? A "Health In All Policies" Case Study, Lindsay F. Wiley

Journal of Food Law & Policy

The "war on obesity" is now well into its second decade. What began as an effort to encourage medical doctors to screen and treat patients whose weight put them at risk for health problems has transformed into a much broader public health campaign to address the root causes of obesity. A growing number of state, territorial and local health departments are currently exploring new ways to promote healthy eating and physical activity. At the federal level, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made "nutrition, physical activity and obesity" a top priority.

Limiting “Sugary Drinks” To Reduce Obesity — Who Decides?, Wendy K. Mariner, George J. Annas

Faculty Scholarship

When a judge struck down the New York City Board of Health's partial ban on selling “sugary drinks” in containers of more than 16 fluid ounces, the reaction was swift. The Portion Cap Rule was widely viewed as a signature accomplishment of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's third term as the “public health mayor,” and he vowed to appeal, saying, “I've got to defend my children, and yours, and do what's right to save lives. Obesity kills.” But the question before the judge was not about the health risks posed by obesity or even the relationship between obesity and access to large …

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

Dissertations and 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.

Lessons Learned From Training Of Promotores De Salud For Obesity And Diabetes Prevention, Erica T. Sosa, Lesli Biediger-Friedman, Zenong Yin

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Promotores de Salud are impactful in reducing health disparities for Hispanic communities. The purpose of this paper is to present the training process and fidelity of study protocol implementation using a promotora model for community-based diabetes prevention.

Methods: Five Hispanic bilingual promotores were recruited from a Community Health Worker program and received intensive 30-hour promotora training on how to recruit participants, lead group sessions, and support participants making behavior changes. Evaluation of the training included a survey and focus group to assess promotores’ feedback, a post-training knowledge test to assess knowledge acquired during the training and an observational assessment …

Maternal Depression In A Racially And Socioeconomically Diverse Cohort: Influences On Infant Feeding Practices., Lauren M. Sims

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Feeding practices during infancy and early childhood have lifelong effects on weight and relationships with food. With the growing prevalence of obesity in adults and children, early feeding practices are being examined more carefully as points in which public health interventions may be successful. Experts recommend that feeding practices be responsive in nature. Maternal depression has been shown to have deleterious effects on parenting practices, contributing to their unresponsiveness. As the responsive frameworks for parenting and feeding are similar, we expected to find similar effects of maternal depression on feeding practices. Maternal depression does, in fact, contribute to unresponsive feeding …

Effect Of Exercise On Appetite-Regulating Hormones In Overweight Women, G. Tiryaki-Sonmez, S. Ozen, G. Bugdayci, U. Karli, G. Ozen, S. Cogalgil, B. Schoenfeld, K. Sozbir, K. Aydin

Publications and Research

Over the past decade, our knowledge of how homeostatic systems regulate food intake and body weight has increased with the discovery of circulating peptides such as leptin, acyl ghrelin, des-acyl ghrelin and obestatin. These hormones regulate the appetite and food intake by sending signals to the brain regarding the body's nutritional status. The purpose of this study was to investigate the response of appetite-regulating hormones to exercise. Nine overweight women undertook two 2 h trials in a randomized crossover design. In the exercise trial, subjects ran for 60 min at 50% of maximal oxygen uptake followed by a 60 min …