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Friends On The Playground: Associations With Physical Activity Levels In A Preschool Sample, Kevin Francis Karl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Child obesity rates have reached an all-time high in the United States; with rates doubling over the past 30 years for children ages 2-5 (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2004). This increase in obesity rates has led to increased research directed at understanding the causes in order to begin to reverse the trend and prevent our children from becoming obese. The literature shows that several key variables, including child physical activity level, parent physical activity level, and peer influences on the playground are related to childhood obesity (Epstein, 2005; Salvy, 2008; Trost, et al., 2003). Much of this …

Healthism And The Bodies Of Women: Pleasure And Discipline In The War Against Obesity, Talia L. Welsh

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This paper explores how the discipline required for good health influences female embodiment. It examines the justification in the United States for a war against obesity and the criticism of that war made by Health at Every Size (HAES) proponents. It finds that a "good-health imperative" operates within both the fight against obesity and the size-acceptance movement. I question how such an imperative curtails the range of possibilities for pleasure. The self-monitoring required in eating and exercising for health demands a constant reading of one's behavior as good/healthy or bad/unhealthy. In addition, attention to health achieved through behavior modification draws …

Personal Experiences Of Formerly Obese Individuals Maintaining Significant Weight Loss : A Descriptive Study : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At The Weight Management Program Of San Francisco, Inc., San Francisco, California, Jennifer L. Simon

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explored and described how psychological processes relate to maintaining significant weight loss. The goals for this study were to add to the weight literature the personal experiences of individuals maintaining significant weight loss and to better understand the needs of these individuals so as to develop psychological interventions that are effective in assisting with successful weight loss maintenance (WLM) and in reducing the perceived difficulty of WLM. Twelve formerly obese adults currently engaged in WLM, recruited primarily from The Weight Management Program of San Francisco, Inc., were interviewed about their perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and self-concepts as they reflected …

Obesity Treatment Alternatives: Foods To Surgery, Brooke Erwin Bayham

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of these studies was to explore the roles of dietary strategies and bariatric surgery in obesity treatment. The breakfast study was a randomized, crossover trial used to evaluate the role of egg proteins, and a retrospective chart review was conducted to obtain comparative information about two different bariatric surgeries. The breakfast study included 20 subjects who were randomized to receive an egg breakfast (EB) or a cereal breakfast (CB) matched for energy density and macronutrient composition but different protein quality for one week. Following a washout period, each subject was crossed over to receive the opposite breakfast for …

Changes In Appetite And Eating Behavior Associated With The Combination Of Sibutramine And Behavior Therapy, Raymond Carvajal

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This archival-data study assessed the potentially complementary mechanisms of action of sibutramine and behavior therapy (also known as lifestyle modification) believed to be responsible for the greater weight loss observed with combining the two approaches than with either approach alone. One hundred and seventy-one subjects were randomly assigned to receive 15 mg of sibutramine per day alone, delivered by a primary-care provider in five brief office visits; behavior therapy alone, delivered by a psychologist in

18 group sessions; and sibutramine (15 mg/day) plus 18 group sessions of behavior therapy (i.e., combined therapy). Mixed effects linear model analysis was used to …

Is Liraglutide Safe And Effective As A Monotherapy For The Treatment Of Obesity In Type 2 Diabetics And Healthy Individuals?, Erica Sheeran

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not liraglutide is safe and effective as a monotherapy for the treatment of obesity in type 2 diabetics and healthy individuals.

Does Caffeine Consumption Effect Exercise Performance In Healthy Adults?, Meaghan E. Jones

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not caffeine ingestion prior to exercise effects exercise performance in healthy adults.

Is White Bean Extract A Safe And Effective Treatment For Weight Loss?, Jamie Berkowitz

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not white bean extract is a safe and effective treatment for weight loss.

Obesity In Children And Adolescents And Its Relationship With Hypertension, Dr Vijayanath Itagi, Ramesh Patil

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

It is difficult to project the prevalence of obesity and overweight among children in India since there is no nationally representative data from India. We determined the time trends in childhood obesity in a representative sample of schoolchildren from Raichur District, Karnataka and investigated the relationship of obesity with blood pressure. Materials and methods: We used a stratified random cluster sampling method to select the children. Anthropometric data were collected from 23,842 students, 5-16 years of age, during 2005-06. Blood pressure and anthropometric data were collected from 19,263 students during 2007-08. Overweight and obesity were defined by body mass index …

How Husbands Can Support Their Wives In Achieving Weight Management Goals: The Development Of A Self-Help Resource, Christi Lynn Kush

Theses and Dissertations

The nationwide prevalence of obesity calls for more effective strategies for weight loss and maintenance of desired weight. The majority of weight loss programs focus on behavior change (diet and exercise) with some success, although lost weight is often regained. Interventions that boost the long-term effects of weight loss achievements are greatly needed. Marriage provides an ideal context for the lifestyle changes required for effective weight maintenance. Although well-intentioned, spouses may not know how to support their partner's weight loss efforts. Because women are more likely than men to attend to their spouses' health needs and women struggle more than …

Pediatric Obesity And Traumatic Lower Extremity Long Bone Fracture Outcomes, Ian Charles Backstrom

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Pediatric obesity is associated with lower extremity injuries and poor outcomes after blunt trauma. Our aim was to determine if obese pediatric patients with femur and tibia fractures have more severe injury patterns and worse outcomes compared to non-obese patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of obese and non-obese pediatric patients with femur or tibia fractures treated at two Level-1 trauma centers from 2004-2010. Patients weighing ≥ 95th percentile for age and gender were classified as obese. Patients were compared regarding demographics, Injury Severity Score (ISS), intra-abdominal, and orthopedic injuries. Outcomes included fracture treatment, orthopedic complications, ICU …

Neighborhood Characteristics And Weight Status In Preschool Children, Cynthia Irwin Joiner

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: Childhood obesity is increasing at an alarming rate particularly among minority and low-income populations. More than 12 million children and adolescents are obese (Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, Lamb, & Flegal, 2010). Research on the neighborhood and built environment is relatively new. Few studies have examined the relationship of neighborhood characteristics and weight status, and studies in the preschool population are limited. Study Purpose: The study had three aims: 1) to examine the relationship between neighborhood characteristics (number of grocery stores and fast food restaurants, and number and quality of parks) and weight status (overweight and obese) in low income, preschool …

The Association Between The Body Mass Index (Bmi) Of African American College Women And Their Exposure To Magazine Advertisements, Candice P. Prince

All ETDs from UAB

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and exposure to magazine advertisements among African-American college women aged 19 to 29. This study also sought to determine how personal, behavioral, and environmental factors affect the BMI of African-American college women. A sample of 252 African-American college women enrolled in undergraduate degree programs in the Southeast United States completed a web-based survey on their weight-related health behaviors and magazine usage. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multivariable regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Bivariate correlations showed significant associations between BMI and several …

Food Deserts' And 'Food Swamps' In Hillsborough County, Florida: Unequal Access To Supermarkets And Fast-Food Restaurants, Dana Beth Stein

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that the suburbanization of supermarkets has created `food deserts', defined as areas where socially disadvantaged individuals lack access to nutritious food outlets. Additionally, the growing presence of fast-food restaurants has created `food swamps', or areas where socially disadvantaged individuals encounter an overabundance of unhealthy food outlets. While previous studies have analyzed either `food deserts' or `food swamps' using conventional statistical techniques, a more comprehensive approach that includes samples of both healthy and unhealthy entities and considers the variety of available food options is necessary to improve our understanding of the local food environment and related disparities.

This …

Evaluating The Get Into Fitness Today (Gift) Program: Weight Loss And The Roles Of Education And Empowerment, Emily Koby Novicki

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of Get Into Fitness Today (GIFT), a health program for adults that promotes balanced nutrition, physical activity, and weight loss through weekly meetings that provide education and social support. In addition to investigating the effects of GIFT, this evaluation sought to better understand explanatory models used by participants and program staff, and the roles of education and empowerment in weight loss and health education. This mixed methods, case study evaluation consisted of quantitative analysis of existing program records for 664 participants, 40 hours of participant observation of class sessions with ten GIFT groups, and follow-up …

Role Of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (Ace2) In Obesity-Associated Hypertension, Manisha Gupte

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine whether adipocytes express ACE2 and its role in obesity-associated hypertension with diet-induced obesity.

To determine if ACE2 was expressed in adipose tissue and its regulation in the setting of diet-induced obesity, we fed male mice either a low fat (LF) or high fat (HF) diet acutely (1 week) or chronically ( 4 months). We demonstrated that ACE2 was regulated specifically in adipose tissue with consumption of a HF diet. However, with chronic HF feeding adipose ACE2 was dysregulated resulting in activation of the systemic RAS and increased blood pressure.

To determine the …

The Absence Of Abcd2 Reveals A Novel Role For Peroxisomes In The Protection From Metabolic Syndrome, Jingjing Liu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

ABCD2 (D2) is a peroxisomal ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter that is expressed in brain, adrenal and liver. D2 is transcriptionally regulated by key transcriptional factors that control lipid and glucose metabolism. Therefore, we examined its role in adipose tissue. These studies revealed that D2 is highly abundant in adipose tissue and upregulated during adipogenesis. However, D2 deficiency does not affect either adipogenesis or lipid accumulation. An examination of the lipid profile of adipose tissue revealed the accumulation of C20 and C22 fatty acids in D2 deficient (D2‐/‐) mice. When challenged with a diet enriched in erucic acid (C22:1, 10% …

Community Based Nutritition Education: A Model For Raising Awareness Of Childhood Obesity, Selina M. Ahmed

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Background: Since 2003, Texas Southern University has coordinated conferences to educate Houston’s Third Ward community about strategies to combat childhood obesity. Presenters included faculty and students as speakers and activity coordinators. Participants indicated that these conferences are helpful in increasing awareness of health problems and the availability of community health resources. Purpose: To address the high rate of childhood obesity in Houston’s Third Ward and its costs in terms of health and long-term productivity on that community, faculty at Texas Southern University (TSU) coordinated annual conferences to educate community members about strategies to combat childhood obesity. Methods: Seven conferences intended …

Know Your Audience: Designing A Nutrition Education Game For Middle School Kids, Vinod Srinivasan, Lars Doucet, Christine Shimek, Cynthia A. Warren, Carol J. Spaulding, Kimberly Paulhill, Catherine J. Mcneal, John David Coppin

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: In recent years video games have emerged as potential tools to tackle obesity. Games that use motion-sensing controllers and interfaces are often used to promote physical activity. Games are also used to impart education about diet, nutrition and health. Our goal in this project is to address childhood obesity through the design, development and implementation of a video game to teach nutrition concepts to middle-school-aged children.

Method: Our target audience is middle-school students in a low-income neighborhood in Dallas. To guide us in the game design, we collected data about students’ gaming preferences through surveys, focus groups and student …

Relationship Between Dyslipidemia And Obesity In Children, Elias Humberto Avila-Rodriguez, Armando Avila-Rodriguez, Jesús Maria Araujo-Contreras, Abelardo Camacho-Luis, Alfredo Tellez-Valencia, Nelda Mier, Luis Joel Rodríguez-Ortega, Efren Rivas-Avila

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: Dyslipidemia is a general term that refers to abnormal levels of lipids. The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship among the nutritional state and the percentage of body fat with the levels of lipids in 10 to 13 year old children living in the city of Durango, Mexico. Method: The study was carried out with 823 elementary school children. The selection was done at random. The biochemical studies were done in a subpopulation of 425 children. Each child underwent the following studies: sociodemographic, anthropometric and corporal composition. After fasting overnight, a venous blood sample was obtained. …

Exploring Obesity Among Wheelchair Users: Bmi Vs Body Compostion, Katherine Froehlich-Grobe

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Author(s): Katherine Froehlich-Grobe, PhD1 & Richard A. Washburn, PhD2 Affiliations: 1 University of Texas School of Public Health, Dallas Regional Campus, 2 Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management, University of Kansas Purpose: Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to indicate weight status but has been critiqued for being insensitive to body composition. Americans with disabilities have significantly higher obesity rates than those without when BMI has been used as the indicator of weight status. Examining obesity prevalence based on body composition among this group is warranted. As the life expectancy of those with disabilities has increased to approximate …

An Assessment Of Us College Food Environments: From Food Service To College Students, Lesli Biediger-Friedman, Debra Reed

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: As obesity continues to increase among adolescents and young adults in the U.S. and these populations enter college, Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) are facing a changing set of student health issues. With these students comes an increased responsibility to address the nutritional environment of the campus. College health educators and food service programs are on the forefront of this issue and can provide important insights into the challenges and opportunities of providing and promoting healthy food options on IHLs. Method: Initially, a series of focus groups, primarily comprised of college health educators, were conducted. Topics included the discussion …

Obesity And Physical Activity Variance By Income And Ethnicity In Kansas City, Katie M. Heinrich, Ws Carlos Poston, Nui Jitnarin, Anthony Randles, Joseph Hughey, Laverne Berkel, C Keith Haddock

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: Although obesity and physical activity prevalence systematically vary by income and ethnicity, it is unclear how well census data represent actual conditions. Using data from the Kansas City Built Environment and Health Study, we examined whether differences in measured obesity prevalence and self-reported physical activity would systematically vary by both census block group median income and percent ethnic minority and self-reported income and ethnicity. Methods: Participants included 586 adults; average age 45±14.7. Most participants were female (69.8%), married (51.5%), had some college or more (72.7%) and had incomes ≤$60,000 (54.6%). Households were solicited from 21 census block groups, stratified …

Cognitive Behavior Modification And Exercise + Group Counseling For Patients After Bariatric Surgery, Janet Buckworth, Caroline Carducci, Shirley Kindrick, Dean Mikami, Dara Schuster, Katharine Stough, Bradley Needleman

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The growing obesity epidemic is paralleled by an increasing number of bariatric surgeries. Patients lose significant weight within the first 12-18 months post-surgery with corresponding resolution of many co-morbidities. However, weight loss stabilizes after 18-24 months and 50% or more of patients eventually regain weight (Bond, Phelan, Leahey, Hill, & Wing, 2009; Magro, et al., 2008). Weight regain after loss is associated with return of co-morbidities and deteriorations in health-related quality of life and mood (Karlsson, Taft, Ryden, Sjostrom, & Sullivan, 2007). The purpose of this pilot study was to analyze the effects of a post-surgical behavioral plus counseling intervention …

Gender, Weight Loss Efforts, And Fast Food Locations: Evidence Of Differential Effect On Bmi?, Maria C. Chang, Vincent Chen, Courtney P. Winston, Luisa Franzini, Deanna M. Hoelscher

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: Research on the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and proximity of fast food restaurants surrounding schools, proxy measures for fast food access, have produced mixed results. We evaluated whether gender and self-report of weight loss behaviors modified the relationship between BMI and proportion of fast food restaurants (FFRp). Method: We obtained weight and height information for 6,456 11th graders from 108 schools that participated in the 2004-2005 Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition surveillance. Internet searches were used to determine FFRp within 0.25 and 0.50 miles from schools. FFRp was determined by dividing the number of FFR by …

Relationship Between Leptin And Obesity In Mexican Chidren, Armando Avila-Rodríguez, E.Humberto Avila-Rodríguez, Jesus M. Araujo-Contreras, Abelardo Camacho-Luis, Alfredo Tellez-Valencia, L. Joel Rodríguez-Ortega, Efrén Rivas-Avila

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: The expression and secretion of the leptin are thoroughly related with the regulation of food intake, energy balance and body fat. Obesity is defined as excess of body fat. The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship among the nutritional state and the percentage of body fat with the levels of leptin in 10 to 13 year old children living in the city of Durango, Mexico. Method: The study was carried out with 823 elementary school children. The selection was done at random. The biochemical studies were done in a subpopulation of 425 children. Each child underwent …

Insulin Resistance And Obesity In Mexican Youth, Jesus M. Araujo-Contreras, E. Humberto Avila-Rodriguez, Nohe Vargas-Chavez, Efren Rivas-Avila, Armando Avila-Rodriguez, Abelardo Camacho-Luis, Luis A. Sepulveda-Chapa, Nelda Mier, Alfredo Tellez-Valencia

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Purpose: Although research shows that prevalence rates of insulin resistance (IR) is increasing in children, little is known about the impact of obesity in IR in Mexican youth. This study investigated the association between overweight, obesity, and insulin resistance in Mexican adolescents. Methods: Data were collected from 448 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years from a random sample of a high school student population in Durango, Mexico. After fasting overnight, blood samples were obtained from participants. Glucose, insulin, lipid profile, leptin, insulin growth factor, growth hormone, cortisol, TNF-alpha, and C-reactive protein were determined in serum. Body Mass Index (BMI) was …

College Students’ Percieved Barriers And Failitators To Maintaining A Healthy Bodyweight, Timothy K. Jones, Arely Perez, Summmer R. Wilmoth, Bonnie Dillon, Lesli Biediger- Friedman, Meizi He

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

PURPOSE:

It has been evident that on average college students experienced excess weight gain as they transited from high school. The objectives of this study were to qualitatively explore college students’ perceived barriers and facilitators to maintaining a healthy bodyweight and identify the key modifiable factors underlying unhealthy behaviors.

METHOD:

The study employed photovoice (PV), a qualitative research method, in undergraduate students in South Texas. Participants took pictures and wrote descriptions of three perceived barriers and three facilitators to maintaining a healthy body weight; they were then asked to choose one of each for discussion. Eight focus groups were conducted …

Therapeutic Potential Of Insulin-Sensitizing Drugs In The Treatment Of Prostate Cancer With Coexisting Obesity, Alison Schwein, Mong-Hong Lee, Sai-Ching Yeung

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

TITLE: Insulin-sensitizing Drugs to Treat Obese Prostate Cancer Patients

AUTHORS: Alison Schwein, B.S.1, Dr. Mong-Hong Lee PhD2, Dr. Sai-Ching Yeung PhD, MD2

AFFILIATIONS: 1University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 2M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Purpose: Prostate cancer (PC) in obese men is more likely to cause a more aggressive disease that recurs after radical prostatectomy than in non-obese men; also, risks of advanced PC or death from PC are increased when associated with obesity. The biological mechanisms underlying the association between obesity and the progression of PC have yet to be established. Insulin resistance is associated with obesity. Insulin …

High Fat Diet-Induced Animal Model Of Age-Associated Obesity And Osteoporosis, Ganesh V. Halade, Md M. Rahman, Paul J. Williams, Gabriel Fernandes

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Osteoporosis and obesity remain a major public health concern through its associated fragility and fractures. Several animal models for the study of osteoporotic bone loss, such as ovariectomy (OVX) and denervation, require unique surgical skills and expensive set up. The challenging aspect of these age-associated diseases is that no single animal model exactly mimics the progression of these human-specific chronic conditions. Accordingly, to develop a simple and novel model of post menopausal bone loss with obesity, we fed either a high fat diet containing 10% corn oil (CO) or standard rodent lab chow (LC) to 12-month-old female C57Bl/6J mice for …