Digital Commons Network^™

Obesity And Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Jacob Michael Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Obesity rates for pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) survivors vary from 11%-57%. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between caloric and macronutrient intake on the incidence of obesity in survivors of pediatric ALL. A retrospective study of 137 participants using existing data collected from the Bone II study was evaluated. Participants were grouped into categories based on BMI for adults and CDC growth charts for children. Data was collected from 24 hour food recalls at time of enrollment. No statistical significance was found between BMI groups. Forty percent of participants were overweight or obese, but 69% …

Obesity, Metabolic Hormone Signaling, And Granulosa Cell Gene Expression, Elizabeth Mack

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

It has become increasingly clear that female obesity is associated with a myriad of adverse side effects including abnormal female reproduction due, in part, to amenorrhea and anovulatory infertility. The lethal yellow (LY) mouse possesses a deletion mutation which results in ectopic expression of agouti and adult-onset obesity. Furthermore, LY mice exhibit premature loss of fertility, which has been associated with progressive obesity making the LY mouse line an excellent model to study the effects of obesity-dependent factors on ovarian function. In the current study blood serum and granulosa cells were obtained from LY (Ay/a) and age-matched B6 controls (C57BL/6J) …

The Parents' Role In Childhood Obesity, Heather M. Wintrup

Psychology and Child Development

This paper is an examination of the current childhood obesity crisis in the U.S. and how this epidemic is related to psychological issues. Specifically, the role of parental forces on children’s health attitudes and habits is addressed. The following chapters will define and explain the current situation of childhood obesity, investigate the role parents have in contributing to their children’s weight development, and cover methods of intervention for families dealing with this serious health issue.

Body Image Education As A Preventive Measure For Eating Disorders And Obesity In Ninth-Grade Students, Diana K. Keith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Obesity and eating disorders are major public health problems in the U.S. Prevention of these problems in childhood and adolescence is crucial to avoid medical complications and costs associated with these conditions. A growing body of research supports designing and implementing interventions to prevent obesity and eating disorders simultaneously by targeting common risk factors such as poor body image. This study explored the use of a body image education unit as a preventive measure for obesity and eating disorders. Ninth-grade students attending health class in a public school in Northern Utah (n = 117) were assigned to either an intervention …

Community Leaders' Knowledge And Perceptions About Obesity: Implications For Outreach Educators In Designing Interventions, Norma L. Dawkins, Tryan Mcmickens, Henry J. Findlay, Ralphenia D. Pace

Journal of Extension

The study reported here examined the knowledge and perceptions of community leaders on overweight and obesity in two racially different counties. Data were collected from 126 individuals, including clergy, physicians, grocery store managers, school administrators, nurses, nutritionists, and university faculty and staff. Statistically significant differences were observed when community leaders were grouped according to race. Additionally, over 90% of community leaders were knowledgeable about obesity. Leaders associated obesity with high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. This article provides insights that can be useful for planning and implementing programs on obesity prevention and reduction.

A Heavy Burden: The Individual Costs Of Being Overweight And Obese In The United States, Avi Dor, Christine Ferguson, Casey Langwith, Ellen Tan

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

More than 60% of the United States population is overweight or obese, and if the current trajectory continues, 50% of the population will be obese by 2030. There is no question that being obese or overweight, is more costly than being of normal weight. Using existing literature, we have detailed the costs incurred due to overweight and obesity that affect working-age adults at the individual level.

Among the items discussed in this review, overweight or obese individuals bear the full burden for some costs, such as the value of lost life, lost wages, gasoline costs, and, when applicable, life insurance. …

Predictors Of Obesity Among Post Graduate Trainee Doctors Working In A Tertiary Care Hospital Of Public Sector In Karachi, Pakistan, Sajid Mahmood, Muhammad Kazim Rahim Najjad, Nasir Ali, Naeem Yousuf, Yasir Hamid

Community Health Sciences

Objectives: To identify the predictors of obesity among post graduate trainee doctors working in a tertiary care hospital of public sector at Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: A cross sectional analytical study was conducted at one of the tertiary care hospitals of public sector in Karachi. Information was collected from 117 post graduate trainee doctors via pre-tested self administered questionnaire and standard tools were used for height and weight measurement. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) > or =23 by using South Asian cut-off points. SPSS version 16 was used for data analysis, and logistic regression technique was applied to come …

Coping With Negative Feedback In The Health Domain: Are Race Differences In Coping Related To Weight Disparities Among Blacks And Whites?, Lindsay Renee Kraynak

Psychology - Theses

While overweight and obesity are problems for many adults, there are significant racial disparities, such that Blacks suffer higher rates than Whites. A number of health conditions that are linked to overweight and obesity, including diabetes and hypertension are also more prevalent among Blacks than among Whites (Glover, Greenlund, Ayla, & Croft, 2005; Pleis & Lethbridge-Çejku, 2007). With the knowledge that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has suggested that there are psychological components to obesity, this research aims to investigate psychological components that may contribute to the weight/health disparity between Blacks and Whites. Other research has demonstrated that …

Comparing The Effectiveness And Acceptability Of The Jump Into Foods And Fitness (Jiff) And Quest For Health Nutrition Interventions Within An African-American Population, Jermaine Shaw

All Theses

The severity of the obesity epidemic has increased the necessity for nutrition education programs. These programs must be culturally and age appropriate in order to be more effective in bringing about positive behavior changes in the target populations.
This study examined the effectiveness and acceptability of the Jump into Foods and Fitness (JIFF) and Quest for Health nutrition education programs within a pre-adolescent African-American population. Two classes from the Boys and Girls Club of Sumter, S.C. were randomly assigned to one of the nutrition education programs. Class one was assigned to the JIFF curriculum, and included 23 participants. Class two …

Hypertension In Children And Adolescents: Epidemiology And Natural History., Bonita Falkner

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Primary hypertension is detectable in children and adolescents and, as in adults, is associated with a positive family history of hypertension, obesity, and life-style factors. Owing to the well-established childhood obesity epidemic, the population prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) in the young is increasing. Hypertension in childhood is commonly associated with other cardiovascular risk factors as well as obesity. Although death and cardiovascular disability do not occur in hypertensive children, intermediate markers of target organ damage, such as left ventricular hypertrophy, thickening of the carotid vessel wall, retinal vascular changes, and even subtle cognitive changes, are detectable in children …

Obesity And Shift Work In The General Population, Robin Eberly, Harvey Feldman

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This narrative review examines the hypothesis that shift work contributes to the major public health problem of obesity and suggests ways in which weight gain might be prevented in those who must work at times outside of the conventional 8-hour daytime work period. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was performed using several relevant electronic databases and print journals. Results: Those who do shift work are at a greater risk for weight gain than those who work daytime hours. The exact mechanism by which this occurs is unknown, although eating and exercise habits as well as the disruption in circadian …

Increasing Healthy Food Choices In Preschoolers Using Correspondence Training And Recruiting Natural Communities Of Reinforcement, Elyse D. Wiseman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a contributing factor to many diseases. Unhealthy food choices are a behavior that can lead to obesity. Teaching children to make healthy food choices at an early age could lead to healthy food choices throughout a lifetime, which would mitigate potential for obesity. A number of different treatments have evaluated healthy food choices in children; however, many did not evaluate or show maintenance effects. The purpose of this study was to utilize correspondence training to acquire healthy food choices in preschoolers and to evaluate of natural communities of reinforcement as a maintenance procedure. Results showed that correspondence training …

The Social Responsibility Of The Foodservice Industry: The Need For Action Regarding The Obesity Crisis, Audrey C. Mccool, Barent N. Mccool

Caesars Hospitality Research Summit

Abstract: Obesity has reached epidemic proportions. Costs associated with obesity pose a severe threat to the U.S. economy. Evidence indicates the foodservice industry has had a major role contributing to the obesity crisis; thus it is argued that the industry has an ethical and social responsibility to now aggressively adopt socially responsible actions that will help alleviate the increasing incidence of obesity. Such actions might include innovative advertising initiatives, modification of portion sizes, and nutrition labeling so that consumers can make healthful food selections. Even though such actions might result in short-term profit losses, socially responsible actions have the potential …

Prevalence Of Obesity, Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus, Hyperlipidemia, And Hypertension In The United States: Findings From The Ge Centricity Electronic Medical Record Database., Albert G Crawford, Christine Cote, Joseph Couto, Mehmet Daskiran, Candace Gunnarsson, Kara Haas, Sara Haas, Somesh C Nigam, Rob Schuette

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

This study analyzed GE Centricity Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data to examine the effects of body mass index (BMI) and obesity, key risk factor components of metabolic syndrome, on the prevalence of 3 chronic diseases: type II diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. These chronic diseases occur with high prevalence and impose high disease burdens. The rationale for using Centricity EMR data is 2-fold. First, EMRs may be a good source of BMI/obesity data, which are often underreported in surveys and administrative databases. Second, EMRs provide an ideal means to track variables over time and, thus, allow longitudinal analyses of relationships …

Comparison Of A Reduced Carbohydrate And Reduced Fat Diet For Ldl, Hdl, And Vldl Subclasses During 9-Months Of Weight Maintenance Subsequent To Weight Loss, James D. Lecheminant, Bryan K. Smith, Eric C. Westman, Mary C. Vernon, Joseph E. Donnelly

Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study compared LDL, HDL, and VLDL subclasses in overweight or obese adults consuming either a reduced carbohydrate (RC) or reduced fat (RF) weight maintenance diet for 9 months following significant weight loss. Methods: Thirty-five (21 RC; 14 RF) overweight or obese middle-aged adults completed a 1-year weight management clinic. Participants met weekly for the first six months and bi-weekly thereafter. Meetings included instruction for diet, physical activity, and behavior change related to weight management. Additionally, participants followed a liquid very low-energy diet of ~2092 kJ per day for the first three months of the study. Subsequently, participants followed …

Childhood Obesity: Prevention & Intervention, Carrie Beth Lossing

Psychology and Child Development

Childhood obesity rates have skyrocketed in the recent years. These trends are alarming since childhood obesity has been linked to numerous health conditions, socioemotional consequences, and academic consequences. This project examines the factors that have been associated with childhood obesity and the consequences of being obese or overweight for children. This project also presents lifestyle changes that parents can make to reduce the likelihood of their children becoming overweight or obese.

Community Gardens And Urban Agriculture: Reclaiming The Market Place, Sara Prendergast

Social Sciences

This paper will first explore the health of low-income communities living in inner cities. I will use obesity as one of the main indicators of poor health and explore the lack of access to holistic diets, high costs of fresh foods, and minimal education, with the aim of revealing how hunger is a consequence of a capitalist dominated market. Following, I will investigate how urban agriculture is a holistic solution in subduing the advent of food deserts and food insecurity by serving health, educational, and social needs in low-income communities, which further creates a more socially just market.

Progressive Regression Of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Two Years After Bariatric Surgery, Mohamed F Algahim, Thomas R Lux, Joshua G Leichman, Anthony F Boyer, Charles C Miller, Susan T Laing, Erik B Wilson, Terry Scarborough, Sherman Yu, Brad Snyder, Carol Wolin-Riklin, Ursula G Kyle, Heinrich Taegtmeyer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a systemic disorder associated with an increase in left ventricular mass and premature death and disability from cardiovascular disease. Although bariatric surgery reverses many of the hormonal and hemodynamic derangements, the long-term collective effects on body composition and left ventricular mass have not been considered before. We hypothesized that the decrease in fat mass and lean mass after weight loss surgery is associated with a decrease in left ventricular mass.

METHODS: Fifteen severely obese women (mean body mass index [BMI]: 46.7+/-1.7 kg/m(2)) with medically controlled hypertension underwent bariatric surgery. Left ventricular mass and plasma markers of systemic …

Should Health Policy Focus On Physical Activity Rather Than Obesity?, Richard Weller, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Steven N. Blair, Timothy P. Gill, Louise A. Baur, Lesley A. King

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Whole Body Vibration As A Treatment To Counter Bone Detriment And Obesity Caused By Poor Nutritional Intake, Aditi Jatkar

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Consumption of diets high in fat content or carbohydrate content is known to cause obesity and diabetes. In fact the causes and effects of diabetes and obesity are inter-related and are known to have associations with the onset of osteoporosis. Despite the availability of pharmacological treatments, an effective cure for osteoporosis has not yet been developed highlighting the need to ensure optimal, maximum bone growth during the growing years of the skeleton. It is therefore important to identify factors which can be detrimental or beneficial to healthy bone deposition or increase rate of bone resorption. It is known that nutrition …

Weight Maintenance: Identifying Critical Skills And Strategies For Successful Weight Loss Maintenance, Bonnie L. Chapman

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The purpose of this research project was to identify and compile the critical skills, habits, and strategies that have been defined as facilitating successful weight loss maintenance. The concept and perception of the futility of maintaining lost weight is discussed, as well as the importance of changing one's mindset, habits, and lifestyle in order to be successful at long-term weight maintenance. Two key questions asked and discussed are: 1) Why do those who have lost weight experience such a difficult time maintaining that loss, and 2) is it possible to maintain weight loss for any length of time? Utilizing a …

A Sample Of Rural And Global Health Issues, Carol J. Bett, Barbara Cechanowicz, Demetrius Chapman, Stephen Hernandez, Hannelore Kriegor, Melanie Mayo, Loyce Phoenix, Conrad Rios, Teresa Sellstrom, Max Veltman

Global, Rural, & Cultural Health Book Series

The challenges faced by local, national, and global communities in an ever-changing world have continued to grow as we complete the first decade of the 21st century. The doctoral students writing this book undertook the effort with advocacy for disenfranchised populations in mind. This compilation illuminates the challenges and gaps in access to health care confronted by a wide range of people, from overweight children, lesbians, and Native Americans to individuals in rural communities in Papua New Guinea. As the reader can readily see, we are a group of students with wide-ranging experiences and interests.

Dopamine And Leptin Interactions In Rodent Models Of Obesity And Cocaine Abuse, Michael Michaelides

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Dopamine (DA) is a catecholamine neurotransmitter and along with its receptors plays a well-documented role in motivation and goal-directed behavior. Clinical studies have previously documented striatal DA D2 receptor (D2R) deficits in obese individuals and chronic cocaine users. These studies suggest that impaired DA-D2R signaling in the striatum may underlie deficits in goal-directed behaviors that can ultimately lead to obesity and drug addiction. However, such studies have not addressed the question of whether D2R deficits precede obesity and cocaine abuse or whether D2R decline in response to repeated overeating and cocaine use.This thesis aims to answer this question by further …

Institutional Policy Changes Aimed At Addressing Obesity Among Mental Health Clients, Linda L. Knol, Kelly Pritchett, Jeri Dunkin

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Background
People with mental illness often experience unique barriers to healthy eating and physical activity. For these clients, interventions should focus on changes in the immediate environment to change behaviors. The purpose of this project was to implement and evaluate policy changes that would limit calorie intake and increase calorie expenditure of clients receiving mental health services.

Context
This intervention was implemented in a rural mental health system in the southeastern United States. Clients live in small group homes, where they are served breakfast, dinner, and a snack, and attend outpatient day treatment programs, where they are served lunch and …

Is There A Link Between Technical Advances And The Number Of Obese People In The United States?, Amanda Pneuman

Honors College Theses

Obesity is defined medically as having a BMI of over 30kg/m2. BMI is body mass index which is calculated by (weight in kg)/height in meters) 2. Obesity is an ongoing problem throughout the United States with over half the states having 20% to 24% of their population being classified as obese. In 2003 more than 300,000 people in this nation died from an illness that was related to being overweight or obese. Obesity affects many aspects of life including social skills, job opportunities, financial issues, and most importantly, health. What is causing these increasing statistics for obese Americans? There are …

Association Of Body Mass Index, Fruit And Vegetable Intake, And Acculturation In A Sample Las Vegas Hispanic Population, Anne L. Bolstad

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The U.S. is experiencing a rising prevalence of overweightedness that has been identified as the second leading cause for chronic health conditions threatening public health. Overweightedness has grown disproportionately among ethnic sub-groups. In the fastest going minority population in the U.S., Hispanic Americans are observed with disparately high body mass index, placing them at heightened risk for poor health outcomes. Research suggests five servings of fruit and vegetables, in any combination, provides a sound nutritional base for healthful living and helps to maintain normal body weight.

Americans are known to have poor eating habits while foreign-born populations have well balanced …

Killing Us Sweetly: How To Take Industry Out Of The Fda, Jason Iuliano

Journal of Food Law & Policy

For more than a century, the Food and Drug Administration has claimed to protect the public health. During that time, it has actually been placing corporate profits above consumer safety. Nowhere is this corruption more evident than in the approval of artificial sweeteners. FDA leaders' close ties to the very industry they were supposed to be regulating present a startling picture. Ignoring warnings from both independent scientists and their own review panels, FDA decision makers let greed guide their actions. They approved carcinogenic sweeteners such as saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose while simultaneously banning the natural herb stevia because it would …

The Effect Of Shapedown On Habits And Self-Esteem For Overweight And Obese Children, Susan Bonnell Phd

Dissertations

Obesity in children is increased in the United States and globally which creates both physical and psychological health risks and co-morbidities affecting the development of positive self-esteem (Sinton & Birch, 2005; Whetstone, Morrissey, & Cummings, 2007). The development of poor self-esteem in children increases the risk of problem behaviors such as aggression, crime, teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol use, tobacco use, and eating disorders (Brook et al., 2007). Treatment of childhood obesity is multifaceted, requiring behavioral and lifestyle changes for both child and family to achieve a healthy weight (De-Santis-Moniaci & Altshuler, 2007; Plourde, 2006; Ritchie, Crawford, Hoelscher, & Sothern, …

A Culturally Friendly Web-Based Hybrid Intervention To Prevent Obesity: The Salsa Study, Scherezade K. Mama, Ashley V. Medina, Raul Orlando Edwards, Lorna Mcneill, Ygnacio Lopez Iii, Rebecca E. Lee

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

No Abstract

An Integrated Approach To Prevention Of Obesity In High Risk Families, Hillary Warren

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO PREVENTION OF OBESITY IN HIGH RISK FAMILIES
Hillary Anne Warren, M.S.
University of Nebraska, 2010
Advisor: Kaye Stanek-Krogstrand
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in developed countries. In the past 30 years, overweight in children has doubled and it is now estimated that one in five children in the US is overweight (1). Identifying connections between caregiver-child interactions and key behaviors associated with resilience to overweight is viewed as an approach which can lead to interventions which may result in a reduction in overweight and obese children. While children learn eating behaviors from adults and peers …