Digital Commons Network^™

Assessment Of The Relationship Of Hepatic Enzymes With Obesity And Insulin Resistance In Adults In Saudi Arabia, Ali I. Al-Sultan

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the relationship of hepatic enzymes and serum albumin to obesity and insulin resistance in adults in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A comparative study of 136 Saudi adults, comprising of 68 obese and 68 non-obese was conducted. Anthropometric measurements, hepatic enzymes, serum albumin, blood glucose, serum insulin, lipid profile, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA IR) were measured. Results: The study showed significantly higher levels of gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase, fasting glucose, serum insulin, and HOMA IR p < 0.001, <0.004 < 0.005, <0.0001, <0.0001, among obese subjects. Hepatic enzymes correlated with both anthropometric measures (body mass index (BMI), and waist to hip ratio) and markers of insulin resistance (HOMA IR, insulin, and fasting glucose). However, the study found that GGT had the strongest associations. Significant inverse correlation was found between serum albumin and BMI, HOMA IR, and serum insulin, p< 0.01, <0.05, <0.01, respectively. Conclusion: Deranged liver functions, especially GGT, had the strongest correlations with obesity and HOMA IR. GGT might be a better marker of hepatic pathology associated with obesity and insulin resistance in Saudi adults with restricted alcohol intake. The results also propose that albumin metabolism might be altered in obesity.

The "Goal Setting Approach" For Overweight And Obese Patients: Results Of A Retrospective Cohort Study In A Dietetic Consultation, Maaike Kruseman, Magali Volery, Patrick A. Bovier

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To describe the performance of a dietary procedure based on a cognitive behavioral approach among overweight or obese patients. Methods: Standardized 45 minutes consultations were conducted by a dietician to obese (n=139) and overweight (n=56) patients followed between 1998 and 2003 at the dietetic consultation of the Outpatient clinic of the University Hospitals of Geneva. Outcome measures were the proportion of eating behavior changes and weight change over time. Results: Patients attended a mean of 7 consultations and reached on average 57% of their dietary behavioral goals. At the end of follow-up, 36 (19%) patients had lost at least …

Oppression Of Obesity, Brad Johnson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation study investigated the cultural influences and oppressive effects of obesity among 10 highly visible adults in contemporary USA media. The following research questions guided the study: (a) What are the influential cultural factors affecting the increase of obesity in the USA? (b) What are the oppressive effects of contemporary cultural biases perpetuated toward overweight/obese/fat people in the USA? Participant characteristics assumed to indicate the cultural factors of influence on the development of obesity as well as the lived experiences of oppression were identified through the analysis of participant responses to constructed interview questions. The following cultural studies tenets …

Effects Of Food Primes And Thought Suppression On Eating Habits, Laura A. Sharpe

Honors Scholar Theses

Food primes and thought suppression have been identified as factors influencing poor eating choices. Primes affect people non-consciously by activating thoughts of food. Suppression of food thoughts leads to a preoccupation with food that is often followed by a hyperaccessibility of food thoughts and increased binging. The current study paired these two processes to examine their interactional effects. We manipulated exposure to food primes and instructions to suppress thoughts of a tasty snack food (M&Ms) for 76 college-aged women. We hypothesized that participants both primed with food images and asked to suppress would consume the most M&Ms at the end …

Obesity: Challenges And Benefits Of Implementing Local Wellness Policies In Georgia Public Schools, Michele Spurgeon Hartzell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic that can no longer be ignored. Obesity issues are being addressed through House Bill 108-265, under the provisions provided in Public Law 108-265, Section 2507; which requires school districts to develop local wellness policies. Local wellness policies include goals for nutrition education and physical activity, nutrition guidelines with the objectives of promoting student health and promoting the reduction of childhood obesity, meal reimbursement guidelines, a plan for measuring implementation, and input of multiple stakeholders. Although there have been many studies on the causes and costs of childhood obesity, less is known regarding the potential …

Legal Theoretic Inadequacy And Obesity Epidemic Analysis, David Yosifon

Faculty Publications

This Article explores crucial analytic and normative limitations in presently dominant and ascendant approaches to legal theory. The approaches' failure to provide a satisfying framework for analyzing the obesity epidemic presently raging undeterred in American society reveals these limitations. Conventional law and economics scholars writing on the subject have deployed familiar frameworks to reach predictable conclusions that are neither intellectually nor morally justifiable. This Article argues that recent theoretical innovations promulgated within the burgeoning law and behavioralism movement have thus far provided no more reliable a framework for legal analysis of the obesity epidemic than has conventional law and economics. …

“Taking Charge Of One’S Life”: A Model For Weight Management Success, Marlene Adams

The Qualitative Report

Obesity is a serious, prevalent, and refractory disorder that increases with age particularly in women who enroll in formal weight loss treatments. This study examined the processes used by obese postmenopausal women as they participated in a formal weight loss program. Using grounded theory, interviews were conducted with 14 women engaged in a formal weight loss study examining success with specific, targeted weight loss treatments based on one’s weight control self-efficacy typology. “Taking Charge of One’s Life” emerged as a model for weight management success, comprised of three phases: engaging, internalizing, and keeping one’s commitment. This study supports the unique, …

A Literature Review On The Relationship Between School Funding And Childhood Obesity, Casey Hardwick

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone literature review will aim to investigate the correlation between childhood obesity and school finances by looking at incentives, budget cuts and other relative information that may link the two together. Variables including environment, advertising, regulation, and funding are all addressed and analyzed in this literature synthesis.

Final Capstone Research Report : Watsonville High School Promoters Of Healthy Lifestyles : A Teen Diabetes Support Group, Isabel Lopez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This is a pilot Diabetes Teen Support program for Watsonville High School students of Hispanic decent in South Santa Cruz County. The program focuses on understanding diabetes, obesity and overweight problems, the impacts of diabetes on daily lives, self management and a safe place to express their feelings. The findings of this pilot program were that the program had impact on students' lives in many ways, from being aware of their actions, their socioeconomic position and creating opportunities for change.

Childhood Obesity In Minority Populations In The United States, Qi Zhang, Youfa Wang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Obesity became a public health crisis in the United States, which affects both adults and children.^1,2,24,25 Approximately 31% of U.S. children and adolescents aged 2-19 years were overweight or obese, and almost 17% were obese in 1999-2004.^3-5,24 Studies suggest that increased consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced physical activity, have contributed to the rising obesity epidemic among children.^6,21,28 Childhood obesity increased the risk of many diet-related chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, and certain forms of cancers.⁷ It is important to …

Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Leptin's Metabolic Effects, Amandeep Singh

Student Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is rapidly increasing in prevalence, and has become one of the leading contributors to poor health in the world. Increased body weight by necessity must be a result of increased nutrient intake relative to total energy expenditure. While many have focused on the importance of caloric consumption in determining weight, it is increasingly clear that differences in energy expenditure, basal metabolic rates and/or adaptive thermogenesis are also important variables that contribute to human obesity. The experiments in this thesis start off by demonstrating that a significant portion of leptin-mediated weight loss is the result of an increase in energy …

Fat Is Fine: Influences Of Medical Research, Body Image And Self-Esteem And Social Justice On Socially Unaccepted Bodies, Rachel Girard

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

In the current popular of America, fat is seen as a very bad thing. Having excess weight is not only a perceived health risk, but is also socially unacceptable. Three major areas relating to fat— medical research, body image and self-esteem, and social justice—are explored in order to explain the current perceptions of excess weight, the impact these perceptions have and what could be done to change them. The overarching goal of this project is to make readers more aware of the conflicting research there is about fat, to show how unnecessary this negative view of excess weight is and …

Psychometric Properties Of A New Questionnaire To Assess Eating In The Absence Of Hunger In Children And Adolescents, Marian Tanofsky-Kraff, Lisa M. Ranzenhofer, Susaz Z. Yanovski, Natasha A. Schvey, Myles Faith, Jennifer Gustafson, Jack A. Yanovski

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Background: Eating in the absence of hunger (EAH), studied in the context of laboratory paradigms, has been associated with obesity and is predictive of excess weight gain in children. However, no easily administered questionnaire exists to assess for EAH in children.
Objective: We developed an Eating in the Absence of Hunger Questionnaire to be administered to children and adolescents (EAH-C) and examined psychometric properties of the measure.
Design: Two-hundred and twenty-six obese (BMI ≥ 95th percentile for age and sex, n = 73) and non-obese (BMI < 95th percentile, n = 153) youth (mean age ± S.D., 14.4 ± 2.5 y) completed the …

Obesity, Poverty, And The Built Environment: Challenges And Opportunities, Wendy Collins Perdue

Law Faculty Publications

Obesity is linked to behaviors related to food consumption and physical activity. Although the factors affecting behaviors in these areas are complex, there is growing evidence that the physical characteristics of many of our communities, and particularly poorer communities, encourage obesity-generating behaviors including a sedentary lifestyle arid unhealthy eating habits. This paper explores the relationship between obesity causing behavior and the physical characteristics of communities and highlights some of the challenges and opportunities associated with changing those physical characteristics.

Obesity, Hypertension, And Mental Health Evaluation In Adolescents: A Comprehensive Approach, Stefan G. Kiessling, Kimberly K. Mcclanahan, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The global epidemic of childhood and adolescent obesity in developing and developed countries has become a major public health concern. Given the relation between obesity and hypertension as documented in several landmark studies, it is no surprise that as the prevalence of obesity has increased in the pediatric population, the rates of hypertension have also increased substantially. Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and stroke; therefore, evaluation and initiation of appropriate treatment are extremely important in the pediatric population. Evaluation for secondary causes of hypertension, including renovascular, renoparenchymal, and endocrine disease is the approach …

Promoting Children's Health In The Home Environment: A Parent/Guardian Handbook, Shannon Troje, Stacie Voth

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The World Health Organization (2003) stated that "obesity is a global epidemic". The United States (U.S.) in particular has a statistically significant higher rate of obesity in children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2003), 15.3% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 years old are obese as a result of unhealthy habits and routines. Because these habits and routines often begin in the home environment, health promotion activities should involve parents/guardians (Manios, Kafatos, & Mamalakis, 1998).

At this time there are few resources available for parents/guardians and their children to promote wellness in the home environment. …

Resistant Starch Is Effective In Lowering Body Fat In A Rat Model Of Human Endocrine Obesity, Julina Ann Robert

LSU Master's Theses

Two studies were performed to determine the effects of resistant starch (RS) on body weight and fat. A 2x2 factorial design was used in both studies, and results were considered significant when p<0.05 for both studies. The first study examined the effects of RS in a high fat diet (44.8% of energy) on weight, fat, peptide-YY (PYY) levels, and cecal pH in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were fed a low fat energy control diet for one week prior to diet treatment. On week two, rats were blocked by weight and fed one of the following diets for 12 weeks (n=10): low fat, energy control (LFEC); LF resistant starch (LFRS); high fat, energy control (HFEC); or high fat resistant starch (HFRS). RS did not lower weight or fat with either the HF or LF diets. RS consumption resulted in greater full and empty cecal weights, and a lower pH for the LFRS diet. This data indicate fermentation, even though weight and fat loss did not occur. This is contrary to previous reports with RS, which has been shown to decrease body fat compared to controls. The second study examined the effects of RS on the weight, fat, PYY levels, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Ovariectomized (OVX) rats were used to represent rats prone to gaining weight, and sham rats represented normal rats. Rats were assigned to one of four groups (n=10): OVEC, OVRS, SHEC, or SHRS. Rats were fed the EC diet for 6 weeks prior to diet treatment to gain weight after surgery, and then blocked by weight and fat into diet treatment groups, and spent 13 weeks on treatment diets. Energy intake, total gastrointestinal weight, large intestine/cecum weight, and small intestine weight were all higher in RS fed rats relative to EC fed rats. Mesenteric, ovarian, perirenal, retroperitoneal, and total fat pads were lower in RS rats relative to EC rats. Although RS was not effective in lowering body weight or body fat in the first study, the data indicates that resistant starch may lower body weight and fat in postmenopausal women.

Changes In Body Image And Body Weight And Shape Goals Associated With Weight Loss And Maintenance In Overweight/Obese Adults Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Amy Rzeznikiewicz Bachand

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary aim of this study was to test for changes in body image in males and females in a randomized controlled trial of weight loss for older overweight/obese adults who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (Look AHEAD: Action for Health in Diabetes). A computerized morphing assessment program (The Body Morph Assessment; BMA 2.0) was used to assess estimates of perceived current body size (CBS), ideal body size (IBS), acceptable body size (ABS), body dissatisfaction based on the discrepancy between participants’ perceived CBS and IBS (CBS-IBS) and ABS (CBS-ABS), as well as participants’ weight loss goals in terms …

Pedometer-Determined Physical Activity, Bmi And Waist Girth In 7- To 16- Year-Old Children And Adolescents, Beth P. Hands, Helen Parker

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Different approaches to measuring physical activity and fatness in youth have resulted in studies reporting relationships ranging from very strong to non-existent.

Methods: The sample comprised 787 males and 752 females aged between 7 and 16 years. Pedometer-determined physical activity, height, weight and waist girth measures were taken.

Results: Significant differences were found in activity level between BMI-determined weight categories for the females (F(1, 742) = 9.07, p = .003) but not for the males (F(1, 777) = 3.59, p = .06) and between truncal adiposity groupings for both the males (F(1, 777) = 4.69, p = .03) and …

Promoting Healthy Weight In The Preschool Years: A Portfolio And Planning Guide To Address Barriers In Primary Care, Margaret Miller, Renee Campbell-Pope, Lydia Hearn

Research outputs pre 2011

The rapidly rising incidence of overweight and obesity in Australia, particularly among young children has led to an urgent need for effective prevention. Recent figures indicate that 15% of preschool children in Australia are overweight, and a further 6% are obese1,2, with rates rising steadily especially among children from lower socioeconomic groups.

Family, childcare, primary health care, early childhood education and the community are influential environments for young children3-7 with the potential to engage in an integrated approach to promote healthy weight and development of healthy eating and active lifestyle habits during the pre-school years5,8,9.

In 2006, the Child Health …

Land Use Law And Active Living: Opportunities For States To Assume A Leadership Role In Promoting And Incentivizing Local Options, Patricia E. Salkin, Amy Lavine

Scholarly Works

Obesity, asthma and nutrition are just three public health challenges facing children and adults that can be addressed through land use planning and zoning. States must take a leadership role in providing statutory authority and guidance for local governments to enact and implement laws and ordinances designed to promote active living. Land use policies, transportation policies, redevelopment policies and open space and recreation policies are key areas where reform is needed. This paper highlights existing examples from various states and offers lawmakers, policymakers and advocates options for reforming state laws to incentivize and influence local actions.

Fibroblast Growth Factor -19: A Novel Factor That Inhibits Hepatic Fatty Acid Synthesis., Sushant Bhatnagar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous studies have shown that administration of fibroblast growth factor-19 (FGF-19) reverses diabetes, hepatic steatosis, hyperlipidemia, and adipose accretion in animal models of obesity. To investigate the mechanism for this effect, we determined whether FGF-19 modulated hepatic fatty acid synthesis, a key process controlling glucose tolerance and triacylglycerol accumulation in liver, blood, and adipose tissue. Incubating primary hepatocyte cultures with recombinant FGF-19 suppressed the ability of insulin to stimulate fatty acid synthesis. This effect was associated with a reduction in the expression of lipogenic enzymes. FGF-19 also suppressed the insulin-induced expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), a key transcriptional …

Osteopontin Mediates Obesity-Induced Adipose Tissue Macrophage Infiltration And Insulin Resistance In Mice, Takashi Nomiyama, Diego Perez-Tilve, Daisuke Ogawa, Florence Gizard, Yue Zhao, Elizabeth B. Heywood, Karrie L. Jones, Ryuzo Kawamori, Lisa A. Cassis, Matthias H. Tschöp, Dennis Bruemmer

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Obesity is associated with a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation characterized by abnormal cytokine production and macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue, which may contribute to the development of insulin resistance. During immune responses, tissue infiltration by macrophages is dependent on the expression of osteopontin, an extracellular matrix protein and proinflammatory cytokine that promotes monocyte chemotaxis and cell motility. In the present study, we used a murine model of diet-induced obesity to examine the role of osteopontin in the accumulation of adipose tissue macrophages and the development of insulin resistance during obesity. Mice exposed to a high-fat diet exhibited increased plasma …

Engaging Primary Health Care Providers In The Promotion Of Healthy Weight Among Young Children: Barriers And Enablers For Policy And Management, Lydia A. Hearn, Margaret R. Miller, Donna S. Cross

Research outputs pre 2011

Recent national efforts to stem the alarming growth of childhood overweight and obesity in Australia have highlighted the importance of preventative strategies that focus beyond the child-on parents, families, primary health care providers (PHCPs) and child care services. But, while such efforts have to date focused on school-based interventions, once poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles have set in, a growing body of research is indicating that PHCPs can play a more influential role in monitoring and modifying factors affecting prevention and early intervention in preschool children. This paper presents the findings of a systematic review to: (a) identify key …

Beverage Consumption And Hypertension: Findings From The Third National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey., Vishal Arunbhai Mandge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study sample was comprised of 18,953 subjects aged 18 years and older who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Preference for diet soda over regular soda was higher in females as compared to males and in Caucasians as compared to other races. Mean alcohol consumption was almost three times higher in males than in females. Undiagnosed hypertension was more common in males than in females, in 65-90 than in 50-64 year olds, and in people with less than high school education compared to those with higher education. Diastolic pressure was correlated with the level of …

Retinol Binding Protein 4 Expression In Humans: Relationship To Insulin Resistance, Inflammation, And Response To Pioglitazone, Aiwei Yao-Borengasser, Vijayalakshmi Varma, Angela M. Bodles, Neda Rasouli, Bounleut Phanavanh, Mi-Jeong Lee, Tasha Starks, Leslie M. Kern, Horace J. Spencer Iii, Amir Adel Rashidi, Robert E. Mcgehee Jr., Susan K. Fried, Philip A. Kern

Clinical and Translational Science Faculty Publications

Context: Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) was recently found to be expressed and secreted by adipose tissue, and was strongly associated with insulin resistance.

Objective: The aim was to determine the relationship between RBP4 and obesity, insulin resistance, and other markers of insulin resistance in humans.

Design and Patients: RBP4 mRNA levels in adipose tissue and muscle of nondiabetic human subjects with either normal or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were studied, along with plasma RBP4. RBP4 gene expression was also measured in adipose tissue fractions, and from visceral and sc adipose tissue (SAT) from surgical patients.

Setting: The study was …

Neighborhood Context And Ethnicity Differences In Body Mass Index: A Multilevel Analysis Using The Nhanes Iii (1988-1994), D. Phuong Do, Tamara Dubowitz, Chloe E. Bird, Nicole Lurie, José J. Escarce, Brian K. Finch

Faculty Publications

A growing body of literature has documented a link between neighborhood context and health outcomes. However, little is known about the relationship between neighborhood context and body mass index (BMI) or whether the association between neighborhood context and BMI differs by ethnicity. This paper investigates several neighborhood characteristics as potential explanatory factors for the variation of BMI across the United States; further, this paper explores to what extent segregation and the concentration of disadvantage across neighborhoods help explain ethnic disparities in BMI. Using data geo-coded at the census tract-level and linked with individual-level data from the Third National Health and …

Responses To Weight Loss Treatment Among Obese Individuals With And Without Bed: A Matched-Study Meta-Analysis, Bruce E. Blaine, J. Rodman

Statistics Faculty/Staff Publications

The moderating influence of binge eating status on obese individuals’ responses to weight loss treatment was evaluated with a meta-analysis of 36 tests of weight loss treatment (n=792) that were matched to control key background variables. After controlling for pre-treatment weight, treatment produced more weight loss in samples of obese non- BED compared with obese BED participants. Weight loss treatment produced large posttreatment reductions in depression in both obese BED and non-BED samples. The results indicate that BED status moderated post-treatment weight loss among people in weight treatment programs. Obese BED (average weight loss= 1.3 kg) samples lost negligible weight …

Diet, Nutrition, Obesity And Their Role In Arthritis, Peter F. Sharkey, David L. Paskin, Thomas D. Meade, Richard H. Rothman

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Obesity and poor nutrition, individually and together, have created costly musculoskeletal disease epidemic in the United States. Processed food, with abundant "empty" calories, has contributed greatly to our dietary woes. Much of the food consumed today is packed with calories but refined to the point that essential nutrients are lacking. Even worse, processed food may have ingredients added that are detrimental to good health. Abundant research has documented a close relationship between obesity, poor diet and orthopaedic problems. Dietary supplements have been proven to provide both disease prevention and therapeutic benefits. Unfortunately, many weight loss programs and methods are ineffective …

Wellness And Nutrition Education Program To Promote Improve Nutritional Practices And Decreased Body Mass In Individuals Working In A Health Care Setting., Jessica Brown Bandy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a wellness and nutrition education program directed at employees of a health care facility would result in changes in weight, waist and hip circumference, BMI, and nutritional practices. Nine participants completed the five week program including final weight, measurements and post-program survey to determine nutritional practices. All participants attended weekly group classes with topics related to nutrition, physical activity, and behavior changes. Changes in weight, anthropometric measurements, and BMI were calculated. Changes in nutritional practices were analyzed using Minitab statistical software. There were improvements made in weight, anthropometric measurements, and BMI …