Nutrition Commons^™

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 …

Sweetened Beverage Consumption And Its Contributing Factors Among School-Aged Children–A Multilevel Analysis, Meizi He, Leonard Piché, Danielle Battram, Isabelle Giroux, Charlene Beynon, Jacqline Swans, Rohna Hanning

Leonard Piché

Excessive consumption of sweetened beverages by children and youth has become an issue of great concern among health professionals and health policy makers in the U.S. and Canada. Over-consumption of sweetened beverages can have negative effects on children's nutrient profile and may increase their risk of obesity. Reducing children's sweetened beverage consumption offers an opportunity to decrease unnecessary energy intake and prevent excess weight gain.

Childhood Poverty And Abdominal Obesity In Adulthood: A Systematic Review, David González, Aydin Nazmi, Cesar G. Victoria

Aydin Nazmi

Adverse socioeconomic conditions in childhood can have lasting effects on health, but evidence is lacking from prospective studies concerning the effects of early poverty on abdominal obesity in adulthood. Cross-sectional studies in adults from middle and high-income countries show that current socioeconomic status is inversely related to obesity in women, but the pattern in men is not consistent. A systematic review was undertaken to assess the influence of early socioeconomic status on waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist-hip ratio in adulthood. Thirteen relevant articles were located (five cross-sectional and eight cohort), including only one from a middle-income country and the …

Role Of Group X Secretory Phospholipase A2 In Murine Adipocytes, Xia Li

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The secretory phospholipase A₂ (sPLA₂) family is a group of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of glycerophospholipids at the sn-2 position, generating free fatty acids and lysophospholipids. The sPLA₂ family has been implicated in various physiological and pathological activities. Eleven sPLA₂’s have been identified in mammals, and the function of each isoform likely reflects its tissue distribution and substrate specificity. Studies in vitro indicate that Group X (GX) sPLA₂ potently releases arachidonic acid (AA) and lysophosphatidylcholine from mammalian cell membranes. Interestingly, some of the biological effects mediated by GX sPLA₂ in vitro …

Effect Of Exogenous Leptin On Thrombotic And Metabolic Profiles Of Fvb/B6 Lipodystrophic Mice, Hoda Chaouki Kadouh

Wayne State University Theses

Lipodystrophy caused by fat deficiency contributes to metabolic disease for which several treatment modalities have been implemented, with leptin therapy being the most effective to date. In addition to playing a role in energy homeostasis and metabolism, leptin was also shown to play a pro-thrombotic role in mice. This role was not examined in fatless mice, neither was thrombosis measured. The AZIP/F-1 (FVB) lipodystrophic mouse appeared to have a prolonged arterial occlusion time (p〈0.05) in a trial done in our lab, with clotting factors being normal. The present study was designed to observe the thrombotic and metabolic characteristics of fatless …

Obesity And Food Choices Among Faculty And Staff At A Large Urban University, Marjorie Freedman, Rebecca Rubinstein

Faculty Publications

Objective: In order to address increasing health care costs associated with obesity, this study sought to determine prevalence of overweight and obesity and examine eating behaviors, food choices, health beliefs, and attitudes of university employees. Participants and Methods: An online survey was distributed to > 3,800 faculty and staff at a large public metropolitan university in Winter 2008. Results: Almost half (48%) of 806 respondents were classified as overweight or obese. Compared to those with normal weights, overweight and obese respondents consumed fewer fruits and vegetables (p < .05), were less confident in making healthful food choices (p < .001), and were more influenced by food choices available in on-campus dining facilities (p < .05). Conclusions: Obesity among university employees warrants attention. Because these employees have less self-efficacy and consume less healthful diets than their normal weight colleagues, universities need to improve on-campus access to healthful foods.

Survival And Inflammation In Patients With Heart Failure: The Impact Of Overweight, Obesity, Diabetes And Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Heather Payne-Emerson

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Overweight and obesity are paradoxically associated with better survival in patients with heart failure (HF). This association is poorly understood, in part because the impact of diabetes (DM) on survival of overweight and obese HF patients has not been considered. Inflammation may contribute to worse survival in overweight and obese HF patients with DM, and levels of inflammation may be associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. However, neither of these relationships has been investigated in patients with HF.

The purposes of this dissertation were to a) examine the effect of DM on survival of overweight and obese patients with HF, …

Childhood Poverty And Abdominal Obesity In Adulthood: A Systematic Review, David González, Aydin Nazmi, Cesar G. Victoria

Food Science and Nutrition

Adverse socioeconomic conditions in childhood can have lasting effects on health, but evidence is lacking from prospective studies concerning the effects of early poverty on abdominal obesity in adulthood. Cross-sectional studies in adults from middle and high-income countries show that current socioeconomic status is inversely related to obesity in women, but the pattern in men is not consistent. A systematic review was undertaken to assess the influence of early socioeconomic status on waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist-hip ratio in adulthood. Thirteen relevant articles were located (five cross-sectional and eight cohort), including only one from a middle-income country and the …

Sweetened Beverage Consumption And Its Contributing Factors Among School-Aged Children–A Multilevel Analysis, Meizi He, Leonard Piché, Danielle Battram, Isabelle Giroux, Charlene Beynon, Jacqline Swans, Rohna Hanning

Leonard Piché

Excessive consumption of sweetened beverages by children and youth has become an issue of great concern among health professionals and health policy makers in the U.S. and Canada. Over-consumption of sweetened beverages can have negative effects on children's nutrient profile and may increase their risk of obesity. Reducing children's sweetened beverage consumption offers an opportunity to decrease unnecessary energy intake and prevent excess weight gain.

The Relationship Between Calcium Intake, Obesity, And Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: The Jackson Heart Study, Marjuyua Lartey-Rowser

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health risk in the United States. Major indicators of CVD risk include obesity, blood lipids, and blood pressure. Modifiable risk factors associated with CVD include body composition (body mass index and waist circumference), serum lipids, and blood pressure. Data suggest calcium intake may play a role in regulation of weight, serum lipids, and blood pressure. The purpose of this study was to assess relationships of dietary calcium intake with weight status, and cardiovascular disease risks in African American population participating in the Jackson Heart Study.

The subjects included 4,267 African American adults ages 21-95 …

A Descriptive Study Of The Diet And Physical Activity Practices Of Overweight And Obese College Students Enrolled In A Weight Loss Program, Laura Brooke Walters

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The effect of weight gain on college students may lead to physical and emotional problems that could continue into adulthood. Identifying behavioral, demographic, and psychological factors that impact college student’s weight status could aid in developing programs to help reduce weight and prevent weight gain in overweight and obese college students. This study evaluated the dietary habits, physical activity, and psychosocial characteristics of college students entering a university-sponsored weight loss program. Results suggest that the majority of participants have experienced weight gain in the past year and none have experienced weight loss. The student’s diets tended to include less than …

Fit Camp A Behavioral Weight Loss Program The Effects Of Self-Monitoring, Social Support, Attendance, And Motivation, Erin Marie Murnan

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Almost half of Americans between 17 and 24 years of age are enrolled in higher education. College is an important life transition period when many young adults establish independence and adopt lasting behavior patterns, especially with regard to diet and physical activity. The first years of college are often associated with weight gain therefore making weight loss and weight gain prevention interventions necessary in this population. Behavioral weight loss programs (BWLP) have shown to be effective in adults, however, to our knowledge, there have been no reports of BWLP focused solely on college-aged young adults. This study compared a 10-week …

The Effects Of Eating Behaviors And Exercise Patterns On The Processing Of Food And Exercise Related Stimuli, Carrie Potter

Honors Theses

The effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for eating disorders has established a link between cognitive processes and unhealthy eating behaviors. However, the relationship between individual differences in unhealthy eating behaviors that are not related to clinical eating disorders, such as overeating and restrained eating, and the processing of food related verbal stimuli remains undetermined. Furthermore, the cognitive processes that promote unhealthy and healthy exercise patterns remain virtually unexplored by previous research. The present study compared individual differences in attitudes and behaviors around eating and exercise to responses to food and exercise-related words using a Lexical Decision Task (LDT). Participants …

Behavioral, Environmental, Metabolic And Intergenerational Components Of Early Life Undernutrition Leading To Later Obesity In Developing Nations And In Minority Groups In The Usa, Maria I. Varela-Silva, A. Roberto Frisancho, Berry Bogin, David Chatkoff, Patricia K. Smith, Federico Dickinson, Donna Winham

Donna Winham

Nutritional transition, urbanization, and physical inactivity are primary factors responsible for the worldwide epidemic of overweight/obesity (OW/OB). However, these factors fail to explain the epidemic of OW/OB in developing countries and in recent-migrants to developed countries. Among these, OW/OB is associated with short/stunted stature and coexists with undernutrition at much higher rates than is statistically expected. Changes in metabolic pathways toward reduced fat oxidation and increased metabolism of carbohydrate may explain, in part, this phenomenon. Also, intergenerational consequences of malnutrition and poor health of the others may lead to impaired phenotypes in their offspring. We propose a novel methodology to …

Fat Mass Gain Is Lower In Calcium-Supplemented Than In Unsupplemented Preschool Children With Low Dietary Calcium Intakes, Elizabeth D. Dejongh, Teresa L. Binkley, Bonny Specker

Ethel Austin Martin Program Publications

BACKGROUND: Dietary calcium may play a role in the stimulation of lipolysis and the inhibition of lipogenesis, thereby reducing body fat.
OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine whether an association existed between change in percentage body fat (%BF) or fat mass and calcium intake in children aged 3-5 y.
DESIGN: A secondary analysis of a 1-y randomized calcium and activity trial in 178 children was conducted. Three-day diet records and 48-h accelerometer readings were obtained at 0, 6, and 12 mo. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at 0 and 12 mo.
RESULTS: The decrease in %BF was …

Weight Maintenance: Determinants Of Success, Cynthia Mitchell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This literature review was a selective examination of current obesity and physical activity research and opinions. Its purpose was more to evoke thought and discussion regarding the United States' obesity epidemic, rather than serve as an exhaustive account of prospective causes and solutions. Obesity and physical inactivity are major preventable health problems in the United States, but despite overwhelming evidence regarding the benefits of a healthy weight and regular physical activity, adult, childhood and adolescent obesity rates continue to escalate, creating significant health, medical and economic consequences.

While obesity rates soar, a small population percentage has proven successful in long-term …

Body Mass Index And Soft Drink Consumption Among Adolescents, Olivia Love Mccord

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and soft drink consumption among adolescents. It is hypothesized that soft drink consumption contributes to overweight and obesity among adolescents.

Background: Research examining the relationship between body mass index and soft drink consumption is inconsistent. Several studies have found a negative association between total sugar intake and BMI; however, others have found a link between sugar-sweetened drinks and obesity. There are no known studies that have controlled for physical activity.

Data and Methods: Data on approximately 225 adolescents were used. Frequency of soft drink consumption, type of milk, and calcium …

Lifestyle Intervention Program With Calcium Supplementation To Promote Weight Loss And Body Fat Reduction In Overweight Individuals., Candee Meredith Spence

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in weight loss, body fat, waist circumference, or diet quality among participants taking calcium or placebo supplements in a lifestyle intervention program. Three participants ages 52-55 completed the 14 week program. Two participants took 1,000 milligrams calcium while one participant took a placebo. Changes in diet were analyzed by Nutribase IV and self perception. Anthropometrics were analyzed by analysis of variance, alpha level 0.05. There was significant decrease in weight and waist circumference for the calcium group and decrease in bioelectrical impedance for the placebo group; …

Economic Efficiency And Consumer Choice Theory In Nutritional Labeling, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

As more Americans consume fast food each year, more Americans are contracting serious diseases related to obesity. Considering that obesity ranks second behind tobacco use as the largest contributor to mortality rates in the United States, and also that it gives rise to greater publicly funded health care expenses than does tobacco, this phenomenon begs the obvious question: To what extent does the growing consumption of fast food contribute to the obesity epidemic and the incidence of disease? If the answer indicates a meaningful contribution, a natural follow-up question then emerges: In a sensible legal system, what instruments would best …

Diet, Obesity And Reflux In The Etiology Of Adenocarcinomas Of The Esophagus And Gastric Cardia In Humans, Susan Mayne, Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Incidence rates for esophageal adenocarcinoma have increased >350% since the mid-1970s. Rates for gastric cardia adenocarcinoma have also increased, although less steeply. This led to the initiation of large population-based case-control studies, particularly in the United States and Sweden, aimed at identifying risk factors for these cancers. Results have been emerging from these studies, with the consistent finding that obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease are important risk factors for these cancers. Analyses of dietary factors are also available and indicate that diets high in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of these cancers, whereas …

The Obesity Epidemic: Characteristics Of Successful Weight Management Programs And Colorado's Approach, Michele Singer

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Obesity is rapidly growing in the United States with no sign of decreasing with current treatment options available to Americans (1). There are many treatments for obesity, but few are effective. The State of Colorado has numerous community nutrition programs available to its residents ranging from government programs such as universities and state health departments to healthcare providers and volunteer organizations such as the American Heart Association. Current treatments that are available for overweight and obese individuals include commercial programs, popular diet books, Internet programs, and individualized counseling. This paper will discuss different treatments and their efficacy, successful weight loss …

Role Of Lipolysis And Lipogenesis In The Development Of Diet-Induced Obesity, Michael John Davies

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Obesity is an increasingly common public health problem with approximately one-half of the American adult population overweight and one-quarter considered obese. This alarming trend has led researchers to determine potential causative factors of excess weight gain in humans. However, it is difficult to discern whether perturbations that result in obesity are the cause or simply the result of the obese state. Diet-induced obesity is one of the animal models that allow researchers to address temporal issues. Our laboratory utilizes a diet-induced obesity model in which Sprague-Dawley rats are placed on a purified moderately high fat diet and ultimately diverge into …

Obesity: Environment Vs. Genetics, Kammi Marie Reeder Hansen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The prevalence of overweight and obese individuals is rising. Between 1980 and 1990 there was an 8% increase in the prevalence of obesity. Obesity is associated with many diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Over $39 billion dollars is spent annually on the illnesses associated with obesity. Our American culture has been blamed for the rise in obesity, yet there are obviously many people living in the American culture that are not obese. Researchers have turned to genetics to explain this phenomenon. This article will examine the many environmental factors that contribute to obesity and …