Nutrition Commons^™

Anonymity And Consumption: How Modern Technology And Pressure Affect The Eating Habits Of College Students, Jessica A. Laso

Senior Honors Projects

One of the biggest issues in our society today is the increase in obesity. Despite the amount of available data on the negative health effects or possible solutions and food alternatives, the problem has not seemed to haven gotten any better. In more recent years, the notorious "freshman 15" has even become a victim to obesity and is weighing in as the "freshman 30." What is causing college students to become more susceptible to weight gain? There has been much research conducted to find the common causes of over-eating and weight gain, especially amongst those in college. After reading several …

Cultural Diabetes, Keri E. Noll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes has become a cultural problem across America, but particularly in the Midwest and Southern regions. For my film, I explored these two areas and compared the food and exercise culture to one of the healthier regions, the West. Having moved from Indiana to Colorado, I used my own personal experiences to analyze why people in the Midwest struggle with diabetes and obesity at such a higher rate than those nearer to the Pacific Ocean. Through a series of interviews with close friends and observational analysis of each state, I came to learn something very important about health: our food …

Muscadine Grape (Vitis Rotundifolia) And Wine Phytochemicals Prevented Obesity-Associated Metabolic Complications In C57bl/6j Mice, Vishnupriya Gourineni, Neil F. Shay, Soonkyu Chung, Amandeep K. Sandhu, Liwei Gu

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of muscadine grape or wine (cv. Noble) phytochemicals on obesity and associated metabolic complications. Muscadine grape or wine phytochemicals were extracted using Amberlite FPX66 resin. Male C57BL/6J mice were given a low-fat diet (LF, 10% kcal fat), high-fat diet (HF, 60% kcal fat), HF + 0.4% muscadine grape phytochemicals (HF+MGP), or HF + 0.4% muscadine wine phytochemicals (HF+MWP) for 15 weeks. At 7 weeks, mice fed HF+MGP had significantly decreased body weights by 12% compared to HF controls. Dietary MGP or MWP supplementation reduced plasma content of free fatty acids, …

Children's Knowledge Of Healthy And Unhealthy Foods And Its Correlation With Body Mass Index, Sally Elizabeth Allen

Student Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in America. Children's knowledge of healthy and unhealthy food could be correlated to their Body Mass Index (BMI). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine if there is a correlation between children's BMI and their knowledge of healthy and unhealthy foods and to determine if any knowledge differences exist between overweight, obese, and healthy weight children. Participants were 54 kindergarten and 1st grade students in a small rural Arkansas school district. Data were collected quantitatively through a) a 40 question flashcard test in which participants were asked to identify the name of …

Thrombospondin1 Deficiency Reduces Obesity-Associated Inflammation And Improves Insulin Sensitivity In A Diet-Induced Obese Mouse Model, Yanzhang Li, Xiaopeng Tong, Courtney Rumala, Kate Clemons, Shuxia Wang

Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Obesity is prevalent worldwide and is associated with insulin resistance. Advanced studies suggest that obesity-associated low-grade chronic inflammation contributes to the development of insulin resistance and other metabolic complications. Thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) is a multifunctional extracellular matrix protein that is up-regulated in inflamed adipose tissue. A recent study suggests a positive correlation of TSP1 with obesity, adipose inflammation, and insulin resistance. However, the direct effect of TSP1 on obesity and insulin resistance is not known. Therefore, we investigated the role of TSP1 in mediating obesity-associated inflammation and insulin resistance by using TSP1 knockout mice.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Male TSP1-/- mice …

Srt1720 Improves Survival And Healthspan Of Obese Mice, Robin K. Minor, Joseph A. Baur, Ana P. Gomes, Theresa M. Ward, Anna Csiszar, Evi M. Mercken, Kotb Abdelmohsen, Yu-Kyong Shin, Carles Canto, Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, Melissa Krawczyk, Pablo M. Irusta, Alejandro Martín-Montalvo, Basil P. Hubbard, Yongqing Zhang, Elin Lehrmann, Alexa A. White, Nathan L. Price, William R. Swindell, Kevin J. Pearson, Kevin G. Becker, Vilhelm A. Bohr, Myriam Gorospe, Josephine M. Egan, Mark I. Talan, Johan Auwerx, Christoph H. Westphal, James L. Ellis, Zoltan Ungvari, George P. Vlasuk, Peter J. Elliott, David A. Sinclair, Rafael De Cabo

Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Sirt1 is an NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase that extends lifespan in lower organisms and improves metabolism and delays the onset of age-related diseases in mammals. Here we show that SRT1720, a synthetic compound that was identified for its ability to activate Sirt1 in vitro, extends both mean and maximum lifespan of adult mice fed a high-fat diet. This lifespan extension is accompanied by health benefits including reduced liver steatosis, increased insulin sensitivity, enhanced locomotor activity and normalization of gene expression profiles and markers of inflammation and apoptosis, all in the absence of any observable toxicity. Using a conditional SIRT1 knockout mouse and …

Prevalensi Dan Determinan Kelebihan Berat Badan Dan Kegemukan Pada Anak Berusia 5-15 Tahun, Ratu Ayu Dewi Sartika

Kesmas

Kelebihan berat badan dan kegemukan, suatu keadaan lemak tubuh yang berlebihan, merupakan masalah kesehatan di negara-negara maju dan negara-negara berkembang, termasuk Indonesia. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui prevalensi dan determinan kelebihan berat badan dan kegemukan anak usia 5-15 tahun menggunakan data Riset Kesehatan Dasar (Riskesdas) tahun 2007. Ditemukan bahwa prevalensi kelebihan berat badan dan kegemukan pada anak berusia usia 5-15 tahun masing-masing 7,4% dan 8,3%. Jika dikontrol oleh jenis kelamin, tingkat pendidikan, riwayat kegemukan ibu, kebiasaan konsumsi buah mingguan, kebiasaan merokok, dan asupan energi, faktor paling dominan yang berhubungan dengan kelebihan berat badan (> 85% persentil) anak adalah riwayat kegemukan …

High-Density Lipoprotein Metabolism In Human Apolipoprotein B100 Transgenic/Brown Adipose Tissue Deficient Mice: A Model Of Obesity-Induced Hyperinsulinemia, Sarah J. Ehlers, Stephanie M. Larson, Heather E. Rasmussen, Young-Ki Park, Ji-Young Lee

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Obese and diabetic humans display decreased plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations and an increased risk for coronary heart disease. However, investigation on HDL metabolism in obesity with a particular emphasis on hepatic ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), the primary factor for HDL formation, has not been well studied. Human apolipoprotein B₁₀₀ transgenic (hApoB^tg) and brown adipose tissue deficient (BATless) mice were crossed to generate hApoB^tg/BATless mice. Male and female hApoB^tg and hApoB^tg/BATless mice were maintained on either a regular rodent chow diet or a diet high …

Associations Between Diet Quality And Perceived Quality Of Life In Overweight And Obese Older Adults, Klara Zolotnitskaya

Senior Honors Projects

Objective: To determine whether an association between health related quality of life (HRQOL) and dietary quality exists in overweight [body mass index (BMI) 25-29.9 kg/m²] and obese (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m²) older adults.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Participants and Setting: One-hundred and nine overweight and obese older adults, 20 male and 89 female, ages 55-80 years from four Rhode Island senior centers. Participants were recruited from two urban senior centers, one in Warwick and one in Cranston, and two rural senior centers, one in North Kingstown and one in South Kingstown.

Measurements: Anthropometrics (height, weight, waist …

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% …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …