Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Commons^™

Spatial Distribution Of Obesity Among West Virginia 5th Grade Children: Analysis Of The Socioeconomic, Physical, And Personal Environment, Sherry Roper

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Childhood obesity defined as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex, is considered an epidemic in the United States. Biology and lifestyle behaviors have been identified as important factors in the development of childhood obesity; however, researchers are beginning to place more emphasis upon the impact that continual environmental exposures have upon obesity development. Environmental risk factors associated with obesity are distributed continuously over space, yet evidence suggests that burden of risk may not be evenly dispersed across a community. West Virginia (WV), a rural Appalachian community has …

Characterization Of Street Food Consumption In Palermo: Possible Effects On Health, Silvio Buscemi, Annamaria Barile, Vincenza Maniaci, John A. Batsis

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Street Food (SF) consists of out-of-home food consumption and has old, historical roots with complex social-economic and cultural implications. Despite the emergence of modern fast food, traditional SF persists worldwide, but the relationship of SF consumption with overall health, well-being, and obesity is unknown.

Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study. The study was performed in Palermo, the largest town of Sicily, Italy. Two groups were identified: consumers of SF (n = 687) and conventional restaurant food (RES) consumers (n = 315). Study subjects answered a questionnaire concerning their health conditions, nutritional preferences, frequency of consumption of SF and …

Age At Diagnosis Of Diabetes In Appalachia, Lawrence Barker, Robert Gerzoff, Richard Crespo, Molly Shrewsberry

Family and Community Health

Background

Appalachia is a region of the United States noted for the poverty and poor health outcomes of its residents. Residents of the poorest Appalachian counties have a high prevalence of diabetes and risk factors (obesity, low income, low education, etc.) for type 2 diabetes. However, diabetes prevalence exceeds what these risk factors alone explain. Based on this, the history of poor health outcomes in Appalachia, and personally observed high rates of childhood obesity and lack of concern about prediabetes, we speculated that people in Appalachia with diagnosed diabetes might tend to be diagnosed younger than their non-Appalachian counterparts.

Methods …

Acid Maltase Deficiency--Pompe's Disease, Sajjad Jamil, Shahid Ahmed, M. Tariq

Section of Internal Medicine

Mutation in genes encoding for proteins involved in glycogen synthesis, degradation or regulation results in various inborn errors of glycogen metabolism. The disorders that result in abnormal storage of glycogen are known as glycogen storage diseases (GSD). We report a rare and interesting case of a young boy who presented with generalized weakness and reduced muscle bulk since childhood. He was diagnosed to have acid maltase deficiency, also known as Pompe's disease, one of the rare types of glycogen storage disease. The case is presented here in the form of a case study, including a review of the pertinent literature …

Appalachian Regional Model For Organizing And Sustaining County-Level Diabetes Coalitions, Richard Crespo, Molly Shrewsberry, Darrlyn Cornelius-Averhart, Henry B. King Jr.

Family and Community Health

This article describes a model for developing diabetes coalitions in rural Appalachian counties and presents evidence of their sustainability. The rural Appalachian coalition model was developed through a partnership between two federal agencies and a regional university. Coalitions go through a competitive application process to apply for one-time $10,000 grants. The project has funded 7 to 9 coalitions annually since 2001, reaching 66 total coalitions in 2008. Sustainability of the coalitions is defined by the number of coalitions that voluntarily report on their programs and services. In 2008, 58 of 66 (87%) coalitions in the Appalachian region continue to function …

Emotional Climate, Feeding Practices, And Feeding Styles: An Observational Analysis Of The Dinner Meal In Head Start Families, Sheryl O Hughes, Thomas G Power, Maria A Papaioannou, Matthew B Cross, Theresa A Nicklas, Sharon K Hall, Richard M Shewchuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: A number of studies conducted with ethnically diverse, low-income samples have found that parents with indulgent feeding styles had children with a higher weight status. Indulgent parents are those who are responsive to their child's emotional states but have problems setting appropriate boundaries with their child. Because the processes through which styles impact child weight are poorly understood, the aim of this study was to observe differences in the emotional climate created by parents (including affect, tone of voice, and gestures) and behavioral feeding practices among those reporting different feeding styles on the Caregiver's Feeding Styles Questionnaire. A secondary …

The Effects Of Curcumin On Body Composition Of Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer, Henrique A. Parsons Md

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cachexia is very common among patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and is a marker of poor prognosis. Weight loss in cachexia is due to both adipose and muscle compartments, and sarcopenia (severe muscle depletion) is associated with worse outcomes. Curcumin has shown a myriad of biological effects, including anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory. The ability of curcumin to attenuate cachexia and muscle loss has been tested in animal models, with conflicting results so far. The hypothesis of this study was that patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated with curcumin for two months have less fat and muscle loss as compared to matched …

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

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

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

Is Vitamin E Supplementation Effective In Reducing Mortality Related To Cardiovascular Events In People With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus?, Payal Amin

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not Vitamin E is effective in reducing the mortality related to cardiovascular event in patients with Type 2 Diabetes mellitus.

The Role Of Ghrelin And Leptin In Obesity: Is Exogenous Administration Of These Hormones A Possible Drug Therapy?, Peri Eckstein

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Ghrelin and leptin are two hormones that have been recognized to have a major influence on energy balance. Leptin is a mediator of long term regulation of energy balance, suppressing food intake and thereby inducing weight loss. Ghrelin, on the other hand, is a fast acting hormone, playing a role in meal initiation. As a growing number of people suffer from obesity, understanding the mechanisms by which various hormones and neurotransmitters influence energy balance has been a subject of intense research. This paper provides background on leptin and ghrelin hormones, their role in food intake and body weight in humans, …