Neonatal immune challenge does not affect body weight regulation in rats

The perinatal environment plays a crucial role in programming many aspects of adult physiology. Myriad stressors during pregnancy, from maternal immune challenge to nutritional deficiency, can alter long-term body weight set points of the offspring. In light of the increasing concern over body weight issues, such as obesity and anorexia, in modern societies and accumulating evidence that developmental stressors have long-lasting effects on other aspects of physiology (e.g., fever, pain), we explored the role of immune system activation during neonatal development and its impact on body weight regulation in adulthood. Here we present a thorough evaluation of the effects of immune system activation (LPS, 100 microg/kg ip) at postnatal days 3, 7, or 14 on long-term body weight, adiposity, and body weight regulation after a further LPS injection (50 microg/kg ip) or fasting and basal and LPS-induced circulating levels of the appetite-regulating proinflammatory cytokine leptin. We show that neonatal exposure to LPS at various times during the neonatal period has no long-term effects on growth, body weight, or adiposity. We also observed no effects on body weight regulation in response to a short fasting period or a further exposure to LPS. Despite reductions in circulating leptin levels in response to LPS during the neonatal period, no long-term effects on leptin were seen. These results convincingly demonstrate that adult body weight and weight regulation are, unlike many other aspects of adult physiology, resistant to programming by a febrile-dose neonatal immune challenge.

Stakeholder appraisal of policy options for tackling obesity in Greece

The study aimed to map stakeholders' evaluations of policy options to counter the rising prevalence of obesity in Greece, where the case for action on obesity is only now being made. The multi-criteria mapping method was used to capture and compare stakeholders' appraisals and to provide a policy analysis. Efficacy and practical feasibility were the issues most frequently used by stakeholders to evaluate options and were weighted more highly than cost criteria, which were often defined in terms of governmental costs. There was a broad favourable appraisal for downstream measures offering individuals the skills, information and opportunities to make healthier choices, rather than options to modify the obesogenic environment. Consistently, high rankings were given to educational options, for improving communal facilities and for some information-related options (food labelling, advertising), with particular support for policies targeting the young. There was also significant advocacy by a few for the creation of a new government body charged with intersectoral policy co-ordination. The Policy Options for Responding to the Growing Challenge of Obesity Research Project analyses thus point to support for a portfolio of measures to combat the problem of obesity in Greece as well as an appreciation that political will is an essential prerequisite.

Prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em adolescentes escolares do município de Fortaleza, Brasil

OBJETIVOS: determinar a prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em adolescentes escolares do Município de Fortaleza, Brasil, e estimar a diferença entre a prevalência nas escolas públicas e privadas segundo sexo e faixa etária (adolescência precoce e tardia). MÉTODOS: estudo de corte transversal realizado no período de março a maio de 2003 com 1158 adolescentes, sendo 571 de escolas públicas e 587 de escolas privadas. Sobrepeso foi definido como indice de massa corporal (IMC) igual ou superior ao percentil 85 e inferior ao percentil 95; obesidade, IMC igual ou maior ao percentil 95, ambos para idade e sexo. RESULTADOS: a prevalência total de sobrepeso e obesidade foi 19,5%. Nas escolas privadas, sobrepeso/obesidade alcançou 23,9%, freqüência maior do que nas públicas (18,0%) (p = 0,018). A prevalência de sobrepeso/obesidade encontrada no sexo masculino (19,6%) foi semelhante ao do feminino (19,0%) (p = 0,80); na adolescência precoce, a prevalência foi (24,1 %) maior do que a encontrada na adolescência tardia (15,0 %) (p < 0,0001). CONCLUSÕES: a prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em adolescentes escolares do município de Fortaleza mostrou-se elevada, sendo maior nas escolas privadas e na adolescência precoce, não ocorrendo diferença entre os sexos.

Fat storage is partially dependent on vagal activity and insulin secretion of hypothalamic obese rat

Hypothalamic MSG-obese rats show hyperinsulinemia and tissue insulin resistance, and they display intense parasympathetic activity. Current analysis investigates whether early subdiaphragmatic vagotomy prevents tissue insulin sensitivity impairment in adult obese MSG-rats. Hypothalamic obesity was induced by MSG (4 mg/g BW), daily, from birth up to 5 days. Control animals receiving saline solution. On the 30th day rats underwent bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomy or sham surgery. An intravenous glucose tolerance test (i.v.GTT) was performed when rats turned 90 days old. Total white fat tissue (WAT) from rat carcass was extracted and isolated; the interscapular brown fat tissue (IBAT) was weighed. Rather than blocking obesity, vagotomy reduced WAT and IBAT in MSG-obese rats when the latter were compared to sham MSG-rats. High blood fasting insulin and normal glucose levels were also observed in MSG-obese rats. Although glucose intolerance, high insulin secretion, and significant insulin resistance were recorded, vagotomy improved fasting insulinemia, glucose tolerance and insulin tissue sensitivity in MSG-obese rats. Results suggest that increased fat accumulation is caused, at least in part, by high blood insulin concentration, and enhanced parasympathetic activity on MSG-obese rats.