Relation of weight gain and weight loss on subsequent diabetes risk in overweight adults

Concurrent validity of the BOD POD and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry techniques for assessing body composition in young women

The purpose of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of the BOD POD (BP) (Life Measurement Instruments) and Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) Elite 4500A (Hologic, Inc.) techniques for assessing the body fat percentage of young women. The participants were forty-three white college-aged women (19.4 +/- 1.4 years) with a BMI of 23.4 +/- 2.3. Both body composition analyses were completed on the same day and were taken within 10 minutes of each other. Body fat percentage was estimated to be 24.3 (SE = 1.1) and 23.8 (SE = 0.8) using the BP and DXA techniques, respectively. Exact matches, in terms of body fat percentage, were obtained for 10 of the 43 participants (23.3%). In conclusion, our data supports the concurrent validity of the BP and DXA techniques for assessing body fat in young women.

Prevention of overweight and obesity in children: influences on the food environment

PURPOSE

There is an epidemic of pediatric overweight and obesity leading to type 2 diabetes in youth. The purpose of this review is to describe the multiple paths of influence on the food environment of youth and to identify diabetes education strategies focused on early prevention of overweight and obesity.

METHODS

A review of relevant professional literature was conducted.

RESULTS

Models of obesity prevention in youth need to address genetic factors that influence the development of food preferences in the young child, parenting influences on eating pattern development, and access and availability of foods in the physical environment of the child.

CONCLUSIONS

Early intervention with parents of young children is required to prevent the development of eating patterns that lead to pediatric obesity and type 2 diabetes in youth. Diabetes educators need to be able to inform parents of the multiple paths of influence on the food environment of the child and suggest strategies to encourage the development of positive food preferences and intake.

Use of antioxidant nutrients in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), is increasingly common throughout the world. The World Health Organization has predicted that between 1997 and 2025, the number of diabetics will double from 143 million to about 300 million. The incidence of NIDDM is highest in economically developed nations, particularly the U.S., where approximately 6.5% of the population (17 million people) have either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes. The two most important factors contributing to the development of NIDDM are obesity and physical inactivity. The leading cause of mortality and morbidity in people with NIDDM is cardiovascular disease caused by macro- and microvascular degeneration. Current therapies for NIDDM focus primarily on weight reduction. Indeed, several investigations indicate that 65% to 75% of cases of diabetes in Caucasians could be avoided if individuals in this subgroup did not exceed their ideal weight. The success of this approach has been, at best, modest. An alternate approach to the control of Type 2 diabetes is to arrest the progress of the pathology until a cure has been found. To this end, some investigators suggest that dietary antioxidants may be of value. Several studies in humans and laboratory animals with NIDDM indicate that vitamin E and lipoic acid supplements lessen the impact of oxidative damage caused by dysregulation of glucose metabolism. In this brief review, we discuss the incidence, etiology, and current therapies for NIDDM and further explore the usefulness of dietary antioxidants in treating this disorder.