Metabolic responses to high glycemic index and low glycemic index meals: a controlled crossover clinical trial

Systematic functional characterization of non-coding regulatory SNPs associated with central obesity

Central obesity is associated with higher risk of developing a wide range of diseases independent of overall obesity. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified more than 300 susceptibility loci associated with central obesity. However, the functional understanding of these loci is limited by the fact that most loci are in non-coding regions. To address this issue, our study first prioritized 2,034 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on fine-mapping and epigenomic annotation analysis. Subsequently, we employed self-transcribing active regulatory region sequencing (STARR-seq) to systematically evaluate the enhancer activity of these prioritized SNPs. The resulting data analysis identified 141 SNPs with allelic enhancer activity. Further analysis of allelic transcription factor (TF) binding prioritized 20 key TFs mediating the central-obesity-relevant genetic regulatory network. Finally, as an example, we illustrate the molecular mechanisms of how rs8079062 acts as an allele-specific enhancer to regulate the expression of its targeted RNF157. We also evaluated the role of RNF157 in the adipogenic differentiation process. In conclusion, our results provide an important resource for understanding the genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying central obesity.

Effect of lactic acid-rich sourdough bread on appetite regulation: A randomized, double-blind controlled trial

Sourdough bread consumption has been associated with improved glucose and appetite regulation thanks to the presence of organic acids produced during fermentation of the flour-water mixture. We investigated the effects of whole meal sourdough bread (WSB) rich in lactic acid on energy intake, satiety, gastric emptying, glucose, and C-peptide response compared to whole meal yeast bread (WYB). Forty-four normal-weight participants (age: 30 ± 10 y; BMI: 23 ± 2 kg/m2) participated in this double-blind, randomized cross-over trial, consisting of two study visits separated by one week. During each study visit, gastric emptying, subjective appetite, glucose, and C-peptide concentrations were measured at regular time intervals over a 4-h period. After 4 h, ad-libitum energy intake was assessed. Despite no effect of bread type on ad-libitum energy intake at the subsequent meal (p = 0.068), WSB led to lower hunger (p < 0.001), higher fullness (p < 0.001), lower desire to eat (p < 0.001), and lower prospective food consumption (p < 0.001) compared to WYB. WSB had a higher gastric half-emptying time (p = 0.002), lower glucose response between 15 and 30 min (p < 0.05) after bread consumption, and lower C-peptide response between 15 and 90 min (p < 0.05) after bread consumption, compared to WYB. These findings suggest that the consumption of WSB, rich in lactic acid, acutely enhanced satiety and improved the postprandial metabolic response. However, these effects did not result in reduced ad-libitum energy intake.

Volvariella volvacea (paddy straw mushroom): A mushroom with exceptional medicinal and nutritional properties

Volvariella volvacea, commonly referred to as paddy straw mushroom, is renowned for its remarkable medicinal and nutritional properties. This mushroom, part of the family Pluteaceae, thrives in tropical and subtropical regions and is highly esteemed for its distinctive flavor and substantial health benefits. The fruiting body of V. volvacea is a rich source of bioactive compounds, including antioxidant enzymes, terpenes, polypeptides, sugars, phenolics, and flavonoids. These compounds exhibit an extensive range of therapeutic activities such as anti-tumor, anti-microbial, antioxidant, anti-malarial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects. Nutritionally, V. volvacea is an excellent source of carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, ascorbic acid, and essential minerals. It also boasts a comprehensive profile of amino acids, including valine, arginine, glutamine, serine, aspartic acid, leucine, isoleucine, tyrosine, asparagine, lysine, cystine, proline, glycine, tryptophan, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, and histidine. This review emphasizes the significant medicinal and nutritional potential of V. volvacea, advocating its inclusion as a functional food to enhance human health and well-being. By highlighting its diverse bioactive compounds and therapeutic benefits, this review aims to foster greater recognition and utilization of paddy straw mushroom in both dietary and medicinal applications.

Validating the protective role of orange and tangerine peel extracts foramending food safety against microorganisms' contamination using molecular docking

Latest studies indicated that agro-food wastes are considered renewable sources of bioactive compounds. This investigation aimed to utilize natural extracts of citrus peels as antimicrobial and anti-aflatoxigenic agents for food safety. The bioactivity of two citrus peels was assessed by total phenolic, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. Nanoemulsions were manufactured using high-speed homogenization. The mean particle size of the nanoemulsions ranged from 29.41 to 66.41 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.11-0.16. The zeta potential values ranged from -14.27 to -26.74 mV, indicating stability between 81.44% and 99.26%. The orange peel extract showed the highest contents of total phenolic and flavonoids compared to the other extracts and nanoemulsions (39.54 mg GAE/g and 79.54 mg CE/100 g, respectively), which agreed with its potential antioxidant activity performed by DPPH free radical-scavenging and ABTS assays. Chlorogenic, caffeic, ferulic, and catechin were the dominant phenolic acids in the extracts and nanoemulsions, while quercitrin, rutin, and hesperidin were the most abundant flavonoids. Limonene was the major volatile component in both oils; however, it was reduced dramatically from 92.52% to 76.62% in orange peel oil and from 91.79 to 79.12% in tangerine peel oil. Consistent with the differences in phenolics, flavonoids, and volatiles between orange and tangerine peel extracts, the antibacterial properties of orange extracts had more potential than tangerine ones. Gram-positive bacteria were more affected by all the examined extracts than Gram-negative ones. The antifungal activity of orange extract and nanoemulsion on seven fungal strains from Aspergillus spp had more potential than tangerine extracts. Additionally, using a simulated media, the orange peel extract and its nanoemulsion had a more anti-aflatoxigenic influence. Molecular docking confirmed the high inhibitory action of flavonoids, especially hesperidin, on the polyketide synthase (-9.3 kcal/mol) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (-10.1 kcal/mol) key enzymes of the aflatoxin biosynthetic mechanism.

Trends in chronic childhood undernutrition in Bangladesh for small domains

Chronic childhood undernutrition, known as stunting, is an important population health problem with short- and long-term adverse outcomes. Bangladesh has made strides to reduce chronic childhood undernutrition, yet progress is falling short of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals targets. This study estimates trends in age-specific chronic childhood undernutrition in Bangladesh's 64 districts during 1997-2018, using underlying direct estimates extracted from seven Demographic and Health Surveys in the development of small area time-series models. These models combine cross-sectional, temporal, and spatial data to predict in all districts in both survey and non-survey years. Nationally, there has been a steep decline in stunting from about three in five to one in three children. However, our results highlight significant inequalities in chronic undernutrition, with several districts experiencing less pronounced declines. These differences are more nuanced at the district-by-age level, with only districts in more socio-economically advantaged areas of Bangladesh consistently reporting declines in stunting across all age groups.

Effects of 24-week prebiotic intervention on self-reported upper respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, and markers of immunity in elite rugby union players

OBJECTIVES

Elite rugby union players face numerous physiological and psychological stressors which can increase upper respiratory and gastrointestinal illness risk, and in turn can compromise training and competitive performance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of daily prebiotic supplementation on upper respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, and markers of immune function in elite rugby union players.

METHODS

Thirty-three elite rugby union players were randomly assigned to consume a prebiotic (2.8 g/day galactooligosaccharide) or placebo (2.8 g/day maltodextrin), daily for 168 days under double-blind conditions. Participants completed daily and weekly questionnaires for self-reported upper respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms respectively. Blood and saliva samples were collected at 0, 84, and 168 days for assessment of plasma TNF-α and CRP, and saliva IgA respectively.

RESULTS

The prebiotic group experienced a 2-day reduction in upper respiratory symptom duration (P = 0.045). Gastrointestinal symptom severity and incidence were lower in the prebiotic group compared to the placebo group (P < 0.001, P = 0.041) respectively. Salivary immunoglobulin A secretion rate was 42% greater in the prebiotic group compared to the placebo group at day 168 (P = 0.004), no differences in CRP and TNF-α were found (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

A 168-day dietary prebiotic intervention reduced the duration of upper respiratory symptoms and reduced the incidence and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms in elite rugby union players. These findings suggest that seasonal prebiotic interventions may be beneficial for reducing illness in elite rugby union players, improving their availability to train and compete.Key pointsElite athletes are susceptible to upper respiratory symptoms and gastrointestinal symptoms which may impact upon training availability and competition performance.For the first time, this study shows that a dietary prebiotic intervention can reduce the duration of upper respiratory symptoms by 2 days in elite rugby union players.Dietary prebiotic supplementation can improve the incidence and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms experienced by elite rugby union players.Prebiotic supplementation was able to increase salivary IgA secretion after 168 days.These findings can inform practice suggesting that seasonal prebiotic use has the potential to modulate immune function and reduce illness in elite rugby union, which may improve a player's availability to train and compete.The mechanisms by which prebiotics reduce URS and GIS require further research exploration.

Caffeine - Essentials for anaesthesiologists: A narrative review

Caffeine has a multitude of uses in anaesthesia, and numerous studies have evaluated its efficacy and usefulness in various aspects of anaesthesia and medical practice. Its various applications in anaesthesia include its role in awakening from anaesthesia, managing post-dural puncture headache, managing post-sedation paradoxical hyper-activity in children, post-operative bowel paralysis, and apnoea in paediatric populations, that is, apnoea in infancy, paediatric obstructive apnoea, and post-anaesthetic apnoea in pre-mature infants. Though the effects of caffeine on bronchial smooth muscle, neurological, and cardio-vascular systems are well known, the relatively little-known effects on the endocrine and gastro-intestinal (GI) system have been recently taking primacy for eliciting its therapeutic benefits. The literature shows encouraging evidence in favour of caffeine, but unambiguous evidence of caffeine benefits for patients is lacking and needs further investigation. In this narrative review of literature, we summarise the available literature to provide insights into the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical application of caffeine in modern anaesthetic practice, and evidence available in this field to date. An awareness of the various physiological effects, adverse effects, reported applications, and their evidence will widen the horizon for anaesthesiologists to increase its rational use and advance research in this field. Well-designed randomised controlled trials regarding the various outcomes related to caffeine use in anaesthesia should be planned to generate sound evidence and formulate recommendations to guide clinicians.

Longer-Term Effects of the Glycaemic Index on Substrate Metabolism and Performance in Endurance Athletes

Nutrition has a decisive influence on athletic performance. However, it is not only the nutrient intake during exercise that is important, but the daily diet must also be adapted to the requirements of physical activity in order to optimally promote training adaptations. The goal of prolonged endurance training is to enhance fat oxidation, to maintain aerobic performance at a higher intensity while sparing limited carbohydrate stores. The targeted modification of macronutrient intake is a common method of influencing substrate metabolism, fuel selection, and performance. However, it is not well established whether the glycaemic index of carbohydrates in our daily diet can improve endurance performance by influencing carbohydrate or fat oxidation during training. Therefore, the aim of the following review is to elucidate the possible influence of the glycaemic index on substrate utilization during exercise and to clarify whether the consumption of a long-term high-carbohydrate diet with different glycaemic indices may have an influence on substrate metabolism and endurance performance.

A protein restricted diet induces a stable increased fat storage phenotype in flies

Background

Scientific evidence has revealed possible confounders in diet induced obesity models of Drosophila melanogaster. High Sugar Diet (HSD) induction of obesity in flies has been associated with fly hyperosmolarity and glucotoxicity, while High Fat Diet (HFD) induction has been associated with lipotoxicity. The objective of this study was to assess for a healthy obesity phenotype by comparison of fly survival, physio-chemical and biochemical changes associated with HSD, HFD and Protein Restricted Diet (PRD) obesity induction models of male Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we provide information on a PRD as the plausible option in obesity research not involving cancer, diabetes, glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity studies.

Methods

Obesity was induced by exposing Drosophila melanogaster white mutant w¹¹¹⁸ to four experimental diets for four weeks. Group 1 was fed regular food (control), group 2 was fed a 0.5% less yeast than in regular feed (PRD), group 3 was fed a 30% w/v sucrose to regular cornmeal food (HSD) and group 4 was fed a 10% w/v food-grade coconut oil to regular cornmeal food (HFD). Peristaltic waves were measured on 3rd instar larvae of all experimental groups. Negative geotaxis, fly survival, body mass, catalase activity, triglycerides (TG/TP), sterol, and total protein were measured in adult Drosophila melanogaster after four weeks.

Results

Triglycerides (TG/TP) and total protein levels were significantly higher in HSD phenotype. Sterols were higher in HFD phenotype. Though catalase enzyme activity was highest in PRD phenotype, this activity was not statistically significant when compared to that of HSD and HFD phenotypes. However, PRD phenotype had the lowest mass, highest survival rate and the highest negative geotaxis, thus demonstrating a balanced, stable and more viable metabolic status in the experimental model.

Conclusion

A protein restricted diet induces a stable increased fat storage phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster.

Impact of intrawork rest breaks on doctors' performance and well-being: systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To summarise evidence on intrawork breaks and their associated effect on doctors' well-being and/or performance at work.

DESIGN

Systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 statement guidelines DATA SOURCES: Embase, PubMed, Web of Science (Core Collection) and PsychINFO were systematically searched on 6 June 2021.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

No restrictions were placed on language, study design or date of publication.

DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS

Methodological quality was appraised using Cochrane's Risk of Bias (ROB-2), Cochrane's Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies (ROBINS-I), and the Johanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklists for cross-sectional, cohort and qualitative studies. Quantitative synthesis was not undertaken due to substantial heterogeneity of design and outcomes. Results are presented narratively.

RESULTS

Database searches returned 10 557 results and searches of other sources returned two additional records. Thirty-two papers were included in the systematic review, comprised of 29 unique studies, participants and topics and 3 follow-up studies. A variety of well-being and performance outcome measures were used. Overall, findings indicate that intrawork breaks improved some measures of well-being and/or work performance. However, methodological quality was judged to be low with a high risk of bias in most included studies.

DISCUSSION

Using existing evidence, it is not possible to conclude with confidence whether intrawork breaks improve well-being and/or work performance in doctors. There is much inconsistency regarding how breaks are defined, measured and the outcomes used to assess effectiveness. Future research should seek to: (a) define and standardise the measurement of breaks, (b) use valid, reliable outcome measures to evaluate their impact on well-being and performance and (c) minimise the risk of bias in studies where possible.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020156924; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=156924.

Effects of salt substitutes on clinical outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSaSS) recently reported blood pressure-mediated benefits of a potassium-enriched salt substitute on cardiovascular outcomes and death. This study assessed the effects of salt substitutes on a breadth of outcomes to quantify the consistency of the findings and understand the likely generalisability of the SSaSS results.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library up to 31 August 2021. Parallel group, step-wedge or cluster randomised controlled trials reporting the effect of salt substitute on blood pressure or clinical outcomes were included. Meta-analyses and metaregressions were used to define the consistency of findings across trials, geographies and patient groups.

RESULTS

There were 21 trials and 31 949 participants included, with 19 reporting effects on blood pressure and 5 reporting effects on clinical outcomes. Overall reduction of systolic blood pressure (SBP) was -4.61 mm Hg (95% CI -6.07 to -3.14) and of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was -1.61 mm Hg (95% CI -2.42 to -0.79). Reductions in blood pressure appeared to be consistent across geographical regions and population subgroups defined by age, sex, history of hypertension, body mass index, baseline blood pressure, baseline 24-hour urinary sodium and baseline 24-hour urinary potassium (all p homogeneity >0.05). Metaregression showed that each 10% lower proportion of sodium choloride in the salt substitute was associated with a -1.53 mm Hg (95% CI -3.02 to -0.03, p=0.045) greater reduction in SBP and a -0.95 mm Hg (95% CI -1.78 to -0.12, p=0.025) greater reduction in DBP. There were clear protective effects of salt substitute on total mortality (risk ratio (RR) 0.89, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.94), cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0. 81 to 0.94) and cardiovascular events (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

The beneficial effects of salt substitutes on blood pressure across geographies and populations were consistent. Blood pressure-mediated protective effects on clinical outcomes are likely to be generalisable across population subgroups and to countries worldwide.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020161077.

Significantly different roles of economic affluence in sex-specific obesity prevalence rates: understanding more modifications within female body weight management

Socioeconomic status has been associated with obesity prevalence increase in both males and females worldwide. We examined the magnitude of the difference between the two relationships and explored the independence of both relationships. Country specific data on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, sex-specific obesity prevalence rates, urbanisation, total calories availability and level of obesity, genetic background accumulation (measured by the Biological State Index, I_bs) were obtained for 191 countries. Curvilinear regressions, bivariate and partial correlations, linear mixed models and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between GDP and obesity prevalence rates in males and females respectively. Fisher’s r-to-z transformation, F-test and R² increment in multivariate regression were used to compare results for males and females. GDP significantly correlated with sex-specific obesity prevalence rates, but significantly more strongly with male obesity prevalence in bivariate correlation analyses. These relationships remained independent of calories availability, I_bs and urbanization in partial correlation model. Stepwise multiple regression identified that GDP was a significant predictor of obesity prevalence in both sexes. Multivariate stepwise regression showed that, when adding GDP as an obesity prevalence predictor, the absolute increment of R² in male fit model (0.046) was almost four (4) times greater than the absolute increment in female model fit (0.012). The Stepwise analyses also revealed that 68.0% of male but only 37.4% of female obesity prevalence rates were explained by the total contributing effects of GDP, I_bs, urbanization and calories availability. In both Pearson’s r and nonparametric analyses, GDP contributes significantly more to male obesity than to female obesity in both developed and developing countries. GDP also determined the significant regional variation in male, but not female obesity prevalence. GDP may contribute to obesity prevalence significantly more in males than in females regardless of the confounding effects of I_bs, urbanization and calories. This may suggest that aetiologies for female obesity are much more complex than for males and more confounders should be included in the future studies when data are available.

Effects of zinc and vitamin A supplementation on prognostic markers and treatment outcomes of adults with pulmonary tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Undernutrition is a major risk factor for tuberculosis (TB), which is estimated to be responsible for 1.9 million TB cases per year globally. The effectiveness of micronutrient supplementation on TB treatment outcomes and its prognostic markers (sputum conversion, serum zinc, retinol and haemoglobin levels) has been poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the effect of zinc and vitamin A supplementation on prognostic markers and TB treatment outcomes among adults with sputum-positive pulmonary TB.

METHODS

A systematic literature search for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was performed in PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases. Meta-analysis with a random effect model was performed to estimate risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD), with a 95% CI, for dichotomous and continuous outcomes, respectively.

RESULTS

Our search identified 2195 records. Of these, nine RCTs consisting of 1375 participants were included in the final analyses. Among adults with pulmonary TB, zinc (RR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.86 to 1.03), vitamin A (RR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.80 to 1.01) and combined zinc and vitamin A (RR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.08) supplementation were not significantly associated with TB treatment success. Combined zinc and vitamin A supplementation was significantly associated with increased sputum smear conversion at 2 months (RR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.32), serum zinc levels at 2 months (MD: 0.86 μmol/L, 95% CI: 0.14 to 1.57), serum retinol levels at 2 months (MD: 0.06 μmol/L, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.08) and 6 months (MD: 0.12 μmol/L, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.14) and serum haemoglobin level at 6 months (MD: 0.29 μg/dL, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.51), among adults with pulmonary TB.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing zinc and vitamin A supplementation to adults with sputum-positive pulmonary TB during treatment may increase early sputum smear conversion, serum zinc, retinol and haemoglobin levels. However, the use of zinc, vitamin A or both was not associated with TB treatment success.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021248548.

Management of eating disorders for people with higher weight: clinical practice guideline

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of eating disorders is high in people with higher weight. However, despite this, eating disorders experienced by people with higher weight have been consistently under-recognised and under-treated, and there is little to guide clinicians in the management of eating disorders in this population.

AIM

The aim of this guideline is to synthesise the current best practice approaches to the management of eating disorders in people with higher weight and make evidence-based clinical practice recommendations.

METHODS

The National Eating Disorders Collaboration Steering Committee auspiced a Development Group for a Clinical Practice Guideline for the treatment of eating disorders for people with higher weight. The Development Group followed the 'Guidelines for Guidelines' process outlined by the National Health and Medical Research Council and aim to meet their Standards to be: 1. relevant and useful for decision making; 2. transparent; 3. overseen by a guideline development group; 4. identifying and managing conflicts of interest; 5. focused on health and related outcomes; 6. evidence informed; 7. making actionable recommendations; 8. up-to-date; and, 9. accessible. The development group included people with clinical and/or academic expertise and/or lived experience. The guideline has undergone extensive peer review and consultation over an 18-month period involving reviews by key stakeholders, including experts and organisations with clinical academic and/or lived experience.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Twenty-one clinical recommendations are made and graded according to the National Health and Medical Research Council evidence levels. Strong recommendations were supported for psychological treatment as a first-line treatment approach adults (with bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder), adolescents and children. Clinical considerations such as weight stigma, interprofessional collaborative practice and cultural considerations are also discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

This guideline will fill an important gap in the need to better understand and care for people experiencing eating disorders who also have higher weight. This guideline acknowledges deficits in knowledge and consequently the reliance on consensus and lower levels of evidence for many recommendations, and the need for research particularly evaluating weight-neutral and other more recent approaches in this field.

Comparison of Coated and Uncoated Trace Minerals on Growth Performance, Tissue Mineral Deposition, and Intestinal Microbiota in Ducks

Abnormally low or high levels of trace elements in poultry diets may elicit health problems associated with deficiency and toxicity, and impact poultry growth. The optimal supplement pattern of trace mineral also impacts the digestion and absorption in the body. For ducks, the limited knowledge of trace element requirements puzzled duck production. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the influence of dietary inclusions of coated and uncoated trace minerals on duck growth performance, tissue mineral deposition, serum antioxidant status, and intestinal microbiota profile. A total of 1,080 14-day-old Cherry Valley male ducks were randomly divided into six dietary treatment groups in a 2 (uncoated or coated trace minerals) × 3 (300, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg supplementation levels) factorial design. Each treatment was replicated 12 times (15 birds per replicate). Coated trace minerals significantly improved average daily gain (p < 0.05), increased Zn, Se, and Fe content of serum, liver, and muscle, increased serum antioxidant enzyme (p < 0.05) and decreased the excreta Fe, Zn, and Cu concentrations. Inclusions of 500 mg/kg of coated trace minerals had a similar effect on serum trace minerals and tissue metal ion deposition as the 1,000 mg/kg inorganic trace minerals. Higher concentrations of Lactobacillus, Sphaerochatea, Butyricimonas, and Enterococcus were found in birds fed with coated trace minerals. In conclusion, diets supplemented with coated trace minerals could reduce the risk of environmental contamination from excreted minerals without affecting performance. Furthermore, coated trace minerals may improve the bioavailability of metal ions and the colonization of probiotic microbiota to protect microbial barriers and maintain gut health.

Direct effects of phenolic compounds on the mammary gland: In vivo and ex vivo evidence

We assessed the potential of Pistacia lentiscus (lentisk) phenolic compounds to enhance production of milk composition in lactating goats and caprine primary mammary epithelial cells (MEC). Damascus goats were given a lentisk infusion (LI) or fresh water (FW) to drink, in a crossover design. Milk from LI vs. FW goats was 0.43% richer in fat and 30% in omega 3 fatty acids. Lentisk infusion enhanced antioxidant capacity of plasma and milk by 37% and 30% respectively, and induced transcriptional activation of antioxidant genes. To assess the direct effect of polyphenols on milk quality in terms of composition and antioxidant capacity, we used plasma collected from goats fed hay (HP) or browsed on phenolic compounds-rich pasture (primarily lentisk; PP) as a conditioning medium for primary culture of MEC. PP increased 2-fold cellular triglyceride content and 2.4-fold intracellular casein, and increased ATP production and non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption. Taken together, the results imply that lentisk phenolic compounds affect blood, MEC and milk oxidative status, which increase fat production by the mammary gland.

Stability studies of parenteral nutrition with a high dose of vitamin C

BACKGROUND

Postoperative administration of parenteral nutrition has become routine management in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. Providing patient the complete parenteral nutrition containing not only the macronutrients and electrolytes but also adequate doses of vitamins is a significant issue of nutritional therapy. The aim of the study was to develop parenteral nutrition containing a high dose of vitamin C (500 mg) and evaluate their stability.

METHODS

Five compositions of parenteral nutrition were developed and stored for seven days in three different conditions. Physical stability studies including visual examination and determination of pH, size of lipid droplets (using dynamic laser scattering method), and zeta potential (using laser Doppler electrophoresis method) were performed for all studied parenteral nutrition with and without vitamin C immediately after preparation and after storage. The content of vitamin C was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method.

RESULTS

The addition of vitamin C to parenteral nutrition did not affect its physical stability. Degradation of vitamin C in parenteral nutrition occurred according to first-order kinetics reaction. The content of vitamin C remained above 90% of zero-time content within the first 24 h for each studied parenteral nutrition compositions stored at 4°C and 25°C with light protection.

CONCLUSIONS

Vitamin C added to parenteral nutrition was unstable regardless of the storage conditions nor parenteral nutrition compositions. However, for the first 24 h, the content of vitamin C remained in the pharmacopoeial limit. Therefore, supplementation of parenteral nutrition admixtures with vitamin C in the dose of 500 mg is possible in the condition of administration to the patients within the first 24 h.

Perceptions of body size and health among older queer women of size following participation in a health programme

Little research examines how older queer (lesbian and bisexual) women understand and construct meanings around their body size in the context of individual and community norms and identities. Grounded theory was used to analyse transcripts from 31 interview participants drawn from a health programme in the San Francisco Bay Area. Older queer women of size navigate tensions between body ideals and community ideals in and through their experiences of body size. Women's embodied experiences of fatness, chronic pain and weight changes shifted in tandem with their experience of interactions with other queer women, as well as what bodies and body ideals should be in 'the lesbian community'. This study found that bodily norms and health ideologies are embedded and embodied in communities and navigated through the ongoing formation and configuration of communities over time. Body acceptance movements may be out of touch for this population based on their internalisation of the medical model in which weight loss automatically means improved health. Health interventions for older, queer women of size must be community-based to effectively shift behaviours, norms and expectations around healthy living in fat, ageing bodies.

[Moderate exercise and intake of either high or low glycemic index carbohydrates in sedentary women]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze changes in blood glucose, insulin and triglyceride concentrations in relation to a moderate aerobic exercise in sedentary women of different body weight, exposed to either a high or low glycemic index carbohydrates diet. DISEñO: Cross-over type. SITE: Research was performed in the Exercise Physiology Laboratory at Facultad de Ciencias de la Cultura Física, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, México.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-six young sedentary women who did not exercise in the last year participated in the study. Four of adequate weight (AW) and 2 with obesity (OB) were excluded for not consuming the suggested carbohydrates (1gr/kg of weight) nor completed the programed exercise. There were n=10 in each group (AW/OB).

INTERVENTION

Two treatments of 55minutes of aerobic exercise each were applied one day after consuming either high or low glycemic index carbohydrates.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS

Plasmatic glucose, insulin, and triglycerides were determined before and after the scheduled exercise.

RESULTS

Glucose, insulin, and triglycerides were higher in OB than in AW at baseline. Glucose was normalized in OB from 5.8±0.35 to 5.3±0.23 mmol/L (P=.001), only by eating foods with low glycemic index; triglycerides increased from 139.5±66.0 to 150.8±67.2mg/dl (P=.004) at the end of the exercise, after consumption of low glycemic index carbohydrates.

CONCLUSION

Elevation of triglycerides secondary to exercise after consumption of low glycemic index seems to indicate an increase of lipid oxidation in OB.

High Dietary ω-6:ω-3 PUFA Ratio Is Positively Associated with Excessive Adiposity and Waist Circumference

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyze dietary ω-6:ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio and its association with adiposity and serum adiponectin levels in a Mexican population.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, individuals with a BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m2, were classified using four methods to measure adiposity. Parameters of body composition were measured by InBody 3.0. Diet intake was evaluated prospectively using a 3-day written food record. Serum high-molecular weight adiponectin isoform was measured using an ELISA assay. Biochemical and adiposity variables were analyzed by tertiles of dietary ω-6:ω-3 PUFA ratio.

RESULTS

A total of 170 subjects were recruited with a mean age of 36.9 ± 11.8 years. The 73.5% of subjects were women. Subjects in the higher tertile of dietary ω-6:ω-3 PUFA ratio had more adiposity and higher levels of triglycerides, VLDL-c, glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR than those in the first tertile (p < 0.05). Adiponectin levels showed a trend according to dietary ω-6:ω-3 PUFA ratio (p = 0.06). A linear regression model showed that waist circumference, insulin, and HOMA-IR have positive associations with dietary ω-6:ω-3 PUFA ratio.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that high dietary ω-6:ω-3 PUFA ratio is positively associated with excessive adiposity and worse metabolic profile.

Welcoming Feedback: Using Family Experience to Design a Pediatric Weight Management Program

Objective

To describe an approach using principles of experience-based codesign (EBCD) and quality improvement (QI) to integrate family experience into the development of a pediatric weight management program.

Methods

Clinic development occurred in 3 plan, do, study, act (PDSA) cycles that were driven by family experience data. During these cycles, families were engaged in feedback sessions that informed program development. Staff reflected on feedback and designed and tested changes that would improve service delivery.

Results

The first PDSA cycle resulted in the fundamental program parameters and a formalized patient engagement strategy. The second cycle focused on pilot programming, and feedback was used to develop the structured group program. During the third cycle, feedback sessions were embedded into the structured group programs. Program changes included focusing on health rather than weight-based outcomes, adjusting the timing of program offerings, increasing experiential learning opportunities, and providing more opportunities for peer support.

Conclusions

Both EBCD and QI methodologies informed the process of family engagement and program development. This pragmatic approach might be useful for the development of other family-centered pediatric programs.

Causes of Emotional Eating and Matched Treatment of Obesity

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

Eating in response to negative emotions (EE) may be an explanatory factor of the weight regain of many dieters. This narrative review presents evidence on possible causes of EE and the association of EE with depression and obesity and discusses implications of these findings for the treatment of obesity.

RECENT FINDINGS

Possible causes of EE are high dietary restraint, poor interoceptive awareness, alexithymia, emotion dysregulation and a reversed hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) stress axis. EE may be the outcome of inadequate parenting or depressive feelings in interaction with genetic susceptibility. There is also robust evidence that EE is a mediator between depression and obesity. The association of EE with depression and poor emotion regulation skills suggests that the treatment of obese people with high EE should not focus on calorie-restricted diets but on emotion regulation skills. The DEBQ (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire) enables such a matched treatment of obesity.

Influence of low versus moderate glycemic index of diet on substrate oxidation and energy expenditure during incremental exercise in endurance athletes: a randomized counterbalanced cross-over trial

The study was aimed at assessing the influence of 3-week low glycemic index (LGI) versus moderate glycemic index (MGI) diet on substrate oxidation during incremental exercise. 17 runners completed two 3-week trials of either LGI or MGI diet in a randomised counterbalanced manner. Before and after each trial the incremental cycling test was performed. Metabolic alternations were observed only within tested diets and no significant differences in fat and carbohydrate (CHO) oxidation were found between MGI and LGI diets. Following MGI diet CHO oxidation rate increased. The AUC of fat oxidation decreased after both diets. Percent contribution of fat to energy yield declined, whereas contribution of CHO was augmented following MGI diet. This study indicates that the 3-week MGI diet increased the rate of carbohydrate oxidation during incremental cycling test and improved performance in acute intense exercise test, while both high-carbohydrate diets downregulated fat oxidation rate.

On exploring and ranking risk factors of child malnutrition in Bangladesh using multiple classification analysis

Background

Logistic regression analysis is widely used to explore the determinants of child malnutrition status mainly for nominal response variable and non-linear relationship of interval-scale anthropometric measure with nominal-scale predictors. Multiple classification analysis relaxes the linearity assumption and additionally prioritizes the predictors. Main objective of the study is to show how does multiple classification analysis perform like linear and logistic regression analyses for exploring and ranking the determinants of child malnutrition.

Methods

Anthropometric data of under-5 children are extracted from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. The analysis is carried out considering several socio-economic, demographic and environmental explanatory variables. The Height-for-age Z-score is used as the anthropometric measure from which malnutrition status (stunting: below -2.0 Z-score) is identified.

Results

The fitted multiple classification analysis models show similar results as linear and logistic models. Children age, birth weight and birth interval; mother's education and nutrition status; household economic status and family size; residential place and regional settings are observed as the significant predictors of both Height-for-age Z-score and stunting. Child, household, and mother level variables have been ranked as the first three significant groups of predictors by multiple classification analysis.

Conclusions

Detecting and ranking the determinants of child malnutrition through Multiple classification analysis might help the policy makers in priority-based decision-making.

Trial registration

"Retrospectively registered".

Current and future strategies for the nutritional management of cardiometabolic complications of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is used widely as part of a combined modality for the treatment of prostate cancer. However, ADT has also been associated with the development of cardiometabolic complications that can increase mortality from cardiovascular events. There is emerging evidence to suggest that ADT-related cardiometabolic risk can be mitigated by diet and lifestyle modification. While the clinical focus for a nutritional approach for achieving this effect is unclear, it may depend upon the timely assessment and targeting of dietary changes to the specific risk phenotype of the patient. The present review aims to address the metabolic origins of ADT-related cardiometabolic risk, existing evidence for the effects of dietary intervention in modifying this risk, and the priorities for future dietary strategies.

Effective behaviour change techniques for physical activity and healthy eating in overweight and obese adults; systematic review and meta-regression analyses

Purpose

This systematic review aims to explain the heterogeneity in results of interventions to promote physical activity and healthy eating for overweight and obese adults, by exploring the differential effects of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and other intervention characteristics.

Methods

The inclusion criteria specified RCTs with ≥ 12 weeks’ duration, from January 2007 to October 2014, for adults (mean age ≥ 40 years, mean BMI ≥ 30). Primary outcomes were measures of healthy diet or physical activity. Two reviewers rated study quality, coded the BCTs, and collected outcome results at short (≤6 months) and long term (≥12 months). Meta-analyses and meta-regressions were used to estimate effect sizes (ES), heterogeneity indices (I²) and regression coefficients.

Results

We included 48 studies containing a total of 82 outcome reports. The 32 long term reports had an overall ES = 0.24 with 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15 to 0.33 and I² = 59.4%. The 50 short term reports had an ES = 0.37 with 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.48, and I² = 71.3%. The number of BCTs unique to the intervention group, and the BCTs goal setting and self-monitoring of behaviour predicted the effect at short and long term. The total number of BCTs in both intervention arms and using the BCTs goal setting of outcome, feedback on outcome of behaviour, implementing graded tasks, and adding objects to the environment, e.g. using a step counter, significantly predicted the effect at long term. Setting a goal for change; and the presence of reporting bias independently explained 58.8% of inter-study variation at short term. Autonomy supportive and person-centred methods as in Motivational Interviewing, the BCTs goal setting of behaviour, and receiving feedback on the outcome of behaviour, explained all of the between study variations in effects at long term.

Conclusion

There are similarities, but also differences in effective BCTs promoting change in healthy eating and physical activity and BCTs supporting maintenance of change. The results support the use of goal setting and self-monitoring of behaviour when counselling overweight and obese adults. Several other BCTs as well as the use of a person-centred and autonomy supportive counselling approach seem important in order to maintain behaviour over time.

Trial Registration

PROSPERO CRD42015020624

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-017-0494-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Joint longitudinal data analysis in detecting determinants of CD4 cell count change and adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy at Felege Hiwot Teaching and Specialized Hospital, North-west Ethiopia (Amhara Region)

BACKGROUND

Adherence and CD4 cell count change measure the progression of the disease in HIV patients after the commencement of HAART. Lack of information about associated factors on adherence to HAART and CD4 cell count reduction is a challenge for the improvement of cells in HIV positive adults. The main objective of adopting joint modeling was to compare separate and joint models of longitudinal repeated measures in identifying long-term predictors of the two longitudinal outcomes: CD4 cell count and adherence to HAART.

METHODS

A longitudinal retrospective cohort study was conducted to examine the joint predictors of CD4 cell count change and adherence to HAART among HIV adult patients enrolled in the first 10 months of the year 2008 and followed-up to June 2012. Joint model was employed to determine joint predictors of two longitudinal response variables over time. Furthermore, the generalized linear mixed effect model had been used for specification of the marginal distribution, conditional to correlated random effect.

RESULTS

A total of 792 adult HIV patients were studied to analyze the longitudinal joint model study. The result from this investigation revealed that age, weight, baseline CD4 cell count, ownership of cell phone, visiting times, marital status, residence area and level of disclosure of the disease to family members had significantly affected both outcomes. From the two-way interactions, time * owner of cell phone, time * sex, age * sex, age * level of education as well as time * level of education were significant for CD4 cell count change in the longitudinal data analysis. The multivariate joint model with linear predictor indicates that CD4 cell count change was positively correlated (p ≤ 0.0001) with adherence to HAART. Hence, as adherence to HAART increased, CD4 cell count also increased; and those patients who had significant CD4 cell count change at each visiting time had been encouraged to be good adherents.

CONCLUSION

Joint model analysis was more parsimonious as compared to separate analysis, as it reduces type I error and subject-specific analysis improved its model fit. The joint model operates multivariate analysis simultaneously; and it has great power in parameter estimation. Developing joint model helps validate the observed correlation between the outcomes that have emerged from the association of intercepts. There should be a special attention and intervention for HIV positive adults, especially for those who had poor adherence and with low CD4 cell count change. The intervention may be important for pre-treatment counseling and awareness creation. The study also identified a group of patients who were with maximum risk of CD4 cell count change. It is suggested that this group of patients needs high intervention for counseling.

Reduction of postprandial blood glucose in healthy subjects by buns and flatbreads incorporated with fenugreek seed powder

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine whether fenugreek seed powder could reduce the glycemic response and glycemic index (GI) when added to buns and flatbreads.

METHODS

In a randomised, controlled crossover trial, ten healthy human subjects (five men, five women) were given 50 g glucose (reference food, twice); buns (0 and 10 % fenugreek seed powder); and flatbreads (0 and 10 % fenugreek seed powder) on six different occasions. Finger prick capillary blood samples were collected at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after the start of the meal. The palatability of the test meals was scored using Likert scales.

RESULTS

The incremental areas under the glucose curve value of buns and flatbreads with 10 % fenugreek (138 ± 17 mmol × min/L; 121 ± 16 mmol × min/L) were significantly lower than those of 0 % fenugreek bun and flatbreads (227 ± 15 mmol × min/L; 174 ± 14 mmol × min/L, P = <0.01). Adding 10 % fenugreek seed powder reduced the GI of buns from 82 ± 5 to 51 ± 7 (P < 0.01) and to the GI of flatbread from 63 ± 4 to 43 ± 5 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that replacing 10 % of refined wheat flour with fenugreek seed powder significantly reduces the glycemic response and the GI of buns and flatbreads. Thus, fenugreek powder may be a useful functional ingredient to reduce postprandial glycemia.

Evaluation and Characterization of Malabar Tamarind [Garcinia cambogia (Gaertn.) Desr.] Seed Oil

The objective of this study is to evaluate the chemical compounds present in the Malabar tamarind seed oil. The oil was extracted from the seeds of Malabar tamarind fruits collected from NBPGR Regional station, Thrissur. The seeds yielded 46.5 % of oil. Parameters such as the peroxide value, iodine value, saponification value, and acid value of the extracted Malabar tamarind seed oil were determined. These values were used to predict the quality of fatty acid methyl esters present in the oil. UV absorption spectroscopy of the oil showed hypsochromic shift, and the maximum absorbance was at 269 nm. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum revealed the presence of olefin hydrogen and carbonyl group of ester compounds in the oil sample. The evaluation of the chemical compounds in the oil using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed that, a total of five fatty acid methyl esters were present in the oil sample. Among the five fatty acid esters present in the Malabar tamarind seed oil, Methyl 16-methyl heptadecanoate (54.57 %) was found to be the predominant compound. This study also supports the presence of olefins in the long chain fatty acids from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) data. There is a significant correlation between the properties and the characteristic profile of the oil sample. This study is the first report that shows Malabar tamarind as a promising source of oil seeds.

Consumption of apples is associated with a better diet quality and reduced risk of obesity in children: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2010

Background

Most children do not meet the recommendation for fruit consumption. Apples are the second most commonly consumed fruit in the US; however, no studies have examined the association of total apple products, apples, apple sauce, and 100 % apple juice consumption on diet quality and weight/adiposity in children.

Methods

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between various apple consumption forms with diet quality and weight/adiposity in a nationally representative sample of children. Participants were children 2–18 years of age (N = 13,339) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2010. Intake was determined using a single interview administered 24-h diet recall. Apple product consumption was determined using the cycle-appropriate USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies food codes. Total diet quality and component scores were determined using the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI). Anthropometrics were determined using standard methods. Covariate adjusted linear and logistic regressions were used to compare apple product consumers with non-consumers; sample weights were used. Probability was set at <0.01.

Results

Approximately 26 % of the population (n = 3,482) consumed some form of apple products. Consumers of apple products, whole apples, apple sauce, and 100 % apple juice had higher HEI scores than non-consumers: 50.4 ± 0.4 v 41.9 ± 0.3, 52.5 ± 0.5 v 42.7 ± 0.3, 52.1 ± 0.8 v 47.2 ± 0.4, and 51.4 ± 0.6 v 46.5 ± 0.4, respectively. Apple products and whole apple consumers had lower BMI z-scores than non-consumers: 0.4 ± 0.04 v 0.5 ± 0.03 and 0.3 ± 0.1 v 0.5 ± 0.02, respectively. Apple products and whole apple consumers were 25 % (0.59–0.95 99^th CI) and 30 % (0.52–0.95 99^th CI), respectively, were less likely to be obese than non-consumers.

Conclusions

Consumption of any form of apples contributed to the fruit recommendation of children and improved diet quality. Apples should be included in the diets of children as a component of an overall healthy diet.

Dietary exposure of Nigerians to mutagens and estrogen-like chemicals

Food and drinking water are poorly delineated sources of human exposure to chemical food mutagens and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. In this study, we investigated the presence of mutagens and chemicals exhibiting estrogenic activity in the daily diet of Nigerians, using in vitro assays. Commercially processed foods or snacks and various brands of pure water sachets were extracted by solid-phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction, respectively. Mutagenicity was determined by the conventional Ames test and two complementary assays on two strains of Salmonella (TA 100 and TA 98), while the estrogenic activity was assessed by a yeast bioluminescent assay, using two recombinant yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae BMAEREluc/ERα and S. cerevisiae BMA64/luc). A third of the food varieties investigated (chin-chin, hamburger, suya and bean cake) were mutagenic in all three assays, either in the presence or absence of S9 mix. Of the packed water samples, five out of the sixteen investigated (31%), were found to be estrogenic, with estradiol and bisphenol A equivalents ranging from 0.79 to 44.0 ng/L and 124.2 to 1,000.8 ng/L, respectively. Hence, although the current situation in Nigeria does not appear to be substantially worse than, e.g., in Europe, regular monitoring is warranted in the future.

Obesity and psychosocial impairment: mediating roles of health status, weight/shape concerns and binge eating in a community sample of women and men

OBJECTIVES

We examined the relative importance of physical health status, weight/shape concerns and binge eating as mediators of the association between obesity and psychosocial impairment in a community sample of women and men.

METHODS

Self-report measures of eating disorder features, perceived physical health and psychosocial functioning were completed by a general population sample of women and men classified as obese or non-obese (women: obese=276, non-obese=1220; men: obese=169, non-obese=769). Moderated mediation analysis was used to assess the relative importance of each of the putative mediators in accounting for observed associations between obesity and each outcome measure and possible moderation of these effects by sex.

RESULTS

Weight/shape concerns and physical health were equally strong mediators of the association between obesity and psychosocial impairment. This was the case for both men and women and for each of three measures of psychosocial functioning-general psychological distress, life satisfaction and social support-employed. The effects of binge eating were modest and reached statistical significance only for the life satisfaction measure in men.

CONCLUSIONS

A greater focus on body acceptance may be indicated in obesity prevention and weight-management programs.

Índice glicêmico da refeição pré-exercício e metabolismo da glicose na atividade aeróbica

O índice glicêmico (IG) é um indicador funcional que pode ser usado para classificar carboidratos de acordo com sua resposta glicêmica e insulinêmica em relação a um alimento conhecido, pão branco ou glicose. No ramo da nutrição esportiva, este é considerado principalmente para compor a refeição pré-exercício, pois afeta diretamente a resposta glicêmica pós-prandial, e dependendo de alguns fatores, tais como o tempo prévio de ingestão, existe o risco de hipoglicemia de rebote durante o exercício. Elucidar, atraves de uma revisão sistematizada, qual estratégia nutricional é a mais adequada empregando refeições de diferentes índices glicêmicos pré-exercício. Foi consultada a base de dados PubMed, utilizando os descritores: aerobic exercise, glicemic index e glycemia, de forma combinada. Foram adotados como critérios de inclusão artigos originais, publicados em inglês nos últimos cinco anos e realizados com humanos, e como critério de exclusão, amostra não saudável e exercício sem predominância aeróbica. Foram selecionados 11 artigos, os quais variavam quanto ao gênero da amostra e seu condicionamento, o tipo de exercício selecionado, assim como sua duração e intensidade, o valor de IG adotado, e o tempo prévio de ingestão alimentar, de 15 minutos a três horas. Pela recorrência de alguns resultados, alimentos de baixo índice glicêmico causam menor alteração glicêmica pós-prandial, o que pode acarretar em um comportamento mais estável ao longo do exercício, tornando-se uma estratégia nutricional mais conservadora para a população em geral.

Weighty dynamics: exploring couples' perceptions of post-weight-loss interaction

Although romantic couples can use communication to help one another lose weight and maintain weight loss, the effect of weight loss on partner interaction is less understood. However, an examination of the interpersonal context in which partners manage their weight is important to help partners negotiate their weight, their relationship, and the U.S. obesity epidemic. Guided by systems theory, this study explored partners' perceptions of post-weight-loss interaction in relationships in which one partner lost weight and the other did not. Through qualitative questionnaires of 42 adults (21 romantic couples), the dyadic investigation revealed that while losing weight resulted in positive interaction for many partners (e.g., engaging in a shared healthy lifestyle), shedding weight also yielded some negative consequences (e.g., non-weight-loss partner criticism). The extent to which partners embraced new weight management rules and patterns largely influenced post-weight-loss communication and behavior.

Usefulness of combining intermittent hypoxia and physical exercise in the treatment of obesity

Obesity is an important public health problem worldwide and is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases such as type II diabetes, adverse cardiovascular events and metabolic syndrome-related features. Different treatments have been applied to tackle body fat accumulation and its associated clinical manifestations. Often, relevant weight loss is achieved during the first 6 months under different dietary treatments. From this point, a plateau is reached, and a gradual recovery of the lost weight may occur. Therefore, new research approaches are being investigated to assure weight maintenance. Pioneering investigations have reported that oxygen variations in organic systems may produce changes in body composition. Possible applications of intermittent hypoxia to promote health and in various pathophysiological states have been reported. The hypoxic stimulus in addition to diet and exercise can be an interesting approach to lose weight, by inducing higher basal noradrenalin levels and other metabolic changes whose mechanisms are still unclear. Indeed, hypoxic situations increase the diameter of arterioles, produce peripheral vasodilatation and decrease arterial blood pressure. Furthermore, hypoxic training increases the activity of glycolytic enzymes, enhancing the number of mitochondria and glucose transporter GLUT-4 levels as well as improving insulin sensitivity. Moreover, hypoxia increases blood serotonin and decreases leptin levels while appetite is suppressed. These observations allow consideration of the hypothesis that intermittent hypoxia induces fat loss and may ameliorate cardiovascular health, which might be of interest for the treatment of obesity. This new strategy may be useful and practical for clinical applications in obese patients.