Soft Drink Consumption in Young Mexican Adults Is Associated with Higher Total Body Fat Percentage in Men but Not in Women

Perceived Stress Is Directly Associated with Major Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages among Public University Students

Stress is a condition that has been related to the development of risk behaviors for health such as sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) consumption. The aim of this study was to examine the link between SSBs consumption and perceived stress level in university students. This was an observational, cross-sectional and single-time-point study where the subjects were recruited as a non-probabilistic sample of first-year university students. The students reported their SSBs consumption through a validated questionnaire, as well as their perceived stress level, evaluated through the Cohen scale. Comparisons were made between the means of all variables. Factorial analysis of variance was conducted to explore the effect of the variables’ interaction on the stress level. One-way analysis of variance was performed to assess differences between the sexes. Men consumed more SSBs (6101.17 ± 3772.50 mL/week) compared to women (4294.06 ± 3093.8 mL/week). However, women had higher scores of perceived stress and showed a strong association of stress with the SSBs consumption pattern (r and p-value). This study shows for the first time the association that exists between stress and SSBs consumption and indicates that it is related to sex in the young population.

Abdominal Obesity, Excessive Adiposity, and the Taq1B CETP Variant Are Positively Associated with Serum Lipid Levels in Mexican Women

INTRODUCTION

Obesity is a prevalent multifactorial disease whose main complication is dyslipidemia. Serum lipid levels also depend on genetic factors including the Taq1B variant of the CETP gene, which is suggested to be influenced by environmental factors and adiposity. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of the Taq1B CETP variant on serum lipid levels associated with anthropometrical variables.

METHODS

165 women from western Mexico were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Weight and body fat were measured by bioimpedance and waist circumference with a measuring tape. Serum lipid levels were determined by dry chemistry. The Taq1B CETP variant was analyzed by allelic discrimination.

RESULTS

Women with abdominal obesity and the B1B2/B2B2 genotype had significantly higher total cholesterol levels (195.17 [185.95-204.39] vs. 183 mg/dL [169.83-196.16], p = 0.007) and low density lipoprotein (118.84 [110.65-127.03] vs. 113.84 mg/dL [102.37-125.31], p = 0.037) than carriers of the B1B1 genotype. Likewise, subjects with excessive adiposity and the B1B2/B2B2 genotype showed significantly higher total cholesterol levels (195.05 [186.04-204.06] vs. 182.40 mg/dL [169.03-195.76], p = 0.003) than those with the B1B1 genotype.

CONCLUSION

Women with abdominal obesity or excessive adiposity, who are also carriers of the B1B2/B2B2 genotype, have higher serum lipid levels than women with the B1B1 genotype.

The Perception of Overweight and Obesity among South African Adults: Implications for Intervention Strategies

Obesity is a public health problem, affecting more than half of the global population. Perceptions and beliefs play a significant role in preventing and managing overweight and obesity. Thus, the paper explores own perception of overweight and obesity on personal health among South African adults. This was a qualitative study in which the participants (n = 24) were interviewed in-depth on their perception of obesity and health. Thematic analysis was used in data assessment. The results revealed four main themes: perceived causes of obesity, self-perception of being obese, perception of obesity, health, and cultural beliefs. Environmental and personal factors were perceived as the leading cause of overweight and obesity. The findings further showed that body weight preference was personal and differed from individual to individual. The study provided insight into perceptions of obesity from individuals' perspectives. The misperceptions of overweight and obesity are helpful in the design of impactful intervention programmes that can be used to prevent and manage obesity in South Africa.

The Impact of Collaborative Communication on the Physical Distribution Service Quality of Soft Drinks: A Case Study of Beverage Manufacturing Companies in Greece

This research aimed to use the collaborative communication aspects of information sharing, incentive alignment, and decision synchronization to explain physical distribution service quality in the soft drink demand chain. The research was prompted by a desire to learn more about a topic that has received little attention in Greece while also contributing information about the variables that influence the performance of soft drink distribution networks. Manufacturers in Greece provided the data. The aspects of collaborative communication were significant determinants of the physical distribution service quality. Physical distribution service quality was shown to be significantly predicted by incentive alignment and information sharing, but not by decision synchronization. This research shows that collaborative communication aspects such as information sharing, decision synchronization, and incentive alignment enhance physical distribution service quality in soft drink demand chains. The research used a primary sample of 200 study participants from different drink manufacturing plants around Greece. In our research, we focused on vertical cooperation between manufacturers and distributors and its effect on physical distribution service quality. This is a relatively unexplored topic in the developing world. According to the scholars cited in the literature review, information exchange, incentive alignment, and decision synchronization improve physical distribution service quality in demand chains.

Association between Soft-Drink Intake and Obesity, Depression, and Subjective Health Status of Male and Female Adults

This study explores the association between soft-drink intake and obesity, depression, and subjective health status in male and female adults. Soft-drink consumption has become a serious public health issue worldwide. Participants of this study were selected (n = 3086) from the respondents in the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016 and divided into the non-soft-drink group (men, 502; women, 1117) and the soft-drink group (men, 684; women, 783). Soft-drink intake data were obtained, using a validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire and the 24 h dietary recall. Total energy intake and fat density were significantly higher, but the nutrient densities of carbohydrate, total dietary fiber, and micronutrients were significantly lower in the soft-drink group than in the non-soft-drink group. In men, soft-drink intake was found to be significantly associated with a lower risk of depression. Conversely, in women, soft-drink intake was found to be significantly associated with the higher risks of depression, obesity, and poor subjective health status. Therefore, less frequent soft-drink intake may prevent obesity and depression in Korean women.