Infants not exempt from obesity epidemic

Infants Not Exempt from Obesity Epidemic


ScienceDaily (Jan. 4, 2011) — Most people understand that children are part of the obesity epidemic. However, a revealing new study finds that obesity might begin in babies as young as nine months old.



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"With the consistent evidence that the percent of overweight children has steadily increased over the past decade, we weren't surprised by the prevalence rates we found in our study, but we were surprised the trend began at such a young age," said lead study author Brian Moss, at the social work school at Wayne State University in Detroit.
The new study used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort to analyze the early weight of 16,400 U.S. children born in 2001. Of these, 8,900 were nine months old and 7,500 were two years old.
The researchers found that 31.9 percent of babies at nine months and 34.3 percent at two years of age were either at risk or obese. The study also found that children who were Hispanic and from lower-income families were at greater risk of being obese than white children, while Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders had lower risk. Female children were at lower risk for obesity than males.
"Being in an undesirable weight category at nine months subsequently predisposed children to remain in a less desirable weight category," said Moss, whose study appears in the January-February 2011 issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Childhood obesity expert Joyce Lee, MD, an assistant professor in pediatric endocrinology and health services research at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, confirmed that obesity is indeed becoming a problem in increasingly younger children.
"At younger ages, it is critical for parents to watch their child's nutritional intake as this will be the main determinant of their weight status," Lee said. "There is no approved 'diet' for children that young, so parents should communicate with their child's health care provider about healthy ways to feed their child."

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Health Behavior News Service, part of the Center for Advancing Health.




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Brian G. Moss, William H. Yeaton. Young Children's Weight Trajectories and Associated Risk Factors: Results From the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort. American Journal of Health Promotion, 2011; 25 (3): 190 DOI: 10.4278/ajhp.090123-QUAN-29

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'Yo-yo' effect of slimming diets explained

'Yo-Yo' Effect of Slimming Diets Explained


ScienceDaily (Jan. 17, 2011) — If you want to lose the kilos you've put on over Christmas, you may be interested in knowing that the hormones related to appetite play an important role in your likelihood of regaining weight after dieting. A new study confirms that people with the highest levels of leptin and lowest levels of ghrelin are more likely to put the centimetres they lost back on again.



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Doctors often have to deal with patients who, after sticking to a slimming diet, have regained the kilos lost in just a short time -- or weigh even more than they did before they started the diet. This is called the 'yo-yo' effect, and it is noted in some people who follow such weight-loss programmes.
"There are patients who are susceptible to and others who are resistant to the benefits of a diet," Ana Belén Crujeiras, lead author of the study and a doctor at the University Hospital Complex of Santiago (CHUS), said. "It seems that the way each patient responds to treatment is predetermined by their own characteristics."
The researchers analysed the role of the plasma levels of hormones such as ghrelin, leptin and insulin on weight recovery in 104 overweight people following a hypocaloric diet. After eight weeks, the group that had regained more than 10% of the weight lost was found to have higher levels of leptin and lower levels of ghrelin. No differences were observed in their insulin levels.
The results, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, also show that ghrelin has a specific impact on men and leptin on women.
"Some obese or overweight patients who gain more weight following a diet could even be identified before they embark on their weight-loss therapy, just by looking at their plasma levels of these hormones," Crujeiras stresses.
A very useful dietary weapon
According to the authors, this study opens the door to more exhaustive studies on appetite-related hormones as tools for developing individually-tailored weight-loss programmes that would guarantee success for obese and overweight patients in keeping the weight lost off.
"Endocrinologists and nutritionists should design a special programme for patients with the highest plasma levels of leptin and the lowest ghrelin levels before they start on a hypocaloric diet, knowing that these patients are the most likely to regain the weight they have lost over the short term," concludes the expert.

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Plataforma SINC, via AlphaGalileo.




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A. B. Crujeiras, E. Goyenechea, I. Abete, M. Lage, M. C. Carreira, J. A. Martinez, F. F. Casanueva. Weight Regain after a Diet-Induced Loss Is Predicted by Higher Baseline Leptin and Lower Ghrelin Plasma Levels. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2010; 95 (11): 5037 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2009-2566

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Big breakfast generally doesn't help weight loss

Big Breakfast Generally Doesn't Help Weight Loss


ScienceDaily (Jan. 16, 2011) — Does eating a big breakfast help weight loss or is it better to skip breakfast altogether? Available information is confusing but new research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition Journal clears a path through these apparently contradictory reports.



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Dr Volker Schusdziarra, from the Else-Kröner-Fresenius Center of Nutritional Medicine, conducted a study on over 300 people who were asked to keep a journal of what they usually ate. Within the group sometimes people ate a big breakfast, sometimes small, and sometimes skipped it all together.
Schusdziarra said that "the results of the study showed that people ate the same at lunch and dinner, regardless of what they had for breakfast," this means that a big breakfast (on average 400kcal greater than a small breakfast) resulted in a total increase in calories eaten over the day of about 400kcal. The only difference seen was the skipping of a mid morning snack when someone ate a really big breakfast, however this was not enough to offset the extra calories they had already eaten.
The group addressed previous research, which suggests that eating a big breakfast reduces total calorie intake over the day, and showed that this data is misleading. This earlier research only looked at the ratio of breakfast calories to daily calories and in Schusdziarra's study this ratio seems to be most affected by people eating less during the day. In other words their breakfast was proportionally, but not absolutely, bigger. So it seems that there is no magic and that, unfortunately, in the fight for weight-loss, eating a large breakfast must be counteracted by eating substantially less during the rest of the day.
In order to lose weight sensibly NHS guidelines (UK) suggest restricting calorie intake, cutting down on saturated fat and sugar, and eating 5-a-day fruit and veg.

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by BioMed Central, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.




Journal Reference:

Volker Schusdziarra, Margit Hausmann, Claudia Wittke, Johanna Mittermeier, Marietta Kellner, Aline Naumann, Stefan Wagenpfeil, Johannes Erdmann. Impact of breakfast on daily energy intake -- an analysis of absolute versus relative breakfast calories. Nutrition Journal, (in press) [link]

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Taking more steps every day can help ward off diabetes

Taking More Steps Every Day Can Help Ward Off Diabetes


ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2011) — Simply taking more steps every day not only helps ward off obesity but also reduces the risk of diabetes, finds a study published on the British Medical Journal website.



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While several studies have shown that physical activity reduces body mass index and insulin resistance -- an early stage in the development of diabetes -- this is the first study to estimate the effects of long-term changes in daily step count on insulin sensitivity.
A popular guideline is to do 10,000 steps every day, though a more recent recommendation is 3,000 steps, five days a week.
The research, by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, involved 592 middle aged adults who took part in a national study to map diabetes levels across Australia between 2000 and 2005.
At the start of the study, participants completed a detailed diet and lifestyle questionnaire and underwent a thorough health examination. They were also given a pedometer and instructed how to use it. Participants were monitored again five years later.
Other lifestyle factors, such as diet, alcohol and smoking were taken into account.
A higher daily step count over five years was associated with a lower body mass index, lower waist to hip ratio, and better insulin sensitivity.
These associations were independent of dietary energy intake and appeared to be largely due to a change in adiposity (fatness) over the five years, say the authors.
The authors estimate that, in their setting, a sedentary person who takes a very low number of daily steps but who was able to change behaviour over five years to meet the popular 10,000 daily step guideline would have a threefold improvement in insulin sensitivity compared with a similar person who increased his or her steps to meet the more recent recommendation of 3,000 steps for five days a week.
They conclude: "These findings, confirming an independent beneficial role of higher daily step count on body mass index, waist to hip ratio, and insulin sensitivity, provide further support to promote higher physical activity levels among middle aged adults."

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by BMJ-British Medical Journal, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.




Journal Reference:

T. Dwyer, A.-L. Ponsonby, O. C. Ukoumunne, A. Pezic, A. Venn, D. Dunstan, E. Barr, S. Blair, J. Cochrane, P. Zimmet, J. Shaw. Association of change in daily step count over five years with insulin sensitivity and adiposity: population based cohort study. BMJ, 2011; 342 (jan13 1): c7249 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.c7249

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Microbes in our gut regulate genes that control obesity and inflammation

Microbes in Our Gut Regulate Genes That Control Obesity and Inflammation


ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2011) — If you are looking to lose weight in the coming year, you may need help from an unexpected place: the bacteria in your gut. That's because scientists have discovered that the bacteria living in your intestines may play a far more significant role in weight loss and gastrointestinal problems than ever imagined.



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In a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal, researchers show that a deficiency of Toll-like receptor 2 (Tlr2) -- used by mammals (including humans) to recognize resident microbes in the intestines -- leads to changes in gut bacteria that resemble those of lean animals and humans. This discovery builds on previous research demonstrating that a deficiency of TLR2 protects against obesity, while at the same time promoting gastrointestinal problems like excessive inflammation. It also shows that genes controlling TLR2 expression play a very important role in one's gastrointestinal health and weight management.
"Our work highlights the remarkable capacity for an orchestrated reprogramming of the intestinal inflammatory network to overcome significant genetic challenges in the mammalian bowel," said Richard Kellermayer, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "The appropriate exploitation of this remarkable capacity may provide means for the prevention and optimized treatment of common metabolic (such as obesity and diabetes) and gastrointestinal disorders."
To make this discovery, Kellermayer and colleagues studied normal mice and mice deficient in TLR2 using the large intestinal lining of these mice. They compared the TLR2-deficient ones to the normal group, as well as the bacteria, the epigenome (more specifically DNA methylation, a molecular change in the DNA associated with decreased gene expression), and the gene expression of the animals. The researchers found that the absence of TLR2 leads to microbial changes in the gut that resemble lean animals and humans, as well as immunologic changes similar to those observed in ulcerative colitis.
"Every New Year, a significant percentage of us resolve ourselves to lose weight," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal, "but national statistics on obesity show that we're failing fast. This research linking gut bacteria to TLR2 expression opens entirely new doors for weight control solutions, first by cementing TLR2 as a drug target for obesity, and second by providing further evidence that managing gut bacteria may be an important and effective way to control weight. The challenge, of course, is to find a way to tip the scales just enough to keep weight under control without causing serious gastrointestinal problems."

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.




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R. Kellermayer, S. E. Dowd, R. A. Harris, A. Balasa, T. D. Schaible, R. D. Wolcott, N. Tatevian, R. Szigeti, Z. Li, J. Versalovic, C. W. Smith. Colonic mucosal DNA methylation, immune response, and microbiome patterns in Toll-like receptor 2-knockout mice. The FASEB Journal, 2011; DOI: 10.1096/fj.10-172205

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Big breakfast generally doesn't help weight loss

Big Breakfast Generally Doesn't Help Weight Loss


ScienceDaily (Jan. 16, 2011) — Does eating a big breakfast help weight loss or is it better to skip breakfast altogether? Available information is confusing but new research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition Journal clears a path through these apparently contradictory reports.



See Also:
Health & Medicine

Diet and Weight Loss
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Food
Cats
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Reference

South Beach diet
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Healthy diet

Dr Volker Schusdziarra, from the Else-Kröner-Fresenius Center of Nutritional Medicine, conducted a study on over 300 people who were asked to keep a journal of what they usually ate. Within the group sometimes people ate a big breakfast, sometimes small, and sometimes skipped it all together.
Schusdziarra said that "the results of the study showed that people ate the same at lunch and dinner, regardless of what they had for breakfast," this means that a big breakfast (on average 400kcal greater than a small breakfast) resulted in a total increase in calories eaten over the day of about 400kcal. The only difference seen was the skipping of a mid morning snack when someone ate a really big breakfast, however this was not enough to offset the extra calories they had already eaten.
The group addressed previous research, which suggests that eating a big breakfast reduces total calorie intake over the day, and showed that this data is misleading. This earlier research only looked at the ratio of breakfast calories to daily calories and in Schusdziarra's study this ratio seems to be most affected by people eating less during the day. In other words their breakfast was proportionally, but not absolutely, bigger. So it seems that there is no magic and that, unfortunately, in the fight for weight-loss, eating a large breakfast must be counteracted by eating substantially less during the rest of the day.
In order to lose weight sensibly NHS guidelines (UK) suggest restricting calorie intake, cutting down on saturated fat and sugar, and eating 5-a-day fruit and veg.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by BioMed Central, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.




Journal Reference:

Volker Schusdziarra, Margit Hausmann, Claudia Wittke, Johanna Mittermeier, Marietta Kellner, Aline Naumann, Stefan Wagenpfeil, Johannes Erdmann. Impact of breakfast on daily energy intake -- an analysis of absolute versus relative breakfast calories. Nutrition Journal, (in press) [link]

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Mandatory menu labeling didn't change behavior at fast food chain

Mandatory Menu Labeling Didn't Change Behavior at Fast Food Chain


ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2011) — An effort in King County, Washington, to add nutrition facts labeling to fast food menus had no effect on consumer behavior in its first year.



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As part of a comprehensive effort to stem the rise in obesity, the county, which includes Seattle and environs, imposed a mandatory menu labeling regulation on all restaurant chains with 15 or more locations beginning in January, 2009. Restaurants had to disclose calorie information at the point of purchase.
Researchers from Duke-National University of Singapore (NUS) Graduate Medical School and the public health department of Seattle & King County found, in the 13 months after the legislation went into effect, food-purchasing behavior at the Taco Time locations in King County was identical to that in Taco Time locations where menu boards remained unchanged.
The total number of sales and average calories per transaction were unaffected by the menu labeling.
"Given the results of prior studies, we had expected the results to be small, but we were surprised that we could not detect even the slightest hint of changes in purchasing behavior as a result of the legislation," said lead author Eric Finkelstein, Ph.D., associate professor of health services at Duke-NUS. "The results suggest that mandatory menu labeling, unless combined with other interventions, may be unlikely to significantly influence the obesity epidemic."
As part of health care reform, the federal government has plans for a nationwide launch of mandatory nutrition information at the point of purchase for fast-food chains with 20 or more outlets.
"However, it may be that detailed nutritional information is not the best way to convey the health content of fast foods," said coauthor Kiersten Strombotne of Duke-NUS. "For example, if you know a store offers diet and regular soda, does showing how many calories are in regular soda really offer any relevant information? Those who want a lower calorie drink already know to drink the diet soda."
Finkelstein said that the lack of effects at Taco Time may be because the restaurant was already identifying the healthier options via "Healthy Highlights" logos on the menu board before the legislation went into effect.
"A simple logo identifying which foods are healthiest may be all it takes to convey that information to those consumers who wish to choose a healthier alternative," Finkelstein said. "The additional information appears not to have made a difference."
Finkelstein pointed out that the obesity epidemic continued to increase after the Nutrition Facts Panel was required nationally for pre-packaged foods. He suggested that further studies should be done to quantify which sources of information are most likely to encourage consumers to switch to healthier options.
Such information, however, would be too late for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to use because its regulations on fast-food menu labeling are due out by March 23, 2011, he said.
The study was published in the February issue of the American Journal for Preventive Medicine on January 14. Other authors on the study were Nadine L. Chan and James Krieger of Public Health -- Seattle and King County.

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