Eating Disorders: Adolescent Perspectives on Wearing Accelerometers to Measure Physical Activity in Population-Based Trials.

Adolescent perspectives on wearing accelerometers to measure physical activity in population-based trials.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Eur J Public Health. 2012 Jun 19;
Audrey S, Bell S, Hughes R, Campbell R

BACKGROUND: Accelerometers are increasingly used in health research to measure physical activity, but few published studies document participants’ views and experiences of wearing accelerometers, preferring to focus on measurement decisions and outcomes, and fewer still have reported the views and experiences of adolescent participants. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the use of accelerometers with young people including recruitment, retention and adherence to protocol. METHODS: The AHEAD (Activity and Healthy Eating in Adolescence) feasibility study, involving over 1000 students aged 12/13 years, took place in south-west England between 2007 and 2009. Piloting work was followed by an exploratory trial, incorporating a process evaluation, in six schools. Students were asked to wear accelerometers for 7 days at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: Eighty-nine percent of students provided some accelerometer data at baseline and 87% at follow-up. However, adherence (recording ?600 minutes per day for ?3 days) fell from 75% at baseline to 56% at follow-up. Factors affecting adherence included the following: the use and type of incentives, appearance, discomfort and unforeseen changes to the school timetable. CONCLUSIONS: If worn properly, accelerometers can provide an important objective measure of physical activity in population-based studies promoting physical activity. But to achieve generalizable results, it is important to maximize recruitment, retention and adherence to protocol across the study population. For adolescents, adherence may be improved by the following: a ‘two-part’ reward (part one for returns, part two for adherence), personal activity graphs, and less obtrusive belts and monitors.
HubMed – eating

 

Perspectives on asymmetry: The Erickson Lecture.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Am J Med Genet A. 2012 Nov 6;
Cohen Jr MM

Topics discussed include asymmetry of the brain; prosopagnosia with asymmetric involvement; the blaspheming brain; effects of the numbers of X chromosomes on brain asymmetry; normal facial asymmetry; kissing asymmetry; left- and right-handedness; left-sided baby cradling; Nodal signaling and left/right asymmetry; primary cilium and left/right asymmetry in zebrafish; right/left asymmetry in snails; species differences in Shh and Fgf8; primary cilium in vertebrate asymmetry; Hedgehog signaling on the cilium; Wnt signaling on the cilium; situs solitus, situs inversus, and situs ambiguus (heterotaxy); ciliopathies; right-sided injuries in trilobites; unilateral ocular use in the octopus; fiddler crabs; scale-eating cichlids; narwhals; left-footed parrots; asymmetric whisker use in rats; and right-sided fatigue fractures in greyhounds. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
HubMed – eating

 

Effects of Treatment Differences on Psychosocial Predictors of Exercise and Improved Eating in Obese, Middle-Age Adults.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

J Phys Act Health. 2012 Nov 5;
Annesi J

BACKGROUND: Behavioral interventions for weight-loss have been largely unsuccessful. Exercise is the strongest predictor of maintained weight loss and much of its effects may be from associated changes in psychosocial factors. METHODS: Middle-aged, formerly sedentary adults with severe obesity were randomly selected to 6-month treatments of cognitive-behavioral exercise support paired with either standard nutrition education (n=99) or nutrition change supported by cognitive-behavioral means with an emphasis on self-regulation (n=101). RESULTS: Overall improvements in self-efficacy and self-regulation for both exercise and managed eating, and mood, were found, with significantly greater improvements associated with the cognitive-behavioral nutrition condition in self-regulation for eating and mood. Change scores trended toward being stronger predictors of increased exercise and fruit and vegetable intake than scores at treatment end. Multiple regression analyses indicated that significant portions of the variance in both increased volume of exercise (R2=0.45) and fruit and vegetable intake (R2=0.21) were explained by changes in self-regulatory skill usage, self-efficacy, and mood. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive-behavioral methods for improved eating paired with behavioral support of exercise may improve weight loss through effects on the psychosocial factors of self-regulation, self-efficacy, and overall mood more than when standard nutrition education is incorporated.
HubMed – eating

 

The use of sensory attributes, sugar content, instrumental data and consumer acceptability in selection of sweet potato varieties.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

J Sci Food Agric. 2012 Sep 25;
Laurie SM, Faber M, Calitz FJ, Moelich EI, Muller N, Labuschagne MT

BACKGROUND: As eating quality is important for adoption of new varieties, nine orange-fleshed and three cream-fleshed sweet potato varieties were assessed for sensory characteristics, dry mass and free sugar content, instrumental texture and colour and consumer acceptability (n?=? 216) in a peri-urban South African setting. RESULTS: Cream-fleshed varieties were higher in yellow-green colour and sweet potato-like flavour and lower in graininess. Orange-fleshed varieties were higher in pumpkin-like flavour, orange colour, discolouration and sucrose content. Partial least squares regression analysis showed that the most accepted varieties (Impilo, Excel, Resisto, 2001_5_2, Serolane, W-119 and Monate) were associated with sweet flavour, dry mass and maltose content, while the least accepted varieties (Beauregard, Khano and 1999_1_7) were associated with wateriness. Pearson correlation analysis highlighted correlations of sensory attributes yellow and orange with instrumental colour measurements (colour a* and colour b*), instrumental firmness with sensory firmness, dry mass with sensory wateriness, and maltose content with sensory sweet and sweet potato-like flavour. The varieties were clustered into three groups. Consumer acceptability for eating quality correlated with maltose content, dry mass and sweet flavour. CONCLUSION: Chemical and instrumental measurements were identified to evaluate key attributes and will be useful in the intermediate phases of sweet potato varietal development.
HubMed – eating

 

Relationship between lifestyle choices and hyperuricemia in Chinese men and women.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Clin Rheumatol. 2012 Nov 7;
Liu L, Lou S, Xu K, Meng Z, Zhang Q, Song K

We aimed to explore correlations between lifestyle choices and hyperuricemia in a large Chinese population, emphasizing the differences from opposite sex. Ten thousand four hundred fifty subjects were randomly recruited from Tianjin municipality in China. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid >420 ?mol/L for men and >360 ?mol/L for women. Demographic data, highest education degree, work type, commuting means, smoking and drinking status, exercise frequency, and quantitative assessments of dietary factors were collected. Anthropometric measurements and fasting blood tests were performed. Statistical analyses were conducted. Total hyperuricemic prevalence was 12.89 %, with male significantly higher than female. Body mass index, waist circumference, serum indices, and age displayed high correlation coefficients, and most lifestyle factors also showed significant correlations as well. Binary logistic regression models showed odds ratio of developing hyperuricemia were much greater in males than in females by eating habits. However, physical activity-related lifestyle choices tended to cast much greater influences on the likelihood of hyperuricemia in females. Lifestyle choices and hyperuricemia are closely related. For males, eating habits have greater influences on the likelihood of developing hyperuricemia. For females, lifestyle factors like work type, commuting method, and exercise have such effects.
HubMed – eating

 

 

THIN – Eating disorders – Part 11 – THIN, directed by Lauren Greenfield and distributed by HBO, is an exploration of The Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida; a 40-bed residential facility for the treatment of women with eating disorders. The film mostly revolves around four women with anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia and their struggles for recovery.

 

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