Eating Disorders: Socio-Economic Status, Neighbourhood Food Environments and Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables in New York City.

Socio-economic status, neighbourhood food environments and consumption of fruits and vegetables in New York City.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Public Health Nutr. 2013 Feb 6; 1-9
Jack D, Neckerman K, Schwartz-Soicher O, Lovasi GS, Quinn J, Richards C, Bader M, Weiss C, Konty K, Arno P, Viola D, Kerker B, Rundle A

OBJECTIVE: Recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption are largely unmet. Lower socio-economic status (SES), neighbourhood poverty and poor access to retail outlets selling healthy foods are thought to predict lower consumption. The objective of the present study was to assess the interrelationships between these risk factors as predictors of fruit and vegetable consumption. DESIGN: Cross-sectional multilevel analyses of data on fruit and vegetable consumption, socio-demographic characteristics, neighbourhood poverty and access to healthy retail food outlets. SETTING: Survey data from the 2002 and 2004 New York City Community Health Survey, linked by residential zip code to neighbourhood data. SUBJECTS: Adult survey respondents (n 15 634). RESULTS: Overall 9·9 % of respondents reported eating ?5 servings of fruits or vegetables in the day prior to the survey. The odds of eating ?5 servings increased with higher income among women and with higher educational attainment among men and women. Compared with women having less than a high-school education, the OR was 1·12 (95 % CI 0·82, 1·55) for high-school graduates, 1·95 (95 % CI 1·43, 2·66) for those with some college education and 2·13 (95 % CI 1·56, 2·91) for college graduates. The association between education and fruit and vegetable consumption was significantly stronger for women living in lower- v. higher-poverty zip codes (P for interaction < 0·05). The density of healthy food outlets did not predict consumption of fruits or vegetables. CONCLUSIONS: Higher SES is associated with higher consumption of produce, an association that, in women, is stronger for those residing in lower-poverty neighbourhoods. HubMed – eating

Mediation of social cognitive theory variables in the relationship of exercise and improved eating in sedentary adults with severe obesity.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Psychol Health Med. 2013 Feb 6;
Annesi JJ, Tennant GA

Results from behavioral treatments for obesity have been disappointing due to an inability to sustain healthy eating. The concurrent use of theory, research, and practical application has the potential of reducing overeating through innovative treatments. When overweight individuals begin an exercise program their eating tends to improve, however, the basis of this relationship is not determined. If the psychosocial mediators of the relationship between exercise and improved eating are better understood, supported exercise may be a key component for improving the efficacy of behavioral weight management treatments. In Phase 1 of this research, psychosocial variables derived from social cognitive theory were tested as possible mediators of the relationship of exercise participation with increased fruit and vegetable intake in severely obese adults initiating a 26-week treatment of supported exercise and standard nutrition education (n?=?161). Change in self-regulation for healthy eating and self-regulation at treatment end was a strong mediator; with the addition of mood and self-efficacy for healthy eating being additional mediators that notably increased effect ratios. In Phase 2, participants in a cognitive-behavioral nutrition treatment tailored to improve the identified mediators (n?=?163) were contrasted with the original group. The cognitive-behavioral nutrition treatment was associated with significantly greater increases than standard nutrition education in self-regulation, p?=?0.023, CIs [4.69, 6.48], and [3.19, 5.02], respectively; self-efficacy, p?=?0.013, CIs [19.72, 29.41], and [11.70, 20.71], respectively; and a marginally significant decrease in negative mood, p?=?0.062, CIs [-14.26, -9.36], and [-10.90, -6.45], respectively. Findings served to inform treatment designs concerning the use of supported exercise and cognitive-behavioral means to derive better outcomes related to nutrition and weight loss in individuals with severe obesity.
HubMed – eating

Dana, The 8 Year Old Anorexic Part 5/5 – Dana is eight years old and anorexic. Cutting Edge follows Dana as she embarks on an intensive 12-week programme at a specialist clinic, to examine why younger and younger children are developing eating disorders. Channel 4 documentary

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