Perceived ‘healthiness’ of Foods Can Influence Consumers’ Estimations of Energy Density and Appropriate Portion Size.
Perceived ‘healthiness’ of foods can influence consumers’ estimations of energy density and appropriate portion size.
Int J Obes (Lond). 2013 May 7;
Faulkner GP, Pourshahidi LK, Wallace JM, Kerr MA, McCaffrey TA, Livingstone MB
OBJECTIVE:To compare portion size (PS) estimates, perceived energy density (ED) and anticipated consumption guilt (ACG) for healthier vs standard foods.METHODS:Three pairs of isoenergy dense (kJ per 100?g) foods-healthier vs standard cereals, drinks and coleslaws-were selected. For each food, subjects served an appropriate PS for themselves and estimated its ED. Subjects also rated their ACG about eating the food on a scale of 1 (not at all guilty) to 5 (very guilty).RESULTS:Subjects (n=186) estimated larger portions of the healthier coleslaw than that of the standard version, and perceived all healthier foods to be lower in ED than their standard alternatives, despite being isoenergy dense. Higher ACG was associated with the standard foods. Portion estimates were generally larger than recommendations and the ED of the foods was underestimated.CONCLUSIONS:The larger portions selected for the ‘reduced fat’ food in association with lower perceived ED and ACG suggests that such nutrition claims could be promoting inappropriate PS selection and consumption behaviour. Consumer education on appropriate portions is warranted to correct such misconceptions.International Journal of Obesity advance online publication, 4 June 2013; doi:10.1038/ijo.2013.69. HubMed – eating
The Patients Concerns Inventory in head and neck cancer: Comparison between self-completed paper and touch screen versions in the clinic setting.
Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2013 May 31;
Scott B, Ghazali N, Lowe D, Bekiroglu F, Rogers SN
BACKGROUND: The Patients Concerns Inventory (PCI) is a practical tool for patients to highlight their concerns and needs for discussion in consultations. OBJECTIVE: To use paper and touch-screen technology (TST) versions of the PCI, to see if there were differences in issues raised by patients before consultation and in issues discussed during consultation. METHODS: Two consultants participated. Also 105 of their post-operative head and neck cancer patients in 122 consultations completed paper or TST versions of the PCI before consultation, April 2010 to April 2012. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between paper and TST in how many PCI concerns were selected by patients or discussed in consultation, nor in length of consultation. Fear of recurrence, chewing/eating, dental health, swallowing, salivation, head & neck pain, speech and sleeping issues were common concerns across both paper and TST. Fewer than 10% of patients encountered any problems when completing either form of PCI. Interestingly, the two consultants used the PCI differently, reflected in different levels of agreement between items highlighted on the PCI and items subsequently discussed – ?appa-coefficients of agreement were 0.68 for the paper and 0.66 for the TST version of the PCI (consultant A) and 0.55 for the paper and 0.32 for the TST version of the PCI (consultant B). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that the paper version of the PCI was an acceptable alternative to the TST version. HubMed – eating
Weight discrimination and bullying.
Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Apr; 27(2): 117-27
Puhl RM, King KM
Despite significant attention to the medical impacts of obesity, often ignored are the negative outcomes that obese children and adults experience as a result of stigma, bias, and discrimination. Obese individuals are frequently stigmatized because of their weight in many domains of daily life. Research spanning several decades has documented consistent weight bias and stigmatization in employment, health care, schools, the media, and interpersonal relationships. For overweight and obese youth, weight stigmatization translates into pervasive victimization, teasing, and bullying. Multiple adverse outcomes are associated with exposure to weight stigmatization, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, suicidal ideation, poor academic performance, lower physical activity, maladaptive eating behaviors, and avoidance of health care. This review summarizes the nature and extent of weight stigmatization against overweight and obese individuals, as well as the resulting consequences that these experiences create for social, psychological, and physical health for children and adults who are targeted. HubMed – eating
From policy to practice: implementation of physical activity and food policies in schools.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2013 Jun 3; 10(1): 71
Mâsse LC, Naiman D, Naylor PJ
Purpose: Public policies targeting the school setting are increasingly being used to address childhood obesity; however, their effectiveness depends on their implementation. This study explores the factors which impeded or facilitated the implementation of publicly mandated school-based physical activity and nutrition guidelines in the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 school informants (17 principals – 33 teacher/school informants) to examine the factors associated with the implementation of the mandated Daily Physical Activity (DPA) and Food and Beverage Sales in Schools (FBSS) guidelines. Coding used a constructivist grounded theory approach. The first five transcripts and every fifth transcript thereafter were coded by two independent coders with discrepancies reconciled by a third coder. Data was coded and analysed in the NVivo 9 software. Concept maps were developed and current theoretical perspectives were integrated in the later stages of analysis. RESULTS: The Diffusion of Innovations Model provided an organizing framework to present emergent themes. With the exception of triability (not relevant in the context of mandated guidelines/policies), the key attributes of the Diffusion of Innovations Model (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, and observability) provided a robust framework for understanding themes associated with implementation of mandated guidelines. Specifically, implementation of the DPA and FBSS guidelines was facilitated by perceptions that they: were relatively advantageous compared to status quo; were compatible with school mandates and teaching philosophies; had observable positive impacts and impeded when perceived as complex to understand and implement. In addition, a number of contextual factors including availability of resources facilitated implementation. CONCLUSIONS: The enactment of mandated policies/guidelines for schools is considered an essential step in improving physical activity and healthy eating. However, policy makers need to: monitor whether schools are able to implement the guidelines, support schools struggling with implementation, and document the impact of the guidelines on students’ behaviors. To facilitate the implementation of mandated guidelines/policies, the Diffusion of Innovations Model provides an organizational framework for planning interventions. Changing the school environment is a process which cannot be undertaken solely by passive means as we know that such approaches have not resulted in adequate implementation. HubMed – eating
Associations between oral health-related impacts and rate of weight gain after extraction of pulpally involved teeth in underweight preschool Filipino children.
BMC Public Health. 2013 Jun 3; 13(1): 533
Duijster D, Sheiham A, Hobdell MH, Itchon G, Monse B
BACKGROUND: Severe dental caries in young children is associated with underweight and failure to thrive. One possible mechanism for severe caries affecting growth is that the resulting pain and discomfort influences sleeping and eating, and that affects growth and weight. The objective of this study was to assess whether rate of weight gain after extraction of severely decayed teeth in underweight preschool Filipino children was related to reductions in oral health-related impacts and dental pain from severe dental caries affecting eating and sleeping. METHODS: Data are from the Weight Gain Study, a stepped wedge cluster randomized clinical trial where underweight Filipino children with severe dental decay had their pulpally involved teeth extracted. Day care centers were randomly divided into tw o groups; A and B. Group A children received treatment first and Group B children were treated four months after Group A. Clinical oral examinations used WHO criteria and the pufa-index. Self-reported oral health-related impacts and anthropometric measurements were collected for both groups at baseline, four months after treatment of Group A children and four months after treatment of Group B children. Weight-for-age z-scores were calculated using 2006 and 2007 WHO standards. Data were converted to a one-group pre-test post-test st udy design, where all children received treatment. Associations between changes in oral health-related impacts and weight-for-age z-scores after dental treatment were assessed. RESULTS: Data on 145 children (mean age 61.4 months) were analyzed. There was a significant association between oral health-related impacts and rate of weight gain after extraction of pulpally involved teeth (p=0.02). Children free of impacts on sleeping related to having severely decayed teeth extracted gained significantly more weight compared to children who reported sleeping problems after dental treatment (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: After extraction of severely decayed teeth in underweight Filipino children, levels of oral health-related impacts were associated with rate of weight gain. Decreases in oral health impacts on sleeping appeared to be most strongly associated with weight gain. Trial registration ISRCTN: ISRCTN90779069. HubMed – eating
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