Journal of Obesity最新文献

Objective: To assess the association between maternal iron, folic acid and combined iron-folic acid (IFA) oral supplementation during pregnancy and childhood obesity markers in 9- to 13-year-olds. Methods: Data from the 2007-2009 Healthy Growth Study were analysed. The study assessed obesity markers, i.e., body mass index (BMI), skinfold thickness and waist circumference. The research question was examined using generalised linear models stratified by the child's sex, maternal prepregnancy weight and gestational age. Results: Folic acid and IFA supplements, but not iron alone, were significantly associated with lower waist circumference in all children (coef. -1.35, 95% CI: -2.47 to -0.23; coef. -1.01, 95% CI: -2.21 to -0.23, p < 0.05). These associations were observed only in girls with lower BMI (coef. -0.88), skinfold thickness (coef. -4.92) and waist circumference (coef. -2.99) with folic acid and similar IFA effects. Interestingly, in boys born to obese mothers before pregnancy, a significant negative association was observed for folic acid alone with BMI (coef. -3.55) and waist circumference (coef. -7.09) and IFA for the sum of skinfold thickness (coef. -19.68). Conclusion: Maternal folic acid and IFA supplementation may contribute to a lower likelihood of childhood obesity, especially in girls and children of underweight or obese mothers, emphasising the importance of proper prenatal nutrition.

Introduction: Obesity is increasing worldwide. Due to the unavailability of affordable obesity drugs in most parts of Nigeria, many overweight and obese people rely on medicinal plants to manage obesity. Thus, the aim of this study is to document medicinal plants traditionally used in the treatment and management of obesity in the North Central Zone of Nigeria, determine the plants to which pharmacological assessment of their use in obesity management has not been reported, and assess their toxicity based on the literature. Methods: Semistructured questionnaires and interviews were used to assess sociodemographic information of the 700 herb sellers/practitioners (100 for each state) who consented to participate in the study. Information gathered on plants that are traditionally used in the management of obesity included administration/dosage, method of preparation, plant part used, method of growth, and plant type. The field study was conducted over a one-year period, from March 2018 to March 2019. Reports of pharmacological activity pertaining to obesity as well as toxicity of the plants were obtained from the literature via scientific databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, SciFinder, AJOL, PubChem, and other web sources) after the field survey. Results: A total of 39 families and 70 plant species were used to treat or manage obesity. The majority of plant species used resulted in the family Leguminosae. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) and percentage values for the five most frequently used plants were as follows: Citrus aurantifolia (0.0500; 3.56%), Citrus limon (0.0457; 3.26%), Garcinia kola (0.0429; 3.05%), Zingiber officinale (0.0429; 3.05%), and Allium sativum (0.0414; 2.95%). The majority of the medications were prepared as decoctions (50.5%), and cultivated plants (62.86%) were in the majority of plants used. Results showed that 23 plants have no pharmacological report for antiobesity activities while among the five frequently used plants, only Garcinia kola was reported toxic in preclinical models. Conclusions: This paper provides a valuable compilation of the plants used in obesity treatment in the study area by indigenous healers, highlights plants with no reported pharmacological activity pertaining to obesity, and indicates the toxicity profile of used plants. However, further studies on the mechanism of action are warranted, especially where no reports were obtained.

In this study, we estimate the effect of prepregnancy obesity and excessive pregnancy weight gain on infant and maternal health outcomes. We rely on a large sample of maternally linked restricted data from 2004 to 2019 South Carolina birth certificates, which allow us to track the same mothers during multiple pregnancies over a period of more than 15 years. To address possible limitations of previous research, we account for genetic confounders and unobservable maternal and environmental factors by relying on a maternal fixed effects strategy. We find that gaining above recommended amounts of weight increases the likelihood of delivering a high weight infant by 2.34 percentage points, while being obese increases this likelihood by 2.58 percentage points. These large negative effects of weight gain outside recommended ranges, as well as the effects of being obese, are present in White and Black mothers. Also, our results indicate that mothers who gained too much weight, or were obese, had a higher likelihood of cesarean section and higher likelihood of being induced. Finally, among the subsample of Medicaid mothers, excessive pregnancy weight gain as well as inadequate weight gain increased the likelihood of NICU admission.

Childhood obesity is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon. Understanding these factors is crucial in developing effective interventions to prevent and treat childhood obesity. The purpose of this study is to provide an update on factors related to childhood obesity in the United States. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) survey to assess factors associated with childhood obesity among US children aged 12 to 17 years. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with overweight and obesity. Data were analyzed using R studio (4.3.2). A total of 12,836 respondents were enrolled in this study. Among them, the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity was found to be 17.66%, 11.21%, and 1.76%, respectively. Respondents with a BMI over 25 were mostly male (17.63%) and of White race (32.77%). The main sociodemographic factors associated with overweight and obesity were being 14 or 15 years old, male, non-White, having a history of alcohol or marijuana consumption, and not practicing physical activity. These findings can inform targeted interventions for prevention and management. This research sheds light on critical sociodemographic factors related to childhood obesity in the U.S., highlighting its complexity. The findings emphasize the influence of age, gender, ethnicity, and lifestyle behaviors, such as substance use and physical inactivity, on obesity rates among youth. These insights are crucial for developing targeted interventions. Addressing these factors offers a real chance to enhance future health outcomes, and underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies that include both health education and broader community support to instill healthy habits early on. In addition, unexpected results concerning vegetable consumption and the omission of genetic and familial data suggest areas for further research.

Background: Obesity's negative impact on young people's health has long been known. The family and its socioeconomic position (SEP) are key determinants in adolescent obesity. However, understanding which familial determinants explain the association remains limited.

Method: The analyses are based on data from the "German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents" (KiGGS) (1,384 females and 1,332 males aged 11 to 17 years). Logistic regression models explored how familial determinants (family stress, family cohesion, parental smoking, parental sporting activity, and parental overweight) mediated the association between family SEP (parental education, occupational status, and household income) and adolescent obesity.

Results: Significant total effects for the associations between family SEP in childhood and adolescent obesity were found. Splitting the total effect of the family SEP on obesity into direct and indirect effects, all direct effects turned out to be significant. However, all associations involved also indirect effects of familial determinants, except for household income for female adolescents. Parental smoking and overweight were the most relevant mediators for males and females. For male adolescents, parental sporting activity additionally mediated the association between SEP and obesity.

Conclusion: A low SEP in childhood was associated with adolescent obesity. Parental health and health behaviors partly explained the association. For increasing health equality in adolescent health, the consideration of parental health behavior in the planning and implementation of health promotion programs seem to be important.

Background: Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease that has been associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Objectives: This study aimed to compare changes in body mass index (BMI) and obesity prevalence between two cross-sectional samples of Brazilian women. Furthermore, retrospective assessments of lifetime body weight changes were explored. Methods: Two independent population-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2003 (first survey) and 2015 (second survey) with women living in the urban area city in southern Brazil. Both surveys had a similar design and included 981 women aged 20-60 years. Mean BMI and the presence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) were estimated. Additionally, lifetime body weight change was obtained for the retrospective longitudinal assessment. Results: After 12 years, there was a significant increase from 25.9 ± 5.3 kg/m² to 28.1 ± 6.2 kg/m² in mean BMI. Between 2003 and 2015, the prevalence of obesity increased by 73% (18.0%; 95% CI: 15.8-20.6 vs. 31.2%; 95% CI: 28.3-34.1; p < 0.001). The means of estimated cumulative body weight gain from 15 to 50 years were 15.2 kg (95% CI: 13.3-17.1) and 17.2 kg (95% CI: 15.5-18.9) in 2003 and 2015, respectively; the greater cumulative difference between the two periods was observed at 40 years of age (3.3 kg). Conclusions: There was a significant increase in the mean BMI and prevalence of obesity between 2003 and 2015. Moreover, women experienced higher body weight gain during their lives in both survey periods, mainly in early adulthood.

Overweight and obesity are linked to the severity of infections and the development of chronic conditions among children and adolescents in Ghana. Hence, estimating the current prevalence and its determinants is imperative to guide public health interventions. This review mapped evidence on the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among in-school children and adolescents (aged 5-19 years) in Ghana. Three main databases (PubMed, Central, and JSTOR) were searched for studies conducted in Ghana. Also, the study included only studies published online between 2010 and 2022. The search produced 1214 records, with an additional 23 identified through a search conducted in Google, Google Scholar, the WHO library, HINARI, and institutional repositories. After a thorough screening, 24 records were synthesized. The prevalence of overweight/obesity among the 23,663 in-school children and adolescents in Ghana was 0.5%-47.06%. Females have higher odds of being overweight than males. In addition, lack of nutrition and physical activity (PA) knowledge and low participation in school sports and physical activities exposed in-school children and adolescents in Ghana to overweight and obesity. Consumption of unhealthy foods, late bed, smoking, loneliness, watching television, and playing computer games exposed schoolchildren and adolescents in Ghana to overweight and obesity. There are relatively high levels of overweight and obesity among school-going children and adolescents in Ghana. Addressing sex gaps in PA, ensuring healthy eating, and limiting sedentary lifestyles is the surest way to promote healthy weight among in-school children and adolescents in Ghana.

Objective: Genetic variability significantly impacts metabolism, weight gain, and feeding behaviors, predisposing individuals to obesity. This study explored how variations in key genes related to obesity-FOXO3A (forkhead box O3), AMPK (protein kinase AMP-activated), and POMC (proopiomelanocortin)-are associated with extreme obesity (EOB). Methods: We conducted a case-control study with 251 EOB patients and 212 healthy controls with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 kg/m². We genotyped 10 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) using TaqMan-based assays. Results: Four SNVs-rs1536057 in FOXO3A, rs103685 in AMPK, rs934778, and rs6545975 in POMC-were associated with an increased risk of EOB. The strongest association was observed with rs934778 (POMC), which had a maximum odds ratio (OR) of 5.26 (95% CI: 2.86-9.09). While these genetic variations are closely linked to EOB, they do not affect serum glucose, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, BMI, or waist circumference. Conclusions: These findings indicate that factors beyond traditional metabolic pathways, potentially related to feeding behavior or hormonal regulation, may also link these genetic variations to obesity. Further research in a larger sample is essential to validate these findings and explore their potential to guide clinical interventions and public health strategies.

Background: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) abnormalities are directly associated with obesity-associated disorders. The underlying mechanisms that confer increased pathological risk to VAT in obesity have not been fully described. Methods: A case-control study was conducted that included 10 women with obesity (36.80 ± 7.39 years, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) and 10 women of normal weight (32.70 ± 9.45 years, BMI < 24.9 kg/m²). RNA was extracted from greater omentum biopsies, and, using a DNA microarray, differential transcriptomic expression of VAT in women with obesity was evaluated taking as a reference that of women with normal weight. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were classified into functional biological processes and signaling pathways; moreover, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were integrated for a deeper analysis of the pathways and genes involved in the central obesity-associated disorders. The expression of TNF-α, MAPK, and AKT proteins was also quantified in VAT. Results: The VAT of women with obesity had 3808 DEGs, mainly associated with the cellular process of inflammation and carbohydrates and lipid metabolism. Overexpressed genes were associated with inflammatory, metabolic, hormonal, neuroendocrine, carcinogenic, and infectious pathways. Cellular processes related to addictive behaviors were notable. MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways were overexpressed, and Mapk1 and Akt3 genes were common crossing points among obesity-associated disorders' pathways. The increased expression of MAPK, AKT, and TNF proteins was confirmed in the VAT of women with obesity. Conclusion: VAT confers a complex and blended pathogenic transcriptomic profile in obese patients, where abnormal processes are mainly controlled by activating intracellular signaling pathways that exhibit a high degree of redundancy. Identifying shared cross points between those pathways could allow specific targeting treatments to exert a widespread effect over multiple pathogenic processes.

Objective: The importance of early microbial dysbiosis in later development of obesity and metabolic disorders has been a subject of debate. Here we tested cause and effect in mice.

Methods: Germ-free male Swiss Webster mice were colonized in a specific-pathogen-free (SPF) facility at 1 week (1W) and 3 weeks (3W) of age. They were challenged with a high-fat diet and their responses were compared with SPF mice. Gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Moreover, RNA sequencing of the liver was performed on additional 3W and SPF mice on a regular chow diet.

Results: There were no significant differences in weight, food consumption, epididymal fat weight, HbA1c levels, and serum insulin and leptin, whereas the early germ-free period resulted in mice with impaired glucose tolerance. Both the 1W and 3W group peaked 56% (p < 0.05) and 66% (p < 0.01) higher in blood glucose than the SPF control group, respectively. This was accompanied by a 45% reduction in the level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in the 1W mice (p < 0.05). There were no differences in the gut microbiota between the groups, indicating that all mice colonized fully after the germ-free period. Marked effects on hepatic gene expression (728 differentially expressed genes with adjusted p < 0.05 and a fold change ± 1.5) suggested a potential predisposition to a higher risk of developing insulin resistance in the 3W group.

Conclusions: Lack of microbes early in life had no impact on adiposity but led to insulin resistance and altered liver gene expression related to glucose metabolism in mice. The study strongly supports the notion that microbial signaling to the liver in the beginning of life can alter the host's risk of developing metabolic disorder later in life.