With the abundance of literature on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention during childhood, recommendations for restricted dietary sodium and fat intakes during infancy and childhood are both advocated for preventive health care and criticized because the safety is undetermined. Dietitians, nurse practitioners, and pediatricians were surveyed to determine what dietary recommendations they give to parents and what source of information most influenced their decisions. A fourth group, pediatricians with particular expertise in nutrition, were surveyed as well. The overall response rate was 76%, with a total usable sample of 252. In all professional groups, 54% had no preference for any one commercially prepared formula. More importance was given to sodium content than to fat composition of formulas. On the choice of whole, low-fat, or non-fat milk for both 1- and 6-year-old children, professional groups differed significantly. Dietitians and the subgroup of pediatricians with nutrition expertise were more likely to recommend milk with higher fat content than other professional groups. Recommendations for both sodium- and fat-modified diets for children depended on CVD risk, and opinions varied between groups. Pediatricians and nurse practitioners were more likely to recommend dietary modifications for children with higher CVD risk. The variation in dietary recommendations within and between professional groups strongly indicates the need for research on the safety and efficacy of dietary restrictions in childhood. J Am Diet Assoc 88:1417, 1988.
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common metabolic disorder whose incidence among US adults exceeds 30%. While NAFLD manifests as benign hepatic steatosis in most patients, in about 20% of patients it assumes a much more aggressive form – non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The mechanisms that control the switch from benign steatosis to NASH are poorly understood, but were suggested to depend on ER stress. To query the role of ER stress in NASH development and establish a proper mouse model for studying the disease, we fed high‐fat diet (HFD) to MUP‐uPA mice, which are prone to liver ER stress due to hepatocyte‐specific urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) expression. Placing these mice on HFD triggered full‐blown NASH within 3–4 months and most of the NASH‐afflicted mice progressed to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer whose incidence and development rates greatly increase with steatohepatitis. Both NASH and HCC development in MUP‐uPA mice depend on ER stress and are associated with persistent activation of sterol response element binding proteins (SREBP) 1 and 2. SREBP1 activation drives de novo lipogenesis (DNL) and cholesterol biosynthesis in HFD‐fed MUP‐uPA mice remains elevated without any sign of feedback inhibition mechanisms that control SREBP2 activation in tissue culture cells. DNL and cholesterol synthesis are also chronically elevated in NASH patients and the hepatic accumulation of free cholesterol was suggested to be a key switch from simple steatosis to NASH. While investigating the mechanism by which ER stress leads to persistent SREBP activation, we uncovered a previously unknown pathway in which caspase‐2 (Casp2) leads to constitutive activation of site 1 protease (S1P), which initiates SREBP cleavage activating protein (SCAP)‐independent SREBP activation. Of note, genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of Casp2 in MUP‐uPA mice blocks NASH development by preventing hepatic steatosis. Casp2 ablation in both MUP‐uPA and BL6 mice also prevents HFD‐induced adipocyte hypertrophy and increases energy consumption. None of the effects of Casp2 on liver lipid metabolism are related to cell death. The NAFLD/NASH epidemic was also suggested to be associated with increased consumption of fructose, which is a major constituent of high‐fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the main sweetener and a general food additive in the US. Increased consumption of HFCS has been linked to elevated risk of developing HCC, pancreatic and colon cancer. Indeed, feeding MUP‐uPA mice a high‐fructose diet (HFrD) results in NASH and HCC development even without the peripheral obesity that accompanies HFD consumption. Although fructose was believed to give rise to hepatic steatosis through preferential uptake and direct incorporation into the glycolytic pathway in hepatocytes, recent results indicate that the first site of fructose metabolism is the small intestine. Correspondingly, we found that fructose gives rise to NASH and HCC by first disrupting the intestinal epithelial barrier, evoking an inflammatory response that drives both NASH and HCC development. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .
Promoting physical activity is a high priority in the United States, especially for Native American populations, due to very high rates of inactivity-related chronic diseases. High-quality physical activity measures can contribute to achieving health goals. Measuring a sample of the population can identify high-risk subgroups and geographic locations that can be targeted for interventions. Outcomes of physical activity interventions should be evaluated because this is the only way to determine whether they are effective. Three types of measures are practical for use in nonresearch settings, although they still present challenges. First, self-reports are commonly used; they are low-cost but the least accurate. Second, objective monitors such as pedometers, accelerometers, and heart rate monitors can provide accurate information, but resources and expertise are needed to collect and manage data. Third, direct observation can be used to evaluate school physical education programs and assess how people are using parks and other physical activity facilities. Studies of Native American populations have used a variety of measures. Good evaluations can lead to program improvements, documenting positive results can attract funding to continue and expand programs, and communicating results can persuade other communities to adopt effective approaches. Program evaluations using quality physical activity measures can contribute to achieving the goal of improved health in Native American communities.
Inflammation is a part of the host defense system, which provides protection against invading pathogens. However, it has become increasingly clear that inflammation can be evoked by endogenous mediators through Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to enhance tumor progression and metastasis. Here, we discuss the roles of TLR-mediated inflammation in tumor progression and the mechanisms through which it accomplishes this pathogenic function.
SALLIS, J. F., J. J. PROCHASKA, and W. C. TAYLOR. A review of correlates of physical activity of children and adolescents. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 32, No. 5, pp. 963–975, 2000. Background Understanding the factors that influence physical activity can aid the design of more effective interventions. Previous reviews of correlates of youth physical activity have produced conflicting results. Methods A comprehensive review of correlates of physical activity was conducted, and semiquantitative results were summarized separately for children (ages 3–12) and adolescents (ages 13–18). The 108 studies evaluated 40 variables for children and 48 variables for adolescents. Results About 60% of all reported associations with physical activity were statistically significant. Variables that were consistently associated with children's physical activity were sex (male), parental overweight status, physical activity preferences, intention to be active, perceived barriers (inverse), previous physical activity, healthy diet, program/facility access, and time spent outdoors. Variables that were consistently associated with adolescents' physical activity were sex (male), ethnicity (white), age (inverse), perceived activity competence, intentions, depression (inverse), previous physical activity, community sports, sensation seeking, sedentary after school and on weekends (inverse), parent support, support from others, sibling physical activity, direct help from parents, and opportunities to exercise. Conclusion These consistently related variables should be confirmed in prospective studies, and interventions to improve the modifiable variables should be developed and evaluated.
There is little research on students' engagement in physical activity in middle school physical education (PE). We observed student activity, lesson context, and teacher behavior in 430 PE lessons taught by 126 teachers in 24 schools. Variables were analyzed by mixed-model nested analyses of covariance. Boys were more active than girls overall and during skill drills, game play, and free play. Student activity varied by lesson context, with fitness activities producing the most activity. Class size was negatively associated with student activity. Daily PE contributed a weekly total of 25 min of vigorous activity and 83 min of moderate-to-vigorous activity—much less than national objectives. Results suggest that numerous opportunities exist for increasing student physical activity during middle school PE.
School physical education plays an important role in public health. Nonetheless, there are few evidence-based, health-related, physical education programs and very little is known about how to disseminate them for widespread use. This article (a) presents background information and a review of the completed research on the SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids) programs for elementary and middle schools (1989–2000) and (b) describes the ensuing efforts to disseminate those programs nationally (1994–present). The programs have three important features: an active curriculum, staff development, and follow-up support. Efforts to disseminate the programs nationally have required substantial collaboration among university, public school, and private sector personnel. Procedures used in SPARK may serve as models for others interested in researching and disseminating physical education curricula through staff development.
The literature shows single-use, low-density land development and disconnected street networks to be positively associated with auto dependence and negatively associated with walking and transit use. These factors in turn appear to affect health by influencing physical activity, obesity, and emissions of air pollutants. We evaluated the association between a single index of walkability that incorporated land use mix, street connectivity, net residential density, and retail floor area ratios, with health-related outcomes in King County, Washington. We found a 5% increase in walkability to be associated with a per capita 32.1% increase in time spent in physically active travel, a 0.23-point reduction in body mass index, 6.5% fewer vehicle miles traveled, 5.6% fewer grams of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emitted, and 5.5% fewer grams of volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted. These results connect development patterns with factors that affect several prevalent chronic diseases.
Although accurate needs assessments are essential if mental health programs are to meet community needs, the needs assessment literature has focused upon d
No abstract is provided for this article.
Although personal determinants of exercise behavior have been studied extensively, few investigators have examined the influence of the physical environment on exercise habits. A random sample of 2,053 residents of San Diego, CA, were surveyed regarding exercise habits and other variables. A total of 385 exercise facilities in San Diego were classified into categories of either free or pay. After the addresses of respondents and facilities were located on a grid-map and coded, the density of exercise facilities around each respondent's home address was computed. Subjects who reported engaging in three or more exercise sessions per week reported a statistically greater density of pay facilities near their homes than did those who reported no exercise sessions, after controlling for age, education, and income. The finding suggests an association between proximity of exercise facilities and frequency of exercise.
