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Biomedical subjects

Myles S Faith

Publications and source records attributed to Myles S Faith.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Potential of an analog scaling device for measuring fullness in children: development and preliminary testing.

Improving children's abilities to recognize when they are full is one strategy to prevent overweight, but currently, there are few validated instruments to assist this process. In the present study, we developed and tested the potential of an analog scaling device for quantifying sensations such as fullness in 4-5 year old children. The device was a picture of a doll with a rectangular stomach over which a sliding bar could be moved to communicate rated fullness levels. Eleven 4-5 year old children were shown pictures of French fries and fruit salad in five varying portion sizes that increased in diameter exponentially by a power of 1.5, ranging from 5.2 to 18.5 cm. Success in using the device was predefined as an increase in ratings as a function of increasing portion size, in at least one of two trials. Eight children were successful with the fries, and ten were successful with the fruit salad. Mean ratings across children were significantly different from each other for both foods. These data show that children can be trained to use an analog scale to quantify differences in portion sizes of foods. Future experiments will validate this scaling procedure for measuring fullness in real eating situations. If successful, this methodology might have applications to the measurement of other bodily sensations in young children.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2006

Eating in the absence of hunger: a genetic marker for childhood obesity in prepubertal boys?

OBJECTIVE: Eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) may be a behavioral trait through which obesity-promoting genes promote positive energy balance. The primary aim of this study was to compare children born at high vs. low risk for obesity with respect to EAH at 5 years of age. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This was an observational investigation of families enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Infant Growth Study. Five-year-old children born at high (N = 28) or low (N = 25) risk for obesity on the basis of maternal prepregnancy body weight were evaluated at a hospital-based laboratory. Children consumed 11 snack foods ad libitum after consuming an ad libitum dinner and reporting fullness. Parents reported on snack foods at home and their own eating styles. Nutritive sucking at 3 months of age was evaluated by computerized apparatus. RESULTS: EAH in high-risk boys (mean +/- standard error = 326 +/- 66 kJ] was more than twice that of low-risk boys (mean +/- standard error = 151 +/- 39 kJ), p = 0.03. Among girls, there was a trend for EAH to be associated with increased parental limitations on daughter snack food consumption at home (p = 0.06). EAH was unrelated to 3-month sucking behavior. DISCUSSION: Genes that promote childhood obesity may partially exert their influence through EAH, an effect that was limited to boys born at risk for obesity. The unique influences of genes and home environment on this trait should be disaggregated in subsequent studies.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed2006

How do psychological factors influence adolescent smoking progression? The evidence for indirect effects through tobacco advertising receptivity.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether novelty seeking and depressive symptoms had mediated or indirect effects on adolescent smoking progression through tobacco advertising receptivity. METHODS: More than 1000 adolescents were monitored from 9th grade to 12th grade and completed annual surveys that measured demographic characteristics, smoking behavior, tobacco advertising receptivity, novelty-seeking personality, depressive symptoms, family and peer smoking, alcohol use, and marijuana use. RESULTS: Latent growth modeling indicated that novelty seeking had a significant indirect effect on smoking progression through baseline tobacco advertising receptivity. For each 1-SD increase in novelty seeking, the odds of being more receptive to tobacco advertising increased by 12% (ie, being in a specific category or higher), which in turn resulted in an 11% increase in the odds of smoking progression from 9th grade to 12th grade. The indirect effect from depressive symptoms to smoking progression did not reach significance. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may inform future research on other factors that influence tobacco advertising receptivity, as well as programs aimed at preventing adolescent smoking initiation and progression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Fruit juice intake predicts increased adiposity gain in children from low-income families: weight status-by-environment interaction.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to test the hypothesis that increased fruit juice intake and parental restriction of children's eating are associated with increased adiposity gain and whether exposure to nutritional counseling predicted reduced adiposity gain among children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A sample of parents or guardians of children aged 1 to 4 years who attended 1 of 49 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children agencies in New York State were surveyed in 1999 or 2000 (N = 2801). The survey addressed children's dietary intake, parental feeding practices, and parental exposure to nutritional counseling messages to increase fruit, vegetable, and low-fat milk intakes. Each child's height and weight were measured approximately every 6 months for up to 48 months. A prospective cohort design was used in which survey variables were the predictors and the outcome was change in children's adiposity, defined as change in age- and gender-standardized BMI per month (ie, BMI z-score slope). RESULTS: Controlling for gender and ethnicity, the relationship between juice intake and adiposity gain depended on children's initial overweight status. Among children who were initially either at risk for overweight or overweight, increased fruit juice intake was associated with excess adiposity gain, whereas parental offerings of whole fruits were associated with reduced adiposity gain. Each additional daily serving of fruit juice was associated with an excess adiposity gain of 0.009 SD per month. Feeding restriction was greater among parents whose children were initially at risk for overweight or overweight compared with those at a healthy weight. Parental exposure to nutritional messages was not associated with reduced child adiposity gain. CONCLUSION: This study supports the Institute of Medicine recommendations to reduce fruit juice intake as a strategy for overweight prevention in high-risk children.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2005

Infant and child feeding practices and childhood overweight: the role of restriction.

This review addresses the association between restrictive feeding practices by parents and the development of overweight in children. To date, only one parent feeding domain--feeding restriction--has been consistently linked to variations in child eating patterns or weight status. Despite challenges to unravelling causal pathways, the most current data suggest that restrictive feeding practices are elicited by child characteristics (e.g. weight status or obesity risk) and depend on parent characteristics as well. Restriction, in turn, may maintain or exacerbate child overweight. There remain important questions to be addressed in this literature, pertinent both to the development of childhood overweight and clinically to overweight prevention. Two areas of importance are the roles of cultural differences, as well as genes that confer risk for overweight, on the relationship between restriction and child weight status.

Caloric Restriction↗
PubMed2005

Health-related quality of life and symptoms of depression in extremely obese persons seeking bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Extreme obesity, defined by a body mass index (BMI) > or =40 kg/m2, is associated with increased risk of depression and with impairments in healthrelated quality of life (HRQoL). This study examined the relationships among BMI, HRQoL, and symptoms of depression in persons with extreme obesity. METHOD: Participants were 306 patients who sought bariatric surgery (mean +/- SD age 43.8+/-9.4 years, BMI 52.8+/-9.3 kg/m2) and who completed questionnaires to assess symptoms of depression and HRQoL prior to surgery. We defined HRQoL impairment as a score > or =1 SD below national means. RESULTS: Impairments in HRQoL were common: >40% of participants scored in the impaired ranges of physical functioning, physical role limitations, and bodily pain. Results of analyses of variance (ANOVAs) indicated that impairments in HRQoL were significantly related to symptoms of depression. Patients with impaired HRQoL scored above the cut-off point for clinically significant depression, while those without such impairment scored below that cut-off, regardless of BMI. The contribution of BMI to depression was not significant in any ANOVA. CONCLUSION: HRQoL is more strongly and more directly related to symptoms of depression than is BMI. These findings highlight the need to assess HRQoL in patients with extreme obesity and suggest that interdisciplinary strategies to address HRQoL impairments may be beneficial in this population.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Parent-child feeding strategies and their relationships to child eating and weight status.

Parental feeding styles may promote overeating or overweight in children. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to summarize the associations between parental feeding styles and child eating and weight status. Twenty-two studies were identified. We systematically coded study attributes and outcomes and tested for patterns of association. Nineteen studies (86%) reported at least one significant association between parental feeding style and child outcome, although study methodology and results varied considerably. Studies measuring parental feeding restriction, as opposed to general feeding control or another feeding domain, were more likely to report positive associations with child eating and weight status. Certain associations differed by gender and by outcome measurement (e.g., rate of eating as opposed to total energy intake). Parental feeding restriction, but no other feeding domain, was associated with increased child eating and weight status. Longitudinal studies are needed to test underlying causal pathways, including bidirectional causal models, and to substantiate findings in the presence of other obesity risk factors.

Body Weight↗
PubMed2004

Familial aggregation of energy intake in children.

BACKGROUND: Uncompensated overnutrition promotes obesity, but the controls of children's eating behavior are poorly understood. Insights may be achieved by testing whether the eating patterns of children are associated with demographic variables or whether they aggregate among family members. OBJECTIVE: We tested whether children's total energy intake and macronutrient intake and their ability to compensate for earlier energy intake were associated with sociodemographic variables and anthropometric indexes. We also tested whether these behavioral traits aggregate among siblings. DESIGN: Thirty-two sibling pairs aged 3-7 y consumed a multi-item lunch preceded by a low-energy (12.55 kJ) or high-energy (627.60 kJ) preload drink. Mixed-models regression tested the associations between children's energy intake, demographic variables, and anthropometric measures. An intraclass correlation coefficient quantified the family correlation of the measures of children's eating. RESULTS: Children consumed significantly more total energy after consuming the low-energy preload ( +/- SD: 2237.39 +/- 1176.45 kJ) than after consuming the high-energy preload (1601.18 +/- 930.65 kJ). Compensation ability was unrelated to the children's age, sex, or ethnicity. Total energy and macronutrient intake, but not compensation propensity, were associated among siblings. CONCLUSIONS: The familial association of total energy and macronutrient intakes, independent of anthropometric measures, suggests genetic or home environmental influences specific to these behaviors. Short-term energy compensation, although very accurate within this sample, showed no significant familial correlation.

Appetite Regulation↗
PubMed2004

Parental feeding attitudes and styles and child body mass index: prospective analysis of a gene-environment interaction.

BACKGROUND: Parental feeding styles were linked to child weight in cross-sectional studies, which were unable to test the direction of effect. Prospective studies can best establish causal relationships among such variables. OBJECTIVE: We tested the 2-year stability of parental feeding attitudes and styles and investigated whether these variables predict child body mass index (BMI) z scores 2 years later. We evaluated whether these associations were dependent on children's predisposition to obesity. METHODS: Participants were 57 families enrolled in an Infant Growth Study of children born at high risk or low risk for obesity, on the basis of maternal prepregnancy overweight or leanness. Children were evaluated for weight and height at 3, 5, and 7 years of age. Measures of parental feeding attitudes and styles were ascertained with the Child Feeding Questionnaire at 5 and 7 years of age. Correlation and multiple regression analyses tested whether parental feeding styles at age 5 predicted increased child BMI z scores 2 years later. RESULTS: Parental feeding attitudes and styles were stable for child ages of 5 to 7 years. With respect to feeding attitudes, perceived responsibility at age 5 predicted reduced child BMI z scores at age 7 among low-risk families, whereas child weight concern and perceived child weight predicted increased child BMI z scores among high-risk families. With respect to feeding styles, monitoring predicted reduced child BMI z scores at age 7 among low-risk children. In contrast, restriction predicted higher BMI z scores and pressure to eat predicted reduced BMI z scores among high-risk children. These associations remained significant after controlling for child weight status at age 3. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between parental feeding styles and child BMI z scores depends on child obesity predisposition, suggesting a gene-environment interaction. Among children predisposed to obesity, elevated child weight appears to elicit restrictive feeding practices, which in turn may produce additional weight gain. Parenting guidelines for overweight prevention may benefit from consideration of child characteristics such as vulnerability to obesity and current weight status.

Attitude↗
PubMed2003

Depression and obesity.

The prevalence of depression (10%) and overweight (65%) indicates that there is a probability that they will co-occur, but are they functionally related? This report used the moderator/mediator distinction to approach this question. Moderators, such as severity of depression, severity of obesity, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), gene-by-environment interactions and childhood experiences, specify for whom and under what conditions effects of agents occur. Mediators, such as eating and physical activity, teasing, disordered eating and stress, identify why and how they exert these effects. Major depression among adolescents predicted a greater body mass index (BMI = kg/m(2)) in adult life than for persons who had not been depressed. Among women, obesity is related to major depression, and this relationship increases among those of high SES, while among men, there is an inverse relationship between depression and obesity, and there is no relationship with SES. A genetic susceptibility to both depression and obesity may be expressed by environmental influences. Adverse childhood experiences promote the development of both depression and obesity, and, presumably, their co-occurrence. As most knowledge about the relationship between these two factors results from research devoted to other topics, a systematic exploration of this relationship would help to elucidate causal mechanisms and opportunities for prevention and treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Hierarchical linear models for the development of growth curves: an example with body mass index in overweight/obese adults.

When data are available on multiple individuals measured at multiple time points that may vary in number or inter-measurement interval, hierarchical linear models (HLM) may be an ideal option. The present paper offers an applied tutorial on the use of HLM for developing growth curves depicting natural changes over time. We illustrate these methods with an example of body mass index (BMI; kg/m(2)) among overweight and obese adults. We modelled among-person variation in BMI growth curves as a function of subjects' baseline characteristics. Specifically, growth curves were modelled with two-level observations, where the first level was each time point of measurement within each individual and the second level was each individual. Four longitudinal databases with measured weight and height met the inclusion criteria and were pooled for analysis: the Framingham Heart Study (FHS); the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT); the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey I (NHANES-I) and its follow-up study; and the Tecumseh Mortality Follow-up Study (TMFS). Results indicated that significant quadratic patterns of the BMI growth trajectory depend primarily upon a combination of age and baseline BMI. Specifically, BMI tends to increase with time for younger people with relatively moderate obesity (25 BMI <30) but decrease for older people regardless of degree of obesity. The gradients of these changes are inversely related to baseline BMI and do not substantially depend on gender.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Maternal-child feeding patterns and child body weight: findings from a population-based sample.

BACKGROUND: Certain mother-child feeding patterns (MCFPs) may promote childhood obesity and/or disordered eating. OBJECTIVES: To assess the demographic correlates of MCFPs and to test whether differences in MCFPs are associated with child body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) z scores in a population-based study. DESIGN: A secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth main and child cohorts was conducted on more than 1000 Hispanic, African American, and non-Hispanic/non-African American children, aged 3 to 6 years. The MCFPs were measured by means of 3 interview questions probing mother-allotted child food choice, child compliance during meals, and child obedience during meals. RESULTS: Mothers of non-Hispanic/non-African American children allotted greater food choice than mothers of African American or Hispanic children. Maternal BMI and other demographic measures were unrelated to MCFPs. The lowest levels of mother-allotted child food choice and child eating compliance were associated with reduced child BMI, with mean BMI z scores of -0.36 and -0.41, respectively. Effect sizes were small, however, and MCFPs did not discriminate children who were overweight or at risk for being overweight from children who were not (P>.05). CONCLUSIONS: Feeding strategies providing the least child food choice were associated with reduced child BMI. However, MCFPs did not relate to child overweight status.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2003

Associations of body mass index and anthropometric indicators of fat mass and fat free mass with all-cause mortality among women in the first and second National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys follow-up studies.

PURPOSE: This study tests whether fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM) have opposite associations with mortality in a nationally representative sample of females. METHODS: Data on 13,369 female participants from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) I and II (aged 25 to 75 years) were analyzed. Mean follow-up time was 16.1 years. Ninety-seven percent of the participants with 3020 deaths were successfully followed. Subscapular and triceps skinfolds thickness were used as a FM indicator (FMI). Upper arm circumference was used as a FFM indicator (FFMI). Cox regression tested the relationships of BMI, FM and FFM with all-cause mortality adjusting for various socio-demographic variables. RESULTS: BMI had a U-shaped relationship with mortality with a nadir of approximately 27 kg/m(2). When FFMI was added to the model, the relationship between BMI and mortality became more monotonic increasing. FMI showed a significant negative relationship with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to expectations, both FFMI and FMI had negative relationships with mortality. These results differ from patterns previously observed in males and may reflect sex differences in fat distribution. Research using superior measures of body fat amount and distribution may resolve these discrepancies.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Obesity and quality of life: mediating effects of pain and comorbidities.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between body mass index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) and examine whether joint pain and obesity-related comorbidities mediate the BMI-HRQL association. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Population-based survey data from the 1999 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. Adults (N = 155,989) were classified according to BMI as underweight (<18.5 kg/m(2)), desirable weight (18.5 to 24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (25 to 29.9 kg/m(2)), obese class I (30 to 34.9 kg/m(2)), obese class II (35 to 39.9 kg/m(2)), and obese class III (>/=40 kg/m(2)). Data including general health status, unhealthy days in the past 30 caused by physical problems and mental problems, and total unhealthy days in the past 30 were collected. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, sex, race, smoking, education, and income, we observed J-shaped associations between BMI and HRQL. Compared with desirable weight adults, underweight, overweight, and obesity classes I, II, and III adults [odds ratio (OR) = 1.57, 1.19, 1.95, 2.72, and 4.36, respectively] were significantly (p < 0.001) more likely to report fair/poor general health status. For unhealthy days caused by physical problems, the corresponding ORs were 1.51, 1.15, 1.66, 2.27, and 3.61 (p < 0.001). For unhealthy days caused by mental problems, the ORs were 1.35, 1.14 1.43, 1.57, and 2.25 (p < 0.001). For total unhealthy days, the corresponding ORs were 1.27, 1.09, 1.37, 1.73, and 2.46 (p < 0.01). Adding joint pain and obesity-related comorbidities into models attenuated BMI-HRQL associations. DISCUSSION: Associations between BMI and HRQL indices were J-shaped. Joint pain and comorbidities may mediate BMI-HRQL associations.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Development and preliminary validation of a silhouette satiety scale for children.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether young children are capable of using pictorial silhouettes to quantify feelings of satiety and provide preliminary data on the validity of this method. Subjects were 20 children, 4-6 years old, recruited from a preschool. We hypothesized that subjects would be able to use the silhouettes to communicate different levels of satiety when imagining eating situations associated with different levels of fullness. The study was conducted in three stages: Stage 1 probed children's spontaneous definitions of hunger and fullness and identified specific eating situations they associated with these feelings; Stage 2 tested whether children could perform basic quantitative discriminations applied to food-related stimuli; Stage 3 validated the silhouettes using an 'imagined eating situation' in which subjects used the silhouettes to rate how full their belly would feel in three distinct eating situations associated with different levels of satiety. Main results indicated that (1) most children readily associated the stomach with feelings of hunger (90%) and fullness (70%), (2) 80% of the children said they felt fullest after eating a meal, (3) 90-100% of the children were able to perform basic quantitative discriminations using food-related stimuli, and (4) children reported increasing feelings of satiety for situations associated with hunger, partial satiety, and satiety. Children were generally consistent in their ratings across testing sessions, although responses were less consistent for intermediary satiety levels. Young children may be more capable of quantitatively reporting feelings of satiety than is commonly believed, if appropriate experimental materials are used.

Child↗
PubMed2002

Genetics of eating and its relation to obesity.

Humans show remarkable variability in their eating styles. Reasons for this variability are poorly understood, but carry important implications for the onset of obesity and its comorbidities. Although it is well established that genes influence obesity, genetic influences on human eating patterns have received less attention. Dramatic increases in the prevalence of obesity justify additional research into the genetics of eating style. This review highlights what is known about the genetics of food preferences and selection in humans. Data from family and twin studies suggest a moderate genetic contribution to eating style, with clear environmental effects emerging as well. Select studies show support for gene-environment interactions and common genetic bases for certain dietary patterns, obesity, and/or metabolic complications. Genetically informative designs that infuse innovative behavioral measures may help explain individual differences in eating styles and hopefully promote more effective obesity treatments.

Eating↗
PubMed2002

Obesity-depression associations in the population.

This article summarizes data on the relationship between obesity and depression in the population. Both obesity and depression are increasingly prevalent and associated with numerous health complications including hypertension, coronary heart disease, and increased mortality. There does not appear to be a simple or single association between these disorders. Meta-analytic studies suggest no statistically significant relationship, although pooling all subjects may mask important variables that moderate or mediate potential covariations. Sociodemographic, psychosocial, and genetic factors may render certain obese individuals more prone to depression or vice versa. Physiological and behavioral variables that link obesity and depression have received limited study. There are likely multiple obesity-depression covariations in the population, rather than a single pattern of association. There is a need for longitudinal and mechanistic studies to understand casual pathways and greater collaboration between depression and obesity specialists.

Body Mass Index↗