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PubMed1996

Body weight and shape control: examining component behaviours.

Relationship between body weight and the performance of five weight-related behaviours (limiting amount of food and drink at meals, avoid unnecessary fat, taking regular exercise, drinking little or no alcohol, avoiding calories in snacks) is examined in a sample of 165 normal-weight individuals. Each of these behaviours was commonly performed, particularly when trying to control body weight and shape. Avoiding alcohol, while being viewed as the least effective means of controlling weight, is found to be the only behaviour significantly related to lower current body weight. None of the five behaviours significantly correlate with amount lost in last effort to reduce weight. Self-reported intentions and previous performance of each behaviour are significantly predicted by components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The results are discussed in relation to implications for body weight and shape control and the prediction of behaviours and goal achievement.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Food-based classification of eating episodes (FBCE).

The concept for categorization of eating episodes in dietary surveys was originally developed in studies of shift workers to compare "meal patterns" between night and day work shifts. The concept has been further improved through experience from applications in dietary surveys in other populations. In this paper, results from categorization of eating episodes in shift workers, elderly women and men during life transition periods, elderly female leg ulcer patients and obese men and their lean controls are shown and discussed. The categorization concept is based on seven food categories with food items of similar nutrient characteristics within each category. Each eating event is categorized as any of four types of "meals" or four types of "snacks" due to its combination of food categories. Thus, categorization is based on visible properties (food types) but at the same time reflecting invisible properties (nutrients). Criteria is also established to sub-categorize the "meal" types as being either "prepared" or "quick-prepared" from a behavioural perspective. Use of a defined and reliable concept for categorization is necessary to study eating episodes in dietary surveys, their determinants and also consequences on health and performance. Nocturnal eating during the circadian nadir might affect nutritional status. Since increasingly western populations appear to be moving from regular and planned meals to more episodic eating "around the clock", such analyses are of increasing interest in a bio-social perspective.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

From regional ethnographies to interdisciplinary approaches-research on meals in Finland.

The paper reviews Finnish research on meals and meal patterns since the turn of the century. The main research traditions and cases representing various methodological approaches-qualitative interview, health behaviour questionnaire and dietary survey-are discussed. In line with studies undertaken in other industrialized countries, the Finnish studies show that meal patterns are related to socio-economic structure, work schedules, lifecourse, living conditions and food availability. Meal patterns vary by individual energy needs, and the nutrient contents of meals can be different from those of snacks. It is difficult to account for all determinants and characteristics of meals in a single study. The three cases shed light on the various aspects of the meal. When planning an empirical study on meals the researcher should ask herself/himself at least four questions: (1) who defines the meal?; (2) are meal patterns assumed to vary by time and between subgroups of the study population?; (3) is information on nutrient content of various eating occasions relevant to the study?; and (4) could information on meals be obtained from existing data sources?

Cultural Characteristics↗

PubMed2000

Irish descent, religion and food consumption in the west of Scotland.

Mortality and morbidity of people of Irish descent in Britain is high, including from cardiovascular causes potentially linked with diet. The west of Scotland has long had a pattern of Irish migration, where migrants were poorer than the host population, and their different religious background gave rise to prolonged discrimination. This paper uses data collected in 1987/88 from the west of Scotland Twenty-07 study to test whether dietary differences due to poverty or to other factors have persisted among the descendents of these migrants. Being born of Catholic parents was the index of Irish descent used, these respondents consumed less of a factor represented by fruit, yoghurt and vegetables, and more of one represented by snacks and processed foods than the rest of the sample. The picture for those reporting current Catholic affiliation in adulthood was similar. Differences are largely associated with social class and mediated not by low income but by educational disadvantage. The findings suggest the continuation of a diet affected by limited opportunities for social mobility, and thus by obstacles to sustained educational advancement, among the descendants of Irish migrants even after several generations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Behaviour, body composition and diet in adolescent girls.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between patterns of behaviour, body composition and diet in adolescent girls. A group of 328 14 to 16-year-old girls at school in Southampton, U. K. completed a questionnaire about their behaviour and lifestyle, and had their heights, weights and skinfold thicknesses measured. Of these girls, 286 also provided dietary information. Socially independent girls were more likely to smoke, and less likely to eat breakfast and meals with family. They consumed more snacks, chocolate and soft drinks. Girls who were dissatisfied with their weight dieted and exercised, watched less television and spent less of their money on food. Dissatisfaction with weight was strongly related to body mass index. The odds of being a dieter, an indication of dissatisfaction with weight, increased with every unit increase in body mass index, so that girls with a body mass index of 24 kg/m(2)and over were 19 times more likely to diet than those with a body mass index of 19 kg/m(2)or less. Girls who were less satisfied with their weight reported lower energy intakes but ate more green vegetables and brown bread than other girls. The eating habits of the girls were therefore influenced by the extent of their social lives and by their satisfaction with their weight.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Predictors of maternal child-feeding style: maternal and child characteristics.

We investigated relationships among maternal and child characteristics, and two aspects of maternal child-feeding styles that may place daughters at risk for developing problems with energy balance. Participants included 104 overweight (BMI> or =25) and 92 non-overweight (BMI<25) mothers and their 5-year-old, non-Hispanic, White daughters. Child-feeding styles included (a) restriction of daughters' intake of energy-dense snack food, and (b) pressure to eat more food. Predictors of child-feeding styles included measures of (1) maternal investment in weight and eating issues, including dietary restraint and weight concern, (2) child adiposity, (3) maternal perceptions of the child as underweight or overweight, and (4) maternal concern for child weight. Mothers reported using more restrictive feeding practices when they were invested in weight and eating issues, when they perceived daughters as overweight, when they were concerned about daughters' weight, and when daughters were heavier. Mothers reported using more pressure in child feeding when daughters were thinner, and when mothers perceived daughters as underweight. Further analyses examined whether relationships among child-feeding styles were different for overweight and non-overweight mothers. Overweight mothers' child-feeding styles appeared to be influenced by observable child weight characteristics, concerns for the child's weight status, and mothers' own history of overweight. Non-overweight mothers' child-feeding styles appeared to be influenced by distorted perceptions of and concerns for children, as well as distorted self-perceptions.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Putting behavior back into feeding behavior: a tribute to George Collier.

In an attempt to explain my failure to find any correlation between meal size and intermeal intervals in free-feeding rats, George Collier, my mentor, suggested that perhaps eating behavior had strong extra-physiological determinants, a heretical idea that had an enormous impact on my subsequent research. After moving to Cornell University, my students and I began a series of studies, first with animals, then with humans, all of which supported George's idea. We observed that, under our test conditions, humans (a) do not respond to overfeeding by reducing their food intake, (b) do not change the amount they consume at meals when snacks or breakfasts are added or subtracted from their daily intake, (c) do not change the amount they eat when the energy density of their food is changed, (d) nor do they increase their intake following a semi or total fast for 24 h. They also increase the amount they consume proportionally to the amount of food they are served, the variety of foods offered, and the number of people with whom they eat. The combination of these data with George's insightful idea, has merged into a modification of the popular Set-Point Theory of the regulation of body weight. The alternative "Settling Zone" Theory suggests that whereas biology may determine a range of body weights (adiposity) that are maintained fairly constant for long periods of time, within this "zone", the behaviors responsible for controlling energy intake and energy expenditure are influenced primarily by environmental and cognitive stimuli. The size of the "Settling Zone" is not currently known, but if it is 10% or greater, then efforts to identify and understand the environmental and cognitive stimuli that influence body weight may produce advances that will reduce our high rates of overweight and obesity.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Food for thought: cross-classification and category organization in a complex real-world domain.

Seven studies examined how people represent, access, and make inferences about a rich real-world category domain, foods. The representation of the category was assessed by category generation, category ratings, and item sortings. The first results indicated that the high-level category of foods was organized simultaneously by taxonomic categories for the kind of food (e.g., vegetables, meats) and script categories for the situations in which foods are eaten (e.g., breakfast foods, snacks). Sortings were dominated by the taxonomic categories, but the script categories also had an influence. The access of the categories was examined both by a similarity rating task, with and without the category labels, and by a speeded priming experiment. In both studies, the script categories showed less access than the taxonomic categories, but more than novel ad hoc categories, suggesting some intermediate level of access. Two studies on induction found that both types of categories could be used to make a wide range of inferences about food properties, but that they were differentially useful for different kinds of inferences. The results give a detailed picture of the use of cross-classification in a complex domain, demonstrating that multiple categories and ways of categorizing can be used in a single domain at one time.

Cognition↗

PubMed1993

Associated factors for self-reported binge eating among male and female adolescents.

As part of an epidemiological study, adolescents aged 12-19 (n = 3287) filled out a self-administered questionnaire concerning their eating behaviours. The analysis showed that binge eaters (BE) had disorderly eating habits (skipping meals, snacking, eating sweets, unbalanced diets), concern with body shape (feeling too fat) and depressive symptoms more often than non binge-eaters (NBE) did. This relationship between binging episodes on the one hand, and eating habits, concern with body shape, and depressiveness on the other, has been observed for both sexes, in separate logistic regression analyses.

Body Image↗

PubMed2001

Where's the fat? Trends in U.S. diets 1965-1996.

BACKGROUND: Controlling fat intake has been an ongoing health concern since the late 1950s. This study examines 30-year trends in food sources of fat intake. It focuses on both total fat and specific fatty acid classes to ascertain if there are trend differences by age, sex, or race/ethnicity. METHODS: Nationally representative cross-sectional U.S. Department of Agriculture surveys from 1965, 1977-1978, 1989-1991, and 1994-1996 form the basis of this analysis, which compares 45,357 adults aged 18 years and older. Food files linked over time are used to create comparable food groups and nutrient values. RESULTS: The proportion of fat in the diet from grain-based mixed dishes, higher-fat snack foods, and higher fat potatoes has increased to partially offset reductions in fat from dairy, red meat, and added fat categories. Food sources of fat differ by race/ethnicity and age. The percentage of fat from fast foods and ethnic foods increased over time from 1 to 11% of total fat. The ratio of visible to invisible fat declined considerably. CONCLUSION: While animal product-based sources of fat continue to require emphasis, the shift toward fast foods, fried foods, and grain-based mixed dish and edible oil sources requires more focus.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

What do middle school children bring in their bag lunches?

BACKGROUND: Limited documentation exists on nutritional characteristics of bag lunches, although about 30% of adolescents take them. This study describes: (a) the prevalence of different types of foods in bag lunches, (b) the number of kilocalories, percentage of kilocalories from fat, amount of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sugar, and (c) the differences related to gender and grade. METHODS: In 24 middle schools, observations were made on 1,381 bag lunches (about 58 per school) during one semester. RESULTS: The most common bag lunch components were beverages and sandwiches. Fruits were more common than vegetables; non-chip snacks and chips were more common than cookies, candy, and cakes/pies. Bag lunches averaged 596.2 kcal (29.7% from fat), 20.8 g of total fat, 6.2 g of saturated fat, 32.6 mg of cholesterol, and 21.3 g of sugar. Boys' bag lunches had significantly more kilocalories, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and percentage of energy from fat than girls' lunches. Significant grade differences were found only for total fat and cholesterol, with seventh graders bringing more than sixth graders. CONCLUSION: More research on the nutritional quality of foods brought to school in bag lunches is important for gaining a better understanding about how to improve students' nutrition.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Physical development and lifestyle of Hong Kong secondary school students.

BACKGROUND: Objectives of the present investigation were to study the growth and development of adolescents in Hong Kong, to analyze the interrelationship between their development and lifestyle, and to provide some helpful suggestions for lifestyle modification. METHODS: A total of 404 secondary students ages 12-18 years served as subjects. Morphological measures, blood pressure, blood lipids, aerobic fitness, and body composition were tested. A self-report questionnaire was administered to assess physical activity and dietary habits. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure increased with age, and a gender difference was noted. Body height and body weight increased with age. Total cholesterol showed a lowering trend with age, and high-density lipoprotein had a slight rise. The percentage body fat for boys decreased with age but increased for girls. The higher percentage of overweight and obesity was closely associated with physical inactivity and inappropriate food selection such as eating snacks or food rich in fat or cholesterol. Tailor-made physical activity and nutritional education programs should be designed for adolescents, especially girls during puberty.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Tolerance to subchronic, high-dose ingestion of erythritol in human volunteers.

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol (polyol) which is absorbed from the small intestine in substantial amounts, not metabolized in the human body, and therefore excreted in the urine. Erythritol holds promise as a low-calorie sugar substitute. Human tolerance to repeated oral doses of erythritol was examined in a double-blind, two-way crossover study in 12 healthy, male volunteers. The participants consumed erythritol and, for comparison, sucrose for a duration of 7 days each. The daily dose of the test compounds ingested was 0.3 g/kg on Day 1, 0.6 g/kg on Day 2, and 1.0 g/kg on subsequent days. The daily dose was consumed under supervision in five portions, i.e., with the three main meals, a midmorning snack, and during the afternoon. The test compounds were incorporated into yoghurt, cookies, soft drinks, and chocolate. On each treatment day, body weight and blood pressure were measured and the participants were interviewed about side effects and their perception of stool and urine production. During the last 96 hr of each treatment period, urine was collected at 3-hr intervals during the day and for a 9-hr interval overnight for analysis of erythritol and different urinary parameters. On Days 3 to 7 of each treatment period, the participants were institutionalized. Body weights and blood pressure remained stable during the entire study. Signs of gastrointestinal intolerance were not seen and stool frequency and appearance were not different between the two treatments. The intake of liquids, which were provided ad libitum, was generally rather high (32.8 g/kg body wt/day on average) but not different between erythritol and sucrose consumption. Urine output also was high during both treatment periods. About 78% of ingested erythritol was excreted in the urine which led to a higher urinary osmolality but did not influence the 24-hr output of creatinine, citrate, urea, or electrolytes (Na+, K+, Cl-, Pi). The excretion of calcium was slightly higher during the erythritol test period but in absolute terms this increase was small. The urinary excretions of albumin, beta 2-microglobulin, and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase were slightly elevated during the erythritol test period but they were still well within the physiological range. None of the observed urinary changes became more pronounced with increasing duration of the erythritol treatment. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrate that the repeated ingestion of erythritol at daily doses of 1 g/kg body wt was well tolerated by humans.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1997

Review and analysis of the effects of olestra, a dietary fat substitute, on gastrointestinal function and symptoms.

Olestra, a dietary fat substitute, was recently made available to consumers in savory snacks in three cities. Early reports of gastrointestinal complaints attributed to olestra attracted media coverage and fostered confusion among physicians and consumers about the nature of olestra and its effects on the digestive system. We reviewed all published studies of olestra's gastrointestinal effects and all relevant unpublished studies submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. Each study was analyzed by a group of expert gastroenterologists and epidemiologists. The symptoms reported with olestra ingestion are similar to those reported with ingestion of fiber and sorbitol, although the mechanisms involved in changing stool characteristics differ among these food additives. Olestra's effects on stool habit and characteristics are due to its presence in the stool. Large amounts are more likely to induce gastrointestinal symptoms than small amounts. There is no evidence that olestra induces pathological change in bowel function: there is no increased fluid or electrolyte nor is there altered gastrointestinal motility or microflora. Olestra and triglyceride ingestion resulted in a similar frequency of symptoms in normal adults and children and in people with chronic inflammatory bowel disease in remission. Olestra traverses the digestive tract intact to become a stool additive. Some subjects develop a change in bowel habit and stool characteristics due to the presence of more olestra in the stool. These changes resemble those associated with ingestion of sorbitol and fiber.

Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed2000

Effects of olestra and sorbitol consumption on objective measures of diarrhea: impact of stool viscosity on common gastrointestinal symptoms.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of olestra and sorbitol consumption on three accepted objective measures of diarrhea (stool output >250 g/day, liquid/watery stools, bowel movement frequency >3/day), and how stool composition influences reports of common gastrointestinal symptoms. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared the effects of sorbitol (40 g/day in candy), a poorly absorbed sugar-alcohol with known osmotic effects, with those of olestra (20 or 40 g/day in potato chips), a nonabsorbed fat, on objective measures of stool composition and GI symptoms. Sixty-six subjects resided on a metabolic ward for 12 days: 2 days lead-in, 4 days baseline, 6 days treatment. Sorbitol 40 g/day resulted in loose/liquid stools within 1-3 h of consumption. In contrast, olestra resulted in a dose-responsive stool softening effect after 2-4 days of consumption. Subjects reported "diarrhea" when mean stool apparent viscosity (peak force (PF), g) decreased from a perceived "normal" (mean +/- SE, 1355 +/- 224 g PF; firm stool) to loose (260 +/- 68 g PF) stool. Mean apparent viscosity of stool during treatment: placebo, 1363 +/- 280 g (firm); olestra 20 g/day 743 +/- 65 g (soft); olestra 40 g/day, 563 +/- 105 g (soft); and sorbitol 40 g/day, 249 +/- 53 g (loose). Of the 1098 stool samples collected, 38% (419/1098) were rated by subjects as "diarrhea," yet only 2% of treatment days (all in the sorbitol treatment group) met commonly accepted criteria for a clinical diarrhea. Sorbitol, but not olestra, increased the severity of abdominal cramping, urgency and nausea compared to placebo. Olestra consumption, at levels far in excess of normal snacking conditions, resulted in a gradual stool softening effect after several days of consumption, did not meet any of the three objective measures of diarrhea, and did not increase GI symptoms. Sorbitol consumption, at only 80% of the dose requiring a "laxative effect" information label, resulted in rapid onset loose/liquid stools and a significant increase in abdominal cramping, urgency and nausea. Overall, subjects categorized stool as "diarrhea" when stool decreased from their perceived "normal," but the vast majority of these reports were not associated with clinically significant diarrhea.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Postmarketing surveillance of new food ingredients: results from the program with the fat replacer olestra.

Market introduction of savory snacks containing olestra offered an opportunity to evaluate the safety of olestra in a free-living population and thereby compare the outcome to the previously established safety profile determined in clinical trials in which subjects were required to eat predetermined amounts at prescribed intervals. Therefore, a multifaceted postmarketing surveillance program was designed to evaluate consumer experience and safety of olestra in the marketplace. Customer comments were solicited through toll-free telephone numbers. Collected data were evaluated by both internal and external medical experts. About 10% of toll-free telephone calls reported health effects, most of which were gastrointestinal (GI) in nature. Clinical studies were designed and conducted to determine potential GI effects under the range of consumption patterns reported by toll-free calls. Health effects reported were those found commonly in the general population and analyses of the data found no biological reason to conclude that serious or meaningful health effects were the result of olestra consumption.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Impact of high-temperature food processing on fats and oils.

Fats and oils are heated at high temperatures during baking, grilling and pan frying; however, deep fat frying is the most common method of high temperature treatment. Deep fat frying is a popular food preparation method because it produces desirable fried food flavor, golden brown color and crisp texture. For example, in the U.S. in 1994, approximately 12 billion pounds of fats and oils were used with 5.5 billion pounds used for frying and baking (USDA, 1995). Fried snack foods accounted for 2.9 billion pounds of oil, whereas 2 billion pounds were used for frying in restaurants (USDA, 1995). Because of such large consumption of frying oils and fats, the effects of high temperatures on these oils and fats is of major concern both for product quality and nutrition. This chapter will discuss the process of frying and the chemical and physical reactions that occur. The products formed from these reactions will be reviewed as well as information on the effects of the products and the control of these deteriorative reactions.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

Soy protein utilization in food systems.

Soy protein products are utilized in food systems as whole beans, flours and grits, concentrates and isolates, and textured products. Soy proteins play a significant role in food systems as a source of supplementary and complementary protein and contribute functional properties such as solubility, water absorption, viscosity, emulsification, texture, and antioxidation. Whole soybeans are processed into snack foods, beverages, and fermented foods. Soy protein is an ideal supplement for cereal protein because it corrects lysine and other amino acid deficiencies. Blends of soy flour or grits with cereals such as corn, wheat, or sorghum are widely used in world feeding programs. The blends are also valuable in domestic food systems such as breakfast cereals and baked foods. Concentrates and isolates are utilized in processed meats and baby foods. Isolates are utilized in processed meats and baby foods. Isolates are employed as whipping agents and coffee whiteners. Thermoplastic extrusion of defatted flours or protein concentrates produces an expanded type of textured protein. Isolated soy protein is converted to meat analogs by a spun fiber process. Textured soy protein products are used to extend or replace meat products in food systems.

Amino Acids, Essential↗