[Body mass index and mental health in people referring to assadabadi health center in Tabriz, Iran]

Obesity is known as a public health issue. In addition to common problems,it also affects the mental health. The environmental factors are very effective on mental health among which nutrition and BMI have a critical role. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between BMI and mental health in Tabriz Assadabadi Health Center. This cross-sectional and analytic study was performed out on 500 people referring to assadabadi health center in Tabriz Assadabadi Health Center. Using a questionnaire, individual, population and community information was obtained from each case including sex, age, weight, height, family size, income, education, and occupation. A 28-itemGeneral Health Questionnaire [GHQ] was used for evaluation of mental health. Data were analyzed using Mann-whitney test. This study was performed on 127 men and 373 women, with mean age of 37.92 and 32.85 years, respectively. The BMI of 36.5% of the cases was in normal range, 33.5% of cases were overweight, and 22.9% were obese. Regarding mental health indexes, 51.8% of the subjects were healthy and 48.2% were unhealthy according to GHQ-28. There was a significant statistical relationship between BMI and mental health condition [p= 0.015]. The results of this study underlined that body weight could be related to mental health

Effects of Ramadan fasting on serum lipid profiles on 2 hyperlipidemic groups with or without diet pattern

The effects of Ramadan fasting, with low fat and low calorie diet, on blood lipid and lipoprotein levels were studied. Results revealed reduction of plasma lipid levels and anthropometric parameters in the hyperlipidemic cases. To find out whether such reductions were due to nutritional diet or Ramadan fasting, we conducted a study to evaluate effects of Ramadan fasting on 2 separate hyperlipidemic groups with or without nutritional diet regimen. This study was carried out at Madani Heart Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, during the year 1998. Thirty-eight hyperlipidemic healthy men voluntarily enrolled into 2 groups, group I, 22 men on low fat and low calorie diet and group II, 16 men without any special diet interference. The blood lipid profile tests were measured 4 times [3 weeks before, first week, last week and one month after Ramadan]. To evaluate nutritional composition, 12 times in non-successive days, 24 hour nutrition recalls were obtained from all individuals during the study. Analysis of data revealed that only triglyceride in both groups reduced in the beginning of Ramadan compared to 3 weeks before. During Ramadan, with a reduction of 300 Kcal/day in comparison to before Ramadan, no changes were seen concerning anthropometric parameters and serum lipids levels. It seems that the effect of Ramadan fasting on serum lipid levels may be closely related to the nutritional diet. For reduction of plasma lipid levels, it would be necessary to omit at least one term meal or reduce energy by 500 Kcal or more per day

Effects of nibbling and gorging on lipid profiles, blood glucose and insulin levels in healthy subjects

Although there is some evidence indicative of some beneficial effects of an increased meal frequency on the lipid profiles, the results published are controversial. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of feeding frequency on blood lipids, glucose and insulin. The subjects of this study were 15 healthy non-smoker males aged 27.2 +/- 6.4 years. All subjects were placed on 2 identical diets in which they consumed the same food either as 3 meals at 7-hours intervals [gorging diet] or as 9 snacks at 2 hours intervals [nibbling diet]. Each diet was of 2 week's duration and was separated from each other by a period of 3 weeks. At the end of both diets, the plasma was obtained from fasting blood samples and its lipid levels were determined. The study was carried out in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran between 30 October 1998 and 19 December 1998. The nibbling diet was associated with an increased level of glucose [p<0.01] and a decreased level of insulin [p<0.05]. The plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and lipoprotein [a] were found to be lower in the end of nibbling diet compared with the gorging diet, however, only for the last parameter this reduction was significant [p<0.02]. The nibbling diet resulted in an insignificant increase in the high-density lipoprotein concentration. Taking into account, the difficulty in following the nibbling diet with a fear of weight gain, there would be no advantages in recommending the nibbling dietary pattern for normal free-living subjects, although its metabolic benefits in obese people could be the subject for further studies

Effects of ramadan fasting on serum lipid profiles in normal and hyperlipidemic subjects

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Ramadan fasting on lipid profiles in normal and hyperlipidemic subjects. Fasting blood samples were obtained from 35 male volunteers aged 19-33 years, half an hour before sunset on the first day as a baseline and the last day of Ramadan. The lipids and lipoprotein contents of the samples were determined and the results obtained were compared using Student's paired t-test. The results showed a significant decrease in serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol level as well as total cholesterol/ high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratios in the hyperlipidemic subjects together with a marked increase in high density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels [P<0.05]. However, in the normal subjects, only low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels and total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratios were found to decrease significantly during Ramadan fasting [P<0.05]. In the group who had decreased their mean daily energy intake more than 500 kcal/day during Ramadan fasting, there was a significant decrease in the serum triglyceride and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels as well as total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratios. Whereas in the other group, only low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels with low density lipoprotein-cholesterol/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio were decreased. The results obtained indicate positive effects of Ramadan tasting on blood lipid profiles, especially in hyperlipidemic subjects and in subjects in whom the reduction of mean daily energy intake was more than 500 kcal/day