Content analysis of food advertising in Iranian children's television programs

Advertisements can influence children's health related behaviors. Television advertisements are the main avenues directing commercials at children in Iran. This study aimed to explore the content of food advertisement during children's television programs in 2007-8 and to compare it with those reported in 2000. All advertisements broadcasted before, during, and after children's programs aired on two major Iran national television networks were videotaped for a period of 4 weeks during 2007- 8. For each advertisement, type of product[s] and mode of presentation[s] were coded. A total of 229 television advertisements were broadcasted. Food commercials were the most frequent group [31%] across the two channels. Among the food products advertised, calorie dense foods, including chocolate, soft drinks, extruded cereals, ice cream, cookies and candies were the most frequent. The appeal mainly used in television food advertisements was "stimulation of hunger/thirst" [38.5%]. The advertisements were mostly presented as animations [54%] and the messages used were mainly directed to good taste. Although the total number of food advertisements during children's television programs has decreased but the consumption of high fat, high sugar, low nutrient dense foods continues to be promoted. Policies to address the issue should be scrutinized

Vitamin D Deficiency is Associated with the Metabolic Syndrome in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes

There is convincing evidence that subjects concomitantly affected by type 2 diabetes [T2D] and metabolic syndrome [MeS] are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease [CVD]. Many metabolic derangements in T2D might be attributed to poor vitamin D status. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among vitamin D status, MeS and glycemic status in subjects with T2D. A total of 101 known cases of T2D [39 males, 62 females] were enrolled in a cross-sectional study by convenient sampling. Serum 25[OH]D3, glycemic markers and lipid profile were assessed. Mean concentration of serum 25[OH]D3 was 42.2 +/- 33.8 nmol/L. Prevalence of undesirable vitamin D status [25[OH]D < 50nmol/L] was significantly higher among the subjects with MeS as compared to those without MeS [p=0.020]. The subjects with sufficient vitamin D status had 50% lower risk for MeS compared to those who had vitamin D deficiency, and this association remained significant even after additional adjustment for body mass index [BMI], percent of fat mass or waist circumference. Our data showed that firstly higher vitamin D status is inversely associated with fasting glycemia, and secondly serum 25[OH]D3 predicts MeS risk in the subjects with T2D. Demonstrating the association of hypovitaminosis D with disorders of glucose metabolism and higher risk for development of further complications, notably CVD, may lead to a new target for preventive efforts at the population level