ABSTRACT
Background: Obesity is defined as the abnormal growth of adipose tissue due to enlargement of fat cell size or increase in their number or a combination of both. Adolescents are nutritionally vulnerable age group considering their increased nutritional needs, eating patterns, lifestyle and susceptibility to environmental influences. The present study was conducted with aims to access the prevalence of overweight and obesity among urban adolescents and to study various factors associated with overweight and obesity.Methods: A community based cross sectional study of 872 adolescents of both sexes in urban population of Pune, Maharashtra, India was conducted to assess prevalence and various factors influencing overweight and obesity, especially type of diet, frequency of junk foods, physical activity and sleeping habits. The Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) were used to define overweight and obesity as per WHO growth standards.Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in urban adolescents according to BMI were 17.4% and 6.9% respectively with overall prevalence being 24.3% but with Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) it was 43.1%. Risk factors in urban areas were consumption of fast/junk food, carbonated drink, physical inactivity while afternoon sleep was not a significant factor.Conclusions: This study showed an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity in urban adolescents especially in those who have more consumption of fast food, carbonated drink, those who were either inactive or engaged in physical activity for less than 30 min/day were strongly associated with overweight and obesity.
ABSTRACT
Background & objectives: Curcuma oil (C. oil) isolated from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) has been shown to have neuro-protective, anti-cancer, antioxidant and anti-hyperlipidaemic effects in experimental animal models. However, its effect in insulin resistant animals remains unclear. The present study was carried out to investigate the disease modifying potential and underlying mechanisms of the C. oil in animal models of diet induced insulin resistance and associated thrombotic complications. Methods: Male Golden Syrian hamsters on high fructose diet (HFr) for 12 wk were treated orally with vehicle, fenofibrate (30 mg/kg) or C. oil (300 mg/kg) in the last four weeks. Wistar rats fed HFr for 12 wk were treated orally with C. oil (300 mg/kg) in the last two weeks. To examine the protective effect of C. oil, blood glucose, serum insulin, platelet aggregation, thrombosis and inflammatory markers were assessed in these animals. Results: Animals fed with HFr diet for 12 wk demonstrated hyperlipidaemia, hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia, alteration in insulin sensitivity indices, increased lipid peroxidation, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, platelet free radical generation, tyrosine phosphorylation, aggregation, adhesion and intravascular thrombosis. Curcuma oil treatment for the last four weeks in hamsters ameliorated HFr-induced hyperlipidaemia, hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, platelet activation, and thrombosis. In HFr fed hamsters, the effect of C. oil at 300 mg/kg was comparable with the standard drug fenofibrate. Curcuma oil treatment in the last two weeks in rats ameliorated HFr-induced hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia by modulating hepatic expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator 1 (PGC-1)α and PGC-1β genes known to be involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. Interpretation & conclusions: High fructose feeding to rats and hamsters led to the development of insulin resistance, hyperglycaemia, endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. C. oil prevented development of thrombotic complications associated with insulin resistance perhaps by modulating genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. Further studies are required to confirm these findings.