Emotional and external eating styles associated with obesity.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is related to eating habits. Overeating is the most behavioural trait implicated in obesity; emotional, external and rigid restrained eating are three maladaptive eating habits that are associated to overeating. OBJECTIVES: The current study assesses the eating styles of Algerian adults. It identifies and analyses differences in eating styles in a sample from adults with normal BMI and who have obesity. The study examines the relationship between eating styles and BMI. METHODS: The sample consisted of 200 volunteers aged from 31 to 62 years old, 110 with obesity and 90 having normal BMI. The participants were recruited from hospital and university employees. They were questioned about their eating habits. The participants did not receive any treatment. To assess eating styles, participants completed the DEBQ. RESULTS: The prevalence of women was in the majority, representing 61% (n = 122) in the total sample (63.63% (n = 70) with obesity, and 55.77% (n = 52) with normal BMI). The prevalence of men represents 39% (n = 78) in the total sample (36.36% (n = 40) with obesity, and 42.22% (n = 38) with normal BMI). Participants with obesity showed pathological eating styles. They scored higher on emotional and external eating styles than to normal BMI group. However, restraint eating showed a slight no significant increase. The mean scores ± standard deviations observed in each eating styles were: emotional eating (2.88 ± 0.99** vs. 1.71 ± 0.32), external eating (3.31 ± 0.68** vs. 1.96 ± 0.29), and retrained eating (1.81 ± 0.7ns vs. 1.3 ± 0.30). The linear regression analysis showed an effect of emotional and external eating on BMI. CONCLUSION: These results could be used to provide clinical information at the initial screening for obesity criteria, obesity prevention and treatment.

Emotional, external and rigid restrained eating are three eating habits related to obesity. They are associated to overeating in response to negative emotions, external food-related cues, and body weight control. Obesity treatment necessarily requires the training of medical professionals. The objective of this research is to assess eating styles of people living with obesity and to analyse differences comparing with people with normal body mass index (BMI). We examined the relationship between eating habits and BMI. A total of 200 participants aged from 31 to 62 years old were recruited from hospital and university workers; 110 with obesity and 90 with normal BMI. The Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire was used to assess eating styles (DEBQ). The outcomes of the current study showed that people with obesity exhibit a high emotional and external eating. However, they show a slight restraint eating. BMI was associated to both emotional and external eating. Negatives emotions lead participants to overeat as a response way to cope with, and expose them to obesity. These results are important for the initial screening of obesity criteria. For prevention and treatment of obesity, eating styles must be targeted as factors associated to obesity in order to cope with negative emotions.

Spirulina reduces diet-induced obesity through downregulation of lipogenic genes expression in Psammomys obesus.

The present study evaluates the protective effect of spirulina against diet-induced obesity and metabolic disorders in Psammomys obesus, an animal model of metabolic syndrome. Psammomys obesus lives on a low-energy diet, in order to remain healthy. However, under a standard laboratory chow diet (SLCD), this animal exhibits insulin resistance, which occurs as a result of obesity. Psammomys obesus was maintained on SLCD, in order to evaluate the effect of spirulina on obesity development with a particular focus on glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as the mRNA expression of some pro-inflammatory cytokines. After 12 weeks of treatment with spirulina, there was a significant reduction in body weight gain, plasma glucose, insulin and triglyceride levels. There was also a significant reduction in the mRNA expression of genes involved in lipogenesis and inflammation. Spirulina improved insulin sensitivity, glucose and lipid metabolism. These findings highlight the positive effect of spirulina on weight maintenance.

Dietary Diversity as a Risk Factor for Obesity in Algerian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Although the incidence of "diabesity" (coexistence of type 2 diabetes and obesity) is alarmingly increasing in Algeria, the diet-diabesity link has not been well defined. This study aimed to explore the association between dietary diversity score (DDS) and obesity among Algerian type 2 diabetic patients. It was a cross-sectional observational study involving 390 type 2 diabetic patients. Anthropometric data were gathered, and dietary intake information was obtained through a 24-h dietary recall method, which was used to calculate DDS. Potential confounders such as age, sex, smoking, physical activity and energy intake were controlled for using multivariate logistic regression. A total of 160 patients (41.3%) were classified as obese. As expected, obese patients had a higher body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, body fat and fat mass index. Furthermore, obese patients more frequently met carbohydrate recommendations and had a higher intake of meat and protein. Female sex, hypertension, low physical activity and high meat and protein intake were positively associated with diabesity. Additionally, higher DDS was positively associated with diabesity after adjusting for confounders. Thus, a more diversified diet may be a risk factor for obesity among Algerian type 2 diabetic patients.

Leptin level as a biomarker of uncontrolled eating in obesity and overweight.

BACKGROUND: Uncontrolled eating (UE) showed important relationships with the development of obesity. Homeostatic regulations of feeding and energy balance, as well as hedonic eating, are regulated by leptin. AIMS: The aims of this study were (1) to assess eating behaviors of Algerian adults as measured by the 51-item eating inventory; we also evaluate changes in the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) scores according to the body mass index (BMI) category; (2) to examine the association between the scores of the three TFEQ factors and the BMI values of the participants; and (3) to examine whether leptin concentrations are associated with eating behavior. Our hypothesis is that participants with obesity and high concentrations of leptin might display uncontrolled eating behavior. METHODS: The subjects were 190 participants (60 obese, 60 overweight, and 70 lean subjects). The eating behavior was measured by using the 51-item eating inventory. Serum insulin concentrations were assessed by radioimmunoassay and were used to calculate homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Serum leptin was quantified by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Obese and overweight subjects showed hyperphagic behavior, i.e., uncontrolled eating. The logistic regression analysis showed an effect of leptin, HOMA, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating on BMI. Leptin levels were associated with the uncontrolled eating and influenced by insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: The uncontrolled eating reflects hyperphagic eating behavior in obese and overweight subjects. Coexistence of uncontrolled eating and high level of leptin demonstrates a state of leptin resistance resulting in an inability to detect satiety. High circulating leptin can be considered a potential biomarker of uncontrolled eating.

Fruit vinegars attenuate cardiac injury via anti-inflammatory and anti-adiposity actions in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.

CONTEXT: Fruit vinegars (FVs) are used in Mediterranean folk medicine for their hypolipidemic and weight-reducing properties. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the preventive effects of three types of FV, commonly available in Algeria, namely prickly pear [Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill (Cectaceae)], pomegranate [Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae)], and apple [Malus domestica Borkh. (Rosaceae)], against obesity-induced cardiomyopathy and its underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two male Wistar rats were equally divided into 12 groups. The first group served as normal control (distilled water, 7 mL/kg bw), and the remaining groups were respectively treated with distilled water (7 mL/kg bw), acetic acid (0.5% w/v, 7 mL/kg bw) and vinegars of pomegranate, apple or prickly pear (at doses of 3.5, 7 and 14 mL/kg bw, acetic acid content as mentioned above) along with a high-fat diet (HFD). The effects of the oral administration of FV for 18 weeks on the body and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) weights, plasma inflammatory and cardiac enzymes biomarkers, and in heart tissue were evaluated. RESULTS: Vinegars treatments significantly (p < .05) attenuated the HFD-induced increase in bw (0.2-0.5-fold) and VAT mass (0.7-1.8-fold), as well as increase in plasma levels of CRP (0.1-0.3-fold), fibrinogen (0.2-0.3-fold), leptin (1.7-3.7-fold), TNF-α (0.1-0.6-fold), AST (0.9-1.4-fold), CK-MB (0.3-1.4-fold) and LDH (2.7-6.7-fold). Moreover, vinegar treatments preserved myocardial architecture and attenuated cardiac fibrosis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that pomegranate, apple and prickly pear vinegars may prevent HFD-induced obesity and obesity-related cardiac complications, and that this prevention may result from the potent anti-inflammatory and anti-adiposity properties of these vinegars.

Effect of fruit vinegars on liver damage and oxidative stress in high-fat-fed rats.

CONTEXT: Vinegar has long been used as a condiment and a traditional medicine worldwide. OBJECTIVE: The current study investigates the antioxidant effect of three types of fruit vinegars (FV) namely pomegranate [Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae)], prickly pear [Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (Cactaceae)], and apple [Malus domestica Borkh. (Rosaceae)] vinegars in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemic Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups; HFD (80 cal/d) fed rats were orally dosed with fruit vinegars (7 ml/kg) once daily for 28 weeks. At the end of the experiment, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation products, antioxidant enzymes, and trace elements were assessed in serum. In addition, a liver histopathological study was performed. RESULTS: HFD showed a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in lipid profile and TBARS levels when compared with normal control. Daily oral administration of FV normalized various biochemical, metabolic, and histopathological changes. However, pomegranate vinegar exhibited a very significant (p ≤ 0.001) reduction in lipid profile levels (total cholesterol: 165%, triglycerides: 68%, LDL-c: 76%, and atherogenic index: 80%), whereas an increase in antioxidant status (SOD: 7-fold, GPx: 4.81-fold, GRx: 1.66-fold, and TAS: 3.45-fold) when compared with hyperlipidemic control. Histopathological examinations also confirmed the protective effects of pomegranate vinegar against lipid accumulation and the improvement of hepatic lesions. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The fruit vinegars regulate lipid metabolism and decrease liver damage in high-fat fed rats as shown in this study.