Leisure-time organised physical activity and dietary intake among Swedish adolescents.

This study aimed to investigate associations between participation in leisure-time organised physical activity (LTOPA) and dietary intake in a large representative sample of Swedish adolescents participating in the national dietary survey Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-2017. A sample of 2807 participants aged 11-12, 14-15 and 17-18 years were included. Information about LTOPA and dietary intake were collected through questionnaires and two 24-hour recalls on the web (RiksmatenFlex). For dietary intake, overall healthy eating index, intake of fruit, vegetables, candy, sugar-sweetened beverages, and the proportion of added sugar to total energy intake were analysed. Significance-testing for associations was performed with analysis of covariance. LTOPA was associated with lower sugar-sweetened beverages intake among adolescent boys (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.012) and girls (p = 0.007, ηp2 = 0.005), higher fruit intake among boys (p = 0.043, ηp2 = 0.003), and lower vegetable intake among girls (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.009). However, LTOPA was unrelated to the overall healthy eating index, candy intake, and the proportion of added sugar to total energy intake (p > 0.05). LTOPA was only associated with some healthy eating behaviours, and there is much room for improvement in the diets of Swedish adolescents.

Organised physical activity during leisure time is associated with more objectively measured physical activity among Swedish adolescents.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate associations between participation in organised physical activity (PA), such as sport and exercise during leisure time, and objectively measured PA and sedentary time in a large representative sample of Swedish adolescents. METHODS: This study was part of the school-based cross-sectional Swedish national dietary survey Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-17. Data from 3477 adolescents aged 11-12, 14-15 and 17-18 years were used in the analyses. Participation in organised PA and parental education were reported in questionnaires. PA and sedentary time were objectively measured through accelerometry during seven consecutive days. RESULTS: Adolescents who participated in organised PA had significantly higher total PA (14%, P < .001), more time spent on moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) (8 minutes, P < .001) and had less sedentary time (15 minutes, P < .001). Those who participated in organised PA were more likely to reach recommended PA levels. Total PA and MVPA did not differ by parental education among those who participated in organised PA. CONCLUSION: Adolescents who participated in organised PA were more physically active, less sedentary and more likely to reach PA recommendations than those who did not.

Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-17: A national dietary survey in Sweden - design, methods, and participation.

BACKGROUND: Nationally representative information on food consumption data is essential to evaluate dietary habits, inform policy-making and nutritional guidelines, as well as forming a basis for risk assessment and identification of risk groups. OBJECTIVE: To describe the methods used in the Swedish national dietary survey of adolescents, Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-2017. DESIGN: Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 (mean ages 12, 15, and 18 years) were recruited in this school-based cross-sectional survey. A new, validated, web-based method was used to assess dietary intake. Information on physical activity, health, and socioeconomic background was collected through web questionnaires. Physical activity was also evaluated by accelerometers. Weight and height were measured in all participants, while blood and urine samples were collected in a subsample of 40% of the participants. RESULTS: A total of 3,477 (68%) respondents participated and 3,099 (60%) had complete dietary information. In the subsample, 1,305 (55%) respondents participated and 1,105 (46%) had complete dietary information. The participants were overall representative for the population with regard to socioeconomic background and school organization (public or independent). All types of municipalities were represented in the survey and overall, the geographic distribution corresponded to the underlying population. Some differences by school grade were observed. Sample weights were calculated for the total sample and the subsample. CONCLUSION: The Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-2017 provides valuable national data on diet, physical activity, and markers of exposure in age groups where data have been lacking. The data will provide a valuable basis for risk assessment, public health policy, and in-depth analyses.

Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors as determinants of energy intake and macronutrient composition: a 10-year follow-up after bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of the potential to adopt a long-term unhealthy diet, could improve weight outcomes for patients having undergone bariatric surgery. OBJECTIVES: We explored whether presurgical sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, together with the type of surgery, could predict 10-year changes in dietary intake after bariatric surgery. SETTING: Surgical departments and primary healthcare centers, nationwide. METHODS: Participants were from the Swedish Obese Subjects study, a matched (nonrandomized) prospective trial comparing bariatric surgery with standard care for obese patients. This study included the 1695 surgery patients with complete information on presurgery diet. Questionnaires were completed before and 6 months, 1-4, 6, 8, and 10 years after surgery. Analyses were conducted with linear mixed-model. RESULTS: Dietary changes were observed in 1561, 1298, and 1243 participants, at the 2-, 6-, and 10-year follow-ups, respectively. Sex and treatment type predicted changes in energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fiber intake over the follow-up (P<.05). Furthermore, male sex, younger age, a sedentary behavior, and gastric bypass predicted increased alcohol consumption (P<.001). Two important phases for intervening bariatric patients' diet were identified. The first was 6 months after surgery, when the maximal changes in diet were achieved. The second, stretched from 6 months until 4 years after surgery, during which earlier commitments to dietary changes were largely abandoned. CONCLUSIONS: Male sex and banding surgery in particular predicted unfavorable post-surgery changes in energy and macronutrient intake. Furthermore, gastric bypass, a younger age, and an unhealthy lifestyle presurgery, may predispose individuals to increased alcohol intake after surgery.

Changes in total energy intake and macronutrient composition after bariatric surgery predict long-term weight outcome: findings from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study.

Background: Approximately 20-30% of obese patients do not achieve successful weight outcomes after bariatric surgery.Objective: We examined whether short-term changes (≤0.5 y postsurgery) in energy intake and macronutrient composition after bariatric surgery could predict 10-y weight change.Design: Participants were recruited from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study, which was a matched (nonrandomized) prospective trial that compared bariatric surgery with usual care for obese patients. A total of 2010 patients who underwent bariatric surgery were included in the study. Physical examinations (e.g., weight) and questionnaires (e.g., dietary questionnaire) were completed before and 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10 y after surgery. For the main analytic strategy, a linear mixed model was implemented, which included repeated measures with a random intercept and an unstructured covariance matrix.Results: Short-term changes in energy intake (P < 0.001) and in relative proportions of energy from carbohydrates (P < 0.001), fat (P < 0.001), and protein (P < 0.05) were associated with 10-y weight change after bariatric surgery. At the 10-y follow-up, men and women with the largest reductions in energy intake had lost 7.3% and 3.9% more weight, respectively, compared with that of subjects with the smallest intake reductions (P < 0.001). Greater weight loss was achieved in men and women who favored protein and carbohydrates over fat and in subjects who favored protein over carbohydrates than in individuals who favored the opposite changes in macronutrient composition (P < 0.05).Conclusions: The level of energy restriction that is achieved at 0.5 y after bariatric surgery predicts long-term weight loss. Weight loss is also associated with a changing dietary macronutrient composition. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01479452.

Dietary patterns, cardiometabolic risk factors, and the incidence of cardiovascular disease in severe obesity.

OBJECTIVE: The longitudinal associations between a dietary pattern (DP) and cardiometabolic risk factors and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence were investigated in a cohort of adults with severe obesity. METHODS: The analysis included 2,037 individuals with severe obesity (>34 and >38 kg/m(2) for men and women, respectively) from the Swedish Obese Subjects study repeatedly followed up for 10 years. Reduced rank regression was used to identify a DP characterized by dietary energy density, saturated fat intake, and fiber density. Mixed models examined relationships between repeated measures of DP z-scores and cardiometabolic risk factors. Cox proportional hazards models assessed relationships between DP scores and CVD incidence. RESULTS: An energy-dense, high-saturated-fat, and low-fiber DP was derived. A one-unit increase in the DP z-score between follow-ups was associated with an increase in weight [ß (SE)] (1.71 ± 0.10 kg), waist circumference (1.49 ± 0.07 cm), BMI (0.60 ± 0.34 kg/m2), serum cholesterol (0.06 ± 0.01 mmol/l), and serum insulin (1.22 ± 0.17 mmol/l; all P < 0.0001), as well as in serum triglycerides (0.05 ± 0.02 mmol/l; P < 0.05), systolic blood pressure (1.05 ± 0.27 mmHg; P < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (0.55 ± 0.16 mmHg; P < 0.05). No significant association was observed between repeated measures of the DP z-scores and CVD incidence (HR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.83-1.12). CONCLUSIONS: An energy-dense, high-saturated-fat, and low-fiber DP was longitudinally associated with increases in cardiometabolic risk factors in severe obesity but not with CVD incidence.

Long-term effect of bariatric surgery on liver enzymes in the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Obesity is associated with elevated serum transaminase levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and weight loss is a recommended therapeutic strategy. Bariatric surgery is effective in obtaining and maintaining weight loss. Aim of the present study was to examine the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on transaminase levels in obese individuals. METHODS: The Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study is a prospective controlled intervention study designed to compare the long-term effects of bariatric surgery and usual care in obese subjects. A total of 3,570 obese participants with no excess of alcohol consumption at baseline (1,795 and 1,775 in the control and surgery group, respectively) were included in the analyses. Changes in transaminase levels during follow-up were compared in the surgery and control groups. RESULTS: Compared to usual care, bariatric surgery was associated with lower serum ALT and AST levels at 2- and 10- year follow up. The reduction in ALT levels was proportional to the degree of weight loss. Both the incidence of and the remission from high transaminase levels were more favorable in the surgery group compared to the control group. Similarly, the prevalence of ALT/AST ratio <1 was lower in the surgery compared to the control group at both 2- and 10-year follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery results in a sustained reduction in transaminase levels and a long-term benefit in obese individuals.

Alcohol consumption and alcohol problems after bariatric surgery in the Swedish obese subjects study.

OBJECTIVE: Increased sensitivity to alcohol after gastric bypass has been described. The aim of this study was to investigate whether bariatric surgery is associated with alcohol problems. DESIGN AND METHODS: The prospective, controlled Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study enrolled 2,010 obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery (68% vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG), 19% banding, and 13% gastric bypass) and 2,037 matched controls. Patients were recruited between 1987 and 2001. Data on alcohol abuse diagnoses, self-reported alcohol consumption, and alcohol problems were obtained from the National Patient Register and questionnaires. Follow-up time was 8-22 years. RESULTS: During follow-up, 93.1% of the surgery patients and 96.0% of the controls reported alcohol consumption classified as low risk by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, compared to controls, the gastric bypass group had increased risk of alcohol abuse diagnoses (adjusted hazard ratio [adjHR] = 4.97), alcohol consumption at least at the WHO medium risk level (adjHR = 2.69), and alcohol problems (adjHR = 5.91). VBG increased the risk of these conditions with adjHRs of 2.23, 1.52, and 2.30, respectively, while banding was not different from controls. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, and alcohol abuse are increased after gastric bypass and VBG.

Bariatric surgery and long-term cardiovascular events.

CONTEXT: Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular events. Weight loss might protect against cardiovascular events, but solid evidence is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To study the association between bariatric surgery, weight loss, and cardiovascular events. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study is an ongoing, nonrandomized, prospective, controlled study conducted at 25 public surgical departments and 480 primary health care centers in Sweden of 2010 obese participants who underwent bariatric surgery and 2037 contemporaneously matched obese controls who received usual care. Patients were recruited between September 1, 1987, and January 31, 2001. Date of analysis was December 31, 2009, with median follow-up of 14.7 years (range, 0-20 years). Inclusion criteria were age 37 to 60 years and a body mass index of at least 34 in men and at least 38 in women. Exclusion criteria were identical in surgery and control patients. Surgery patients underwent gastric bypass (13.2%), banding (18.7%), or vertical banded gastroplasty (68.1%), and controls received usual care in the Swedish primary health care system. Physical and biochemical examinations and database cross-checks were undertaken at preplanned intervals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end point of the SOS study (total mortality) was published in 2007. Myocardial infarction and stroke were predefined secondary end points, considered separately and combined. RESULTS: Bariatric surgery was associated with a reduced number of cardiovascular deaths (28 events among 2010 patients in the surgery group vs 49 events among 2037 patients in the control group; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.47; 95% CI, 0.29-0.76; P = .002). The number of total first time (fatal or nonfatal) cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction or stroke, whichever came first) was lower in the surgery group (199 events among 2010 patients) than in the control group (234 events among 2037 patients; adjusted HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54-0.83; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Compared with usual care, bariatric surgery was associated with reduced number of cardiovascular deaths and lower incidence of cardiovascular events in obese adults.

Effects of bariatric surgery on cancer incidence in obese patients in Sweden (Swedish Obese Subjects Study): a prospective, controlled intervention trial.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for cancer. Intentional weight loss in the obese might protect against malignancy, but evidence is limited. To our knowledge, the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study is the first intervention trial in the obese population to provide prospective, controlled cancer-incidence data. METHODS: The SOS study started in 1987 and involved 2010 obese patients (body-mass index [BMI] >or=34 kg/m(2) in men, and >or=38 kg/m(2) in women) who underwent bariatric surgery and 2037 contemporaneously matched obese controls, who received conventional treatment. While the main endpoint of SOS was overall mortality, the main outcome of this exploratory report was cancer incidence until Dec 31, 2005. Cancer follow-up rate was 99.9% and the median follow-up time was 10.9 years (range 0-18.1 years). FINDINGS: Bariatric surgery resulted in a sustained mean weight reduction of 19.9 kg (SD 15.6 kg) over 10 years, whereas the mean weight change in controls was a gain of 1.3 kg (SD 13.7 kg). The number of first-time cancers after inclusion was lower in the surgery group (n=117) than in the control group (n=169; HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.53-0.85, p=0.0009). The sex-treatment interaction p value was 0.054. In women, the number of first-time cancers after inclusion was lower in the surgery group (n=79) than in the control group (n=130; HR 0.58, 0.44-0.77; p=0.0001), whereas there was no effect of surgery in men (38 in the surgery group vs 39 in the control group; HR 0.97, 0.62-1.52; p=0.90). Similar results were obtained after exclusion of all cancer cases during the first 3 years of the intervention. INTERPRETATION: Bariatric surgery was associated with reduced cancer incidence in obese women but not in obese men. FUNDING: Swedish Research Council, Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, Swedish Federal Government under the LUA/ALF agreement, Hoffmann La Roche, Cederoths, AstraZeneca, Sanofi-Aventis, Ethicon Endosurgery.

Prevalence of night eating in obese and nonobese twins.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of night eating (NE) and associated symptoms in a population-based sample of Swedish twins. A total of 21,741 individuals aged 20-47 years completed a questionnaire in 2005/2006. NE was defined as >/=25% of daily food intake after the evening meal and/or awakening at least once per week with eating episodes. The prevalence of NE was 4.6% in men and 3.4% in women. Among obese men and women, the prevalence was 8.4 and 7.5%, respectively. Men and women with NE had 3.4 and 3.6 times higher risk of binge eating compared to individuals without NE. The risk of sleep-related problems was 1.6-3.4 times higher in men and 2.5-3.3 times higher in women with NE compared to those without NE. This epidemiological study has estimated the prevalence of NE in a twin population. It revealed that NE is 2.5 and 2.8 times more common in obese men and women compared to normal weight men and women. Furthermore that NE is associated with binge eating and sleep-related problems.

Effects of bariatric surgery on mortality in Swedish obese subjects.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with increased mortality. Weight loss improves cardiovascular risk factors, but no prospective interventional studies have reported whether weight loss decreases overall mortality. In fact, many observational studies suggest that weight reduction is associated with increased mortality. METHODS: The prospective, controlled Swedish Obese Subjects study involved 4047 obese subjects. Of these subjects, 2010 underwent bariatric surgery (surgery group) and 2037 received conventional treatment (matched control group). We report on overall mortality during an average of 10.9 years of follow-up. At the time of the analysis (November 1, 2005), vital status was known for all but three subjects (follow-up rate, 99.9%). RESULTS: The average weight change in control subjects was less than +/-2% during the period of up to 15 years during which weights were recorded. Maximum weight losses in the surgical subgroups were observed after 1 to 2 years: gastric bypass, 32%; vertical-banded gastroplasty, 25%; and banding, 20%. After 10 years, the weight losses from baseline were stabilized at 25%, 16%, and 14%, respectively. There were 129 deaths in the control group and 101 deaths in the surgery group. The unadjusted overall hazard ratio was 0.76 in the surgery group (P=0.04), as compared with the control group, and the hazard ratio adjusted for sex, age, and risk factors was 0.71 (P=0.01). The most common causes of death were myocardial infarction (control group, 25 subjects; surgery group, 13 subjects) and cancer (control group, 47; surgery group, 29). CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery for severe obesity is associated with long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality.

Three definitions of the metabolic syndrome: relations to mortality and atherosclerotic morbidity.

BACKGROUND: Different definitions of the metabolic syndrome are used, and at least one of these does not include indices of glucose intolerance and/or insulin resistance as obligatory components. In this paper, we examine the predictive power of indices having and not having these obligatory components. METHODS: A total of 1135 men and women, aged 37-61 years, were randomly selected from the populations of Mölndal and Orebro, Sweden. Mortality rate and incidence of cardiovascular morbidity were analyzed in subjects with and without the metabolic syndrome according to the definitions of WHO (World Health Organization), EGIR (European Group for the study of Insulin Resistance), and ATPIII (Adult Treatment Panel-III Guidelines). Atherosclerotic morbidity was traced until December 2002 and mortality until December 2003. Due to lack of data, our WHO definition does not include information on micro-albuminuria. RESULTS: There were 17 deaths during the 3-8 year follow-up. As compared to subjects without the metabolic syndrome, all-cause mortality was increased significantly in subjects with the syndrome defined according to WHO(non u-alb) (hazards ratio [HR] 2.98, 95% CI 1.07, 8.28, p = 0.036) but not according to EGIR (HR 1.93, 95% CI 0.67, 5.55, p = 0.230) or ATPIII (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.20, 3.89, p = 0.870). Incident cases of ischemic heart, cerebrovascular, and/or peripheral arterial disease (n = 18) were related to the metabolic syndrome according to WHO(non u-alb) and EGIR but not according to ATPIII. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of glucose intolerance and/or insulin resistance as obligatory criteria in the definition of the metabolic syndrome seems to be important for the ability to predict all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular morbidity.

Lifestyle, diabetes, and cardiovascular risk factors 10 years after bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Weight loss is associated with short-term amelioration and prevention of metabolic and cardiovascular risk, but whether these benefits persist over time is unknown. METHODS: The prospective, controlled Swedish Obese Subjects Study involved obese subjects who underwent gastric surgery and contemporaneously matched, conventionally treated obese control subjects. We now report follow-up data for subjects (mean age, 48 years; mean body-mass index, 41) who had been enrolled for at least 2 years (4047 subjects) or 10 years (1703 subjects) before the analysis (January 1, 2004). The follow-up rate for laboratory examinations was 86.6 percent at 2 years and 74.5 percent at 10 years. RESULTS: After two years, the weight had increased by 0.1 percent in the control group and had decreased by 23.4 percent in the surgery group (P<0.001). After 10 years, the weight had increased by 1.6 percent and decreased by 16.1 percent, respectively (P<0.001). Energy intake was lower and the proportion of physically active subjects higher in the surgery group than in the control group throughout the observation period. Two- and 10-year rates of recovery from diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hypertension, and hyperuricemia were more favorable in the surgery group than in the control group, whereas recovery from hypercholesterolemia did not differ between the groups. The surgery group had lower 2- and 10-year incidence rates of diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperuricemia than the control group; differences between the groups in the incidence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertension were undetectable. CONCLUSIONS: As compared with conventional therapy, bariatric surgery appears to be a viable option for the treatment of severe obesity, resulting in long-term weight loss, improved lifestyle, and, except for hypercholesterolemia, amelioration in risk factors that were elevated at baseline.