Home and neighbourhood built environment features in family-based treatment for childhood obesity.

BACKGROUND: Family-based behavioural weight loss treatment (FBT) for childhood obesity helps families develop strategies to facilitate healthy choices in their home and other environments (e.g. home neighbourhood). The current study examines how the home food environment, both pre-FBT and post-FBT, and the neighbourhoods in which families live are associated with child weight and weight-related outcomes in FBT. METHODS: Parent-child dyads (n = 181) completed a 16-session FBT programme and completed home environment, anthropometric and child dietary/activity assessments at pre-FBT and post-FBT. Parents reported on availability of food, electronics and physical activity equipment in the home. The neighbourhood food and recreation environments around each dyad's residence was characterized using existing data within a geographic information system. RESULTS: Families successfully made healthy home environment modifications during FBT. Regression models showed reducing RED (e.g. high-energy-dense and low-nutrient-dense) foods and electronics in the home during FBT had positive effects on child weight and weight-related outcomes. No neighbourhood food or recreation environment variables were significantly related to outcomes, although having a larger density of public recreation spaces was associated with increases in physical activity at the trend-level. CONCLUSIONS: Modifying the home environment, specifically reducing RED foods and electronics, may be particularly important for FBT success.

Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy Phase 2 (CALERIE Phase 2) screening and recruitment: methods and results.

The Comprehensive Assessment of the Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy Phase 2 (CALERIE) study is a systematic investigation of sustained 25% calorie restriction (CR) in non-obese humans. CALERIE is a multicenter (3 clinical sites, one coordinating center), parallel group, randomized controlled trial. Participants were recruited, screened, and randomized to the CR or control group with a 2:1 allocation. Inclusion criteria included ages 21-50 years for men and 21-47 years for women, and a body mass index (BMI) of 22.0 ≤ BMI < 28.0 kg/m(2). Exclusion criteria included abnormal laboratory markers, significant medical conditions, psychiatric/behavioral problems, and an inability to adhere to the rigors of the evaluation/intervention schedule. A multi-stage screening process (telephone screen and 3 in-clinic visits) was applied to identify eligible participants. Recruitment was effective and enrollment targets were met on time. 10,856 individuals contacted the clinical sites, of whom 9787 (90%) failed one or more eligibility criteria. Of the 1069 volunteers who started the in-clinic screening, 831 (78%) were either ineligible or dropped. 238 volunteers were enrolled (i.e., initiated the baseline evaluations), 220 were randomized, and 218 started the assigned intervention (2% from the first screening step). This study offered lessons for future multi-center trials engaging non-disease populations. Recruitment strategies must be tailored to specific sites. A multi-disciplinary screening process should be applied to address medical, physical, and psychological/behavioral suitability of participants. Finally, a multi-step screening process with simple criteria first, followed by more elaborate procedures has the potential to reduce the use of study resources.

Selective processing of body image words in women at-risk for developing an eating disorder: a preliminary study.

We evaluated the utility of the Modified Stroop task as a measure of body image concerns in women at-risk for an eating disorder. Data were collected among 31 participants from an eating disorder prevention program. The Modified Stroop was significantly associated with overeating episodes and an explicit measure of shape concern. The traditional Stroop effect was found while the Modified Stroop effect was non-significant. The results raise questions about the Modified Stroop task's utility in identifying at-risk women. Methodological and clinical implications are discussed.

Comorbid psychopathology in binge eating disorder: relation to eating disorder severity at baseline and following treatment.

Individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) have high rates of comorbid psychopathology, yet little is known about the relation of comorbidity to eating disorder features or response to treatment. These issues were examined among 162 BED patients participating in a psychotherapy trial. Axis I psychopathology was not significantly related to baseline eating disorder severity, as measured by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID-I and SCID-II) and the Eating Disorder Examination. However, presence of Axis II psychopathology was significantly related to more severe binge eating and eating disorder psychopathology at baseline. Although overall presence of Axis II psychopathology did not predict treatment outcome, presence of Cluster B personality disorders predicted significantly higher levels of binge eating at 1 year following treatment. Results suggest the need to consider Cluster B disorders when designing treatments for BED.

Relation of media exposure to eating disorder symptomatology: an examination of mediating mechanisms.

Although investigators have postulated that the thin ideal for women espoused in the media is related to the high rates of eating disorders among females, little research has examined the relation between media exposure and eating pathology. This study assessed the relation of media exposure to eating disorder symptoms and tested whether gender-role endorsement, ideal-body stereotype internalization, and body satisfaction mediated this effect. In data from 238 female undergraduates, structural equation modeling revealed a direct effect of media exposure on eating disorder symptoms. Furthermore, mediational linkages were found for gender-role endorsement, ideal body stereotype internalization, and body satisfaction. The results support the assertion that internalization of sociocultural pressures mediate the adverse effects of the thin ideal.

From the Cleavers to the Clintons: role choices and body orientation as reflected in magazine article content.

The media have been heavily implicated as sources of overconcern with body focus, attractiveness, and thinness, primarily for women. Attendant negative consequences are widely assumed. Yet there appears to be a recent media trend to concern with physical health and fitness, rather than just appearance. This trend has not been empirically assessed. Further, previous research has not adequately explored the possibility that there may be an assortment of physical ideals represented in the media, which may vary according to the different audiences being targeted. The current study assessed magazine article content, examining gender differences, time trends, and magazine audience type. Four types of article content were examined: health, fitness, beauty, and weight loss, in an attempt to capture the major aspects of body focus. The numbers of articles containing such content were tallied, over a 12-year period, in a sample of magazines oriented to three distinct audiences: traditional, high fashion, and modern. Huge gender differences were obtained, with female-targeted magazines not surprisingly outstripping male-targeted ones for all content categories assessed. There were also clear differences in content between magazine types. Time-trend analyses indicated a decrease in emphasis on weight loss in women's magazines over the period studied, and a statistical trend for an increase in weight loss focus in men's magazines. We conclude that apparent trends toward healthier habits are not just thinness goals revisited.

[Biochemical and nutritional value of seeds of the lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) in comparison with those of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)]. / El valor bioquímico y nutricional de las semillas del haba de lima (Phaseolus lunatus) en comparación con las del frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris).

Composition in nutrients and antinutritional factors, digestibility and growth in rats fed diets prepared with raw and cooked beans of Ph. vulgaris, cultivar "Tacarigua", and Ph. lunatus cultivar "Tapiramo", are compared. Grains from both cultivars are similar in appearance, taste, nutritional value, and acceptability. Protein and phosphorus contents were greater in Ph. vulgaris than in Ph. lunatus seeds. The chemical score and availability of lysine were better in Ph. lunatus. Diets prepared with raw beans from Ph. lunatus resulted non toxic for the rats during a 12-day period of feeding. All rats fed with raw beans from Ph. Vulgaris died in the same period of time. Protein efficiency was better with cooked beans of Ph. lunatus. The cultivar "Tapiramo" (Ph. lunatus) is recommended for autoconsumption by small farmers.