The Influence of Sweet Taste Perception on Dietary Intake in Relation to Dental Caries and BMI in Saudi Arabian Schoolchildren

Objectives. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of sweet taste perception on dietary habits in Saudi schoolchildren. In addition, the relationship between dietary habits and both caries and BMI was studied. Methods. A cross-sectional observational study comprising 225 schoolchildren aged 13–15 years from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was conducted. The consumption frequency of certain food items was analysed from a beverage and snack questionnaire and a three-day estimated dietary record was obtained. The sweet taste perception level was determined as sweet taste threshold (TT) and sweet taste preference (TP). Children were grouped into low, medium, and high, according to their sweet taste perception level. ICDAS and DMFS indices were used for caries registration and anthropometric measurements using BMI were collected. Results. Sweet taste perception was found to be negatively correlated to the number of main meals and positively correlated to both snack and sweet intake occasions. Statistically significant differences were found between the TT and TP groups with regard to the number of main meals and sweet intake (p≤0.01). No significant correlation between the dietary variables and caries or BMI was found. Conclusions. The dietary habits and sweet intake were found to be influenced by the sweet taste perception level, while the relation between the dietary habits and the caries and BMI was found insignificant

Timing of eating across ten European countries - results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) calibration study

Objective To examine timing of eating across ten European countries. Design Cross-sectional analysis of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) calibration study using standardized 24 h diet recalls collected during 1995-2000. Eleven predefined food consumption occasions were assessed during the recall interview. We present time of consumption of meals and snacks as well as the later:earlier energy intake ratio, with earlier and later intakes defined as 06.00-14.00 and 15.00-24.00 hours, respectively. Type III tests were used to examine associations of sociodemographic, lifestyle and health variables with timing of energy intake. Setting Ten Western European countries. Subjects In total, 22 985 women and 13 035 men aged 35-74 years (n 36 020). Results A south-north gradient was observed for timing of eating, with later consumption of meals and snacks in Mediterranean countries compared with Central and Northern European countries. However, the energy load was reversed, with the later:earlier energy intake ratio ranging from 0 center dot 68 (France) to 1 center dot 39 (Norway) among women, and from 0 center dot 71 (Greece) to 1 center dot 35 (the Netherlands) among men. Among women, country, age, education, marital status, smoking, day of recall and season were all independently associated with timing of energy intake (all PPeer reviewe

Meal patterns and obesity. Does snacking play a role?

Aims: To describe meal patterns, especially snacking, in obese subjects compared to areference population and to evaluate the importance of meal frequency in obesity treatment.Methods: Two cross sectional studies; 1. Women from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS)registry study (n=83) and SOS reference study (n=94); 2. Obese men (n=1891) and women(n=2368) from the XENDOS study (XENical in the prevention of Diabetes in ObeseSubjects) and SOS reference study, men (n=505) and women (n=587). 3. A retrospectiveanalysis on the relation between meal patterns and weight loss and adherence to life stylerecommendations including men (n=674) and women (n=705) who completed XENDOSfour-year clinical trial. 4. A one year clinical trial on weight loss in obese subjects (n=140)who were randomised to two regimes; 3 meals and no snacks (3M) and 3 meals and 3 snacks(3+3M). In all studies habitual meal and dietary intake were measured using a meal patternquestionnaire and SOS dietary questionnaire.Results: Obese women had a meal pattern deviating from the reference women with moresnacks especially during afternoon and evening. Obese subjects were more frequent snackersthan reference subjects and women were more frequent snackers than men. Snacks werepositively related to energy intake irrespective of physical activity, especially energy fromsweet, fatty food groups. After treatment energy intake did not increase with increasedsnacking frequency. In men adherence to the recommended 3 meals and 2-3 snacks/day waspositively related to weight loss but not in women. Weight loss was related to decreased fatintake, increased fibre intake and extra walking. Patients who completed the one year studychanged their snacking frequency in anticipated direction but there was no difference inweight loss between the two groups (3M vs. 3+3M = 4.1 kg ±6.1 vs. 5.9 ±9.4), notsignificantly different (p=0.31).Conclusions: Obese are more frequent snackers than reference subjects and women are morefrequent snackers than men. High snacking frequency increases energy intake, but intreatment subjects manage to cut down calories despite high snacking frequency.Recommending snacks or not does not influence weight loss. As life style changes aredifficult to adhere to it is of utmost importance that recommendations are evidence based

Meal patterns, including intermittent fasting – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023

Introduction: ‘Meal patterns’ refers to eating frequency, snacking, regularity, and timing. Here also including intermittent fasting. The effect of meal patterns on health is inconsistent and when updating the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 (NNR2023), summarizing the evidence is important. Aims: To describe the evidence for the role of meal patterns on bodyweight, body composition, and cardiovascular risk factors (i.e. blood pressure and lipid- and glukose metabolism) in healthy people living with normal weight, overweight, or obesity in all age groups. Methods: An initial search in PubMed found 481 reviews, of which 104 were identified based on titles. Of these, 47 were excluded based on title and abstracts. Of the remaining 57 reviews, 16 were included reporting search terms and inclusion/exclusion criteria. In addition, 8 reviews from reference list or known by authors were included. In total, 24 reviews were relevant. Cochrane Library was searched with no results. Results: All reviews were rated low or critically low (AMSTAR 2). No consistent findings on eating frequency and body weight or composition were found in children/adolescents or adults. In snacking, mixed results were found, although among adults, some consistent results showed positive associations between snacking and body weight. In regularity, breakfast skipping showed mixed results in children/adolescents on body weight and composition. Among adults, randomized controlled trials on breakfast skipping showed a minor impact on improved weight loss. In prospective studies on timing, lower energy intake during late afternoon/evening was related to less body weight. Intermittent fasting reduced body weight but was not superior to continuous energy restrictions. Cardiovascular risk factors were assessed in a minority of the reviews, and despite some beneficial effects, the evidence was limited. Conclusion: Given the overall low to critically low quality of the reviews, the evidence is limited and inconclusive. No consistent results providing evidence for setting recommendations for meal patterns were shown. In this regard, meal patterns may vary within the context of an energy balanced and nutritionally adequate diet

Childhood obesity in relation to sweet taste perception and dental caries – a cross-sectional multicenter study

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial disease that is increasing worldwide and is caused by different environmental and genetic factors, with an increase in the consumption of high-energy–containing food and a decrease in physical activity constituting two of the main reasons. Sweet taste perception may have an effect on the subject’s dietary choices and affect his or her predisposition to obesity. Objectives: The aim was to study the sweet taste perception and dental caries in relation to body mass index (BMI) in 13–15-year-old schoolchildren from three different countries and to compare the BMI among the countries. Design: The sweet taste perception level, determined as the sweet taste threshold and preference, was assessed in a total of 669 schoolchildren from Italy, Mexico and Saudi Arabia, examined in school settings. Height and weight were collected and BMI was calculated, after which the children were grouped as underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. For caries registration, the International Caries Detection and Assessment System and Decayed Missing Filled Surfaces indices were used. Results: A statistically significant difference was found for BMI among the children from the three countries (p < 0.001), with the highest mean found among Saudi children, followed by Mexican and Italian children. A statistically significant difference regarding sweet taste threshold when comparing the BMI groups was only found for Saudi Arabia (p < 0.01). No significant correlation was found between BMI and sweet taste threshold or preference and dental caries variables, respectively. Conclusions: BMI was found to differ between countries, with a further significant difference among the groups among the Saudi Arabia schoolchildren

Bra liv i Gårdsten – när invånarna själva får råda

Denna rapport beskriver ett projekt som drivs av några invånare från Gårdsten och en forskargrupp från Göteborgs Universitet och Västra Götalandsregionen. Målet för projektet är att identifiera vad som gör att man kan leva ett gott och hälsosamt liv i Gårdsten samt att föreslå och initiera förändringar. Vi har vid ett antal träffar pratat om hur vardagen fungerar i Gårdsten, vad som är bra för hälsan och vad som skulle kunna förbättras. I den processen har vi använt en forskningsmetod som innebär att alla ska kunna komma till tals och påverka (GLA – Group Level Assessment). I slutet av varje träff har vi tillsammans bestämt hur vi går vidare och forskargruppen har dokumenterat och sammanställt det som hänt. Bland annat har vi haft en utställning, där vi bjöd in fler invånare och företrädare för myndigheter och organisationer i Gårdsten. Dessa aktiviteter har resulterat i förslag på konkreta insatser. Fler mötesplatser behövs och kommunikationen mellan människorna kan bli mycket bättre. Det har också framkommit att tryggheten och känslan av tillhörighet behöver stärkas. Önskemålen om bättre kommunikation, trygghet och tillhörighet har i sin tur har lett till att några jobbar vidare på att öppna ett språkkafé. En grupp har också tagit initiativ till att bjuda in representanter för hälso- och sjukvården för att prata om munhälsa respektive hälsosam mat. Detta var lätt att ordna eftersom både Folktandvården och Angereds Närsjukhus har sådant utåtriktat arbete som en del av sina uppdrag. Genom projektet tas alltså dessa resurser nu i bruk av invånarna. Slutligen kan man säga om detta projekt att det startat idéer, diskussioner och handlingar som förhoppningsvis kommer att fortsätta bidra till Gårdstens utveckling

Childhood obesity in relation to sweet taste perception and dental carie : a cross-sectional multicenter study

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial disease that is increasing worldwide and is caused by different environmental and genetic factors, with an increase in the consumption of high-energy–containing food and a decrease in physical activity constituting two of the main reasons. Sweet taste perception may have an effect on the subject’s dietary choices and affect his or her predisposition to obesity. Objectives: The aim was to study the sweet taste perception and dental caries in relation to body mass index (BMI) in 13–15-year-old schoolchildren from three different countries and to compare the BMI among the countries. Design: The sweet taste perception level, determined as the sweet taste threshold and preference, was assessed in a total of 669 schoolchildren from Italy, Mexico and Saudi Arabia, examined in school settings. Height and weight were collected and BMI was calculated, after which the children were grouped as underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. For caries registration, the International Caries Detection and Assessment System and Decayed Missing Filled Surfaces indices were used. Results: A statistically significant difference was found for BMI among the children from the three countries (p < 0.001), with the highest mean found among Saudi children, followed by Mexican and Italian children. A statistically significant difference regarding sweet taste threshold when comparing the BMI groups was only found for Saudi Arabia (p < 0.01). No significant correlation was found between BMI and sweet taste threshold or preference and dental caries variables, respectively. Conclusions: BMI was found to differ between countries, with a further significant difference among the groups among the Saudi Arabia schoolchildren

Comparison of a web-based food record tool and a food-frequency questionnaire and objective validation using the doubly labelled water technique in a Swedish middle-aged population

Two web-based dietary assessment tools have been developed for use in large-scale studies: the Riksmaten method (4-d food record) and MiniMeal-Q (food-frequency method). The aim of the present study was to examine the ability of these methods to capture energy intake against objectively measured total energy expenditure (TEE) with the doubly labelled water technique (TEEDLW), and to compare reported energy and macronutrient intake. This study was conducted within the pilot study of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS), which included 1111 randomly selected men and women aged 50–64 years from the Gothenburg general population. Of these, 200 were enrolled in the SCAPIS diet substudy. TEEDLW was measured in a subsample (n 40). Compared with TEEDLW, both methods underestimated energy intake: −2·5 (sd 2·9) MJ with the Riksmaten method; −2·3 (sd 3·6) MJ with MiniMeal-Q. Mean reporting accuracy was 80 and 82 %, respectively. The correlation between reported energy intake and TEEDLW was r 0·4 for the Riksmaten method (P < 0·05) and r 0·28 (non-significant) for MiniMeal-Q. Women reported similar average intake of energy and macronutrients in both methods whereas men reported higher intakes with the Riksmaten method. Energy-adjusted correlations ranged from 0·14 (polyunsaturated fat) to 0·77 (alcohol). Bland–Altman plots showed acceptable agreement for energy and energy-adjusted protein and carbohydrate intake, whereas the agreement for fat intake was poorer. According to energy intake data, both methods displayed similar precision on energy intake reporting. However, MiniMeal-Q was less successful in ranking individuals than the Riksmaten method. The development of methods to achieve limited under-reporting is a major challenge for future research

Carotenoids and alkylresorcinols as objective biomarkers of diet quality when assessing the validity of a web-based food record tool and a food frequency questionnaire in a middle-aged population

BACKGROUND: Recently, two web-based dietary assessment tools were developed; a 4-day food record tool (the Riksmaten method), and a food frequency questionnaire (MiniMeal-Q). The aim of this study was to use objective biomarkers to examine the ability of the two methods to capture habitual dietary intake. METHODS: In total, 200 individuals from the pilot study of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) participated. Plasma concentration of carotenoids were determined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and used as biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake. A gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was used to quantify alkylresorcinol homologues, which were used as biomarkers of whole grain wheat and rye intake. RESULTS: The correlations between energy-adjusted fruit and vegetable intakes and plasma carotenoid concentrations (except lycopene) were stronger amongst women than men (r = 0.46 and r = 0.20 for the Riksmaten method, and r = 0.50 and r = 0.31 for MiniMeal-Q, respectively). For whole grains, the correlations of energy-adjusted intakes and alkylresorcinols were higher using the Riksmaten method (r = 0.30 and r = 0.29 for women and men) than the MiniMeal-Q (r = 0.25 and r = 0.20, respectively). In regression analyses between plasma carotenoids (except lycopene) and reported intake of fruits and vegetables, the R2 were 21.6 % and 5.1 % for women and men by the Riksmaten method, and correspondingly, 18.0 % and 6.6 % by the MiniMeal-Q. In the final full models, adjusted for smoking and BMI, all regression models remained statistically significant. The regression analyses of plasma alkylresorcinols and reported intake of whole grains showed an R2of 9.4 % and 9.7 % for women and men by the Riksmaten method, and correspondingly, 5.3 % and 8.4 % by the MiniMeal-Q. In the final full models, adjusted for smoking and age, all regression models remained statistically significant, except for women in MiniMeal-Q. CONCLUSION: Both dietary assessment methods were able to capture dietary intake based on food groups with a similar precision. Agreements with objective biomarkers ranged from low to moderate, depending on sex and diet quality indicator. While the ability to capture whole grain intake was weak for both methods and sexes, the assessment of vegetable and fruit intake performed in a satisfactory manner for women in both methods