Dietary fat intake does affect obesity

There is a difference of opinion about whether the percentage of dietary fat plays an important role in the rising prevalence of overweight and in its treatment once it has developed. We believe that ample research from animal and clinical studies, from controlled trials, and from epidemiologic and ecologic analyses provides strong evidence that dietary fat plays a role in the development and treatment of obesity. A reduction in fat intake reduces the gap between total energy intake and total energy expenditure and thus is an effective strategy for reducing the present epidemic of obesity worldwide. A review of the results from 28 clinical trials that studied the effects of a reduction in the amount of energy from fat in the diet showed that a reduction of 10% in the proportion of energy from fat was associated with a reduction in weight of 16 g/d. We thus conclude that dietary fat plays a role in the development of obesity. To reduce the prevalence of obesity, there must be an increase in energy expenditure, a reduction in total energy intake, or both. This goal can be facilitated by reducing the amount of fat in the diet

Evaluation of two cockpit display concepts for civil tiltrotor instrument operations on steep approaches

A piloted simulation experiment was conducted using the NASA Ames Research Center Vertical Motion Simulator to evaluate two cockpit display formats designed for manual control on steep instrument approaches for a civil transport tiltrotor aircraft. The first display included a four-cue (pitch, roll, power lever position, and nacelle angle movement prompt) flight director. The second display format provided instantaneous flight path angle information together with other symbols for terminal area guidance. Pilots evaluated these display formats for an instrument approach task which required a level flight conversion from airplane-mode flight to helicopter-mode flight while decelerating to the nominal approach airspeed. Pilots tracked glide slopes of 6, 9, 15 and 25 degrees, terminating in a hover for a vertical landing on a 150 feet square vertipad. Approaches were conducted with low visibility and ceilings and with crosswinds and turbulence, with all aircraft systems functioning normally and were carried through to a landing. Desired approach and tracking performance was achieved with generally satisfactory handling qualities using either display format on glide slopes up through 15 degrees. Evaluations with both display formats for a 25 degree glide slope revealed serious problems with glide slope tracking at low airspeeds in crosswinds and the loss of the intended landing spot from the cockpit field of view

Treatment-Induced Changes in Plasma Adiponectin Do Not Reduce Urinary Albumin Excretion in the Diabetes Prevention Program Cohort.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Molecular data suggests that adiponectin may directly regulate urinary albumin excretion. In the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) we measured adiponectin and albuminuria before and after intervention, and we previously reported increases in adiponectin with interventions. Here we have used the DPP dataset to test the hypothesis that treatment-related increases in adiponectin may reduce albuminuria in obesity. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: We evaluated cross-sectional correlations between plasma adiponectin and urinary albumin excretion at baseline, and the relationship of treatment-related changes in adiponectin and albuminuria. Baseline and follow-up urine albumin to creatinine ratios (ACR (albumin to creatinine ratio)) and plasma adiponectin concentration were available in 2553 subjects. RESULTS: Adjusting for age, sex and race/ethnicity, we observed a statistically significant but weak inverse relationship between adiponectin and ACR at baseline (conditional Spearman\u27s rho = (-) 0.04, p = 0.04). Although DPP treatments significantly increased plasma adiponectin, there were no treatment effects on ACR and no differences in ACR across treatment groups. There was a weak direct (not inverse) association between change in adiponectin and change in albuminuria (adjusted Spearman\u27s rho = (+) 0.04, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In a large, well-characterized cohort of obese dysglycemic subjects we observed a weak inverse association between circulating adiponectin concentrations and urinary albumin excretion at baseline. Contrary to the hypothesized effect, treatment-related increases in plasma adiponectin were not associated with a reduction in ACR. The association of change in adiponectin with change in ACR should be assessed in populations with overt albuminuria before excluding a beneficial effect of increasing adiponectin to reduce ACR in obesity

Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity

Obesity is a major epidemic, but its causes are still unclear. In this article, we investigate the relation between the intake of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and the development of obesity. We analyzed food consumption patterns by using US Department of Agriculture food consumption tables from 1967 to 2000. The consumption of HFCS increased > 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or food group. HFCS now represents > 40% of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and is the sole caloric sweetener in soft drinks in the United States. Our most conservative estimate of the consumption of HFCS indicates a daily average of 132 kcal for all Americans aged ≥ 2 y, and the top 20% of consumers of caloric sweeteners ingest 316 kcal from HFCS/d. The increased use of HFCS in the United States mirrors the rapid increase in obesity. The digestion, absorption, and metabolism of fructose differ from those of glucose. Hepatic metabolism of fructose favors de novo lipogenesis. In addition, unlike glucose, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or enhance leptin production. Because insulin and leptin act as key afferent signals in the regulation of food intake and body weight, this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased energy intake and weight gain. Furthermore, calorically sweetened beverages may enhance caloric overconsumption. Thus, the increase in consumption of HFCS has a temporal relation to the epidemic of obesity, and the overconsumption of HFCS in calorically sweetened beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity

Protocol for developing a healthcare transition intervention for young people with spinal cord injuries using a participatory action research approach

Introduction: While healthcare transition (HCT) interventions are recognised as an important area in paediatric rehabilitation, there has been limited research focusing on young people with spinal cord injuries (SCI). In this study, researchers will collaborate with young people with SCI and their parents/caregivers to develop, implement and evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a HCT intervention aimed at supporting young people with SCI during their transition from paediatric to adult healthcare services. Methods and analysis: A participatory action research (PAR) approach will be used to co-develop the HCT intervention with young people with SCI aged 14–25 years and their parents/caregivers. Three phases will be conducted to address the five objectives of this study. Phase 1 will use semi-structured interviews to explore young people and parent/caregivers’ experiences of HCT. In Phase 2a, both young people and parent/caregivers will be co-researchers. They will be included in the analysis of the interviews and will be asked to participate in co-design workshops to inform the development of a prototype HCT intervention. In Phase 2b, using focus groups, feedback on the prototype HCT intervention will be collected. In Phase 3, the refined prototype HCT intervention will be implemented, and young people with SCI and parent/ caregivers will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the HCT intervention in semi-structured interviews. A reference group, including stakeholders and end users, will be consulted at different time points. Ethics and dissemination The study has received ethics approval from Western Sydney University Human Research and Ethics Committee (H14029). The researcher will use the results of this study as chapters in a thesis to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy degree. The findings will be disseminated via publication in peer-reviewed journals and will be presented at local, national or international conferences. Trial registration number ACTRN1262100050085