Obesity, perceived weight discrimination, and psychological well-being in older adults in England

Objective To examine whether the adverse effect of obesity on psychological well-being can be explained by weight discrimination. Methods The study sample included 5056 older (≥50 y) men and women living in England and participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Participants reported experiences of weight discrimination in everyday life and completed measures of quality of life (CASP-19 scale), life satisfaction (Satisfaction With Life Scale), and depressive symptoms (eight-item CES-D scale). Height and weight were objectively measured, with obesity defined as BMI ≥30 kg/m2. Mediation analyses were used to test the role of perceived weight discrimination in the relationship between obesity and each psychological factor. Results Obesity, weight discrimination, and psychological well-being were all significantly inter-related. Mediation models revealed significant indirect effects of obesity through perceived weight discrimination on quality of life (β = −0.072, SE = 0.008), life satisfaction (β = −0.038, SE = 0.008), and depressive symptoms (β = 0.057, SE = 0.008), with perceived weight discrimination explaining approximately 40% (range: 39.5-44.1%) of the total association between obesity and psychological well-being. Conclusions Perceived weight discrimination explains a substantial proportion of the association between obesity and psychological well-being in English older adults. Efforts to reduce weight stigma in society could help to reduce the psychological burden of obesity

Obesity, weight stigma and discrimination

Rises in obesity prevalence over recent decades have corresponded with increasing stigmatisation of, and discrimination against, individuals living with obesity. Widespread stereotypes characterise people with obesity as lazy, less competent, lacking in self-discipline, non-compliant, sloppy, and worthless. These stereotypes are highly prevalent and rarely challenged in Western society. Weight bias has been documented among health professionals including doctors, nurses, and psychologists, and in employers and co-workers, teachers, landlords, peers, parents, and children as young as three. As a result, individuals with obesity encounter pervasive prejudice and discrimination across a number of domains, including healthcare, employment, and interpersonal relationships

Association between perceived weight discrimination and physical activity: a population-based study among English middle-aged and older adults

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between perceived weight discrimination and physical activity in a large population-based sample. DESIGN: Data were from 2423 men and 3057 women aged ≥50 years participating in Wave 5 (2010/11) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Participants reported experiences of weight discrimination in everyday life and frequency of light, moderate and vigorous physical activities. We used logistic regression to test associations between perceived weight discrimination and physical activity, controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: Perceived weight discrimination was associated with almost 60% higher odds of being inactive (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.40, p=.028) and 30% lower odds of engaging in moderate or vigorous activity at least once a week (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.94, p=.017). CONCLUSIONS: Independent of BMI, individuals who perceive unfair treatment on the basis of their weight are less physically active than those who do not perceive discrimination. This has important implications for the health and well-being of individuals who experience weight-based discrimination, and may also contribute to a cycle of weight gain and further mistreatment

Characterization of the Folding of a 52_{2}-Knotted Protein Using Engineered Single-Tryptophan Variants

An increasing number of proteins that contain topological knots have been identified over the past two decades; however, their folding mechanisms are still not well understood. UCH-L1 has a 5$_{2}$-knotted topology. Here, we constructed a series of variants that contain a single tryptophan at different locations along the polypeptide chain. A study of the thermodynamic properties of the variants shows that the structure of UCH-L1 is remarkably tolerant to incorporation of bulky tryptophan side chains. Comprehensive kinetic studies of the variants reveal that they fold via parallel pathways on which there are two intermediate states very similar to wild-type UCH-L1. The structures of the intermediate states do not change significantly with mutation and therefore occupy local minima on the energy landscape that have relatively narrow basins. The kinetic studies also establish that there are considerably more tertiary interactions in the intermediate states than results from previous NMR studies suggested. The two intermediates differ from each other in the extent to which tertiary interactions between the highly stable central β-sheet and flanking α-helices and loop regions are formed. There is strong evidence that these states are aggregation prone. The transition states from both I$_{1}$ and I$_{2}$ to the native state are plastic and change with mutation and denaturant concentration. Previous studies indicated that the threading event that creates the 5$_{2}$ knot occurs during these steps, suggesting that there is a broad energy barrier consistent with the chain undergoing some searching of conformational space as the threading takes place.Family Funds (Hong-yu Zhang), University of Cambridg

Four-year stability of anthropometric and cardio-metabolic parameters in a prospective cohort of older adults

Aim: To examine the medium-term stability of anthropometric and cardio-metabolic parameters in the general population. Materials & methods: Participants were 5160 men and women from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (age ≥50 years) assessed in 2004 and 2008. Anthropometric data included height, weight, BMI and waist circumference. Cardio-metabolic parameters included blood pressure, serum lipids (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), hemoglobin, fasting glucose, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein. Results: Stability of anthropometric variables was high (all intraclass correlations >0.92), although mean values changed slightly (-0.01 kg weight, +1.33 cm waist). Cardio-metabolic parameters showed more variation: correlations ranged from 0.43 (glucose) to 0.81 (HDL). The majority of participants (71–97%) remained in the same grouping relative to established clinical cut-offs. Conclusion: Over a 4-year period, anthropometric and cardio-metabolic parameters showed good stability. These findings suggest that when no means to obtain more recent data exist, a one-time sample will give a reasonable approximation to average levels over the medium-term, although reliability is reduced

Sexual activity and concerns in people with coronary heart disease from a population-based study

OBJECTIVE: Sexual activity is a central component of intimate relationships, but sexual function may be impaired by coronary heart disease (CHD). There have been few representative population-based comparisons of sexual behaviour and concerns in people with and without CHD. We therefore investigated these issues in a large nationally representative sample of older people. METHODS: We analysed cross-sectional data from 2979 men and 3711 women aged 50 and older from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Sexual behaviour and concerns were assessed by validated self-completion questionnaire and analyses were weighted for non-response. Covariates included age, partnerships status and comorbidities. RESULTS: There were 376 men and 279 women with CHD. Men with CHD were less likely to be sexually active (68.7% vs 80.0%, adjusted OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.81), thought less about sex (74.7% vs 81.9%, OR 0.72, CI 0.54 to 0.95), and reported more erectile difficulties (47.4% vs 38.1%, OR 1.46, CI 1.10 to 1.93) than men without CHD. Effects were more pronounced among those diagnosed within the past 4 years. Women diagnosed <4 years ago were also less likely to be sexually active (35.4% vs 55.6%, OR 0.44, CI 0.23 to 0.84). There were few differences in concerns about sexual activity. Cardiovascular medication showed weak associations with erectile dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: There is an association between CHD and sexual activity, particularly among men, but the impact of CHD is limited. More effective advice after diagnosis might reverse the reduction in sexual activity, leading to improved quality of life

Hair cortisol and adiposity in a population-based sample of 2,527 men and women aged 54 to 87 years

OBJECTIVE: Chronic cortisol exposure is hypothesized to contribute to obesity. This study examined associations between hair cortisol concentrations, a novel indicator of long-term cortisol exposure, and adiposity in a large population-based sample. METHODS: Data were from 2,527 men and women aged 54 and older (98% white British) participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Hair cortisol concentrations were determined from the scalp-nearest 2 cm hair segment, and height, weight, and waist circumference were objectively measured. Covariates included age, sex, socioeconomic status, smoking status, diabetes, and arthritis. RESULTS: In cross-sectional analyses, hair cortisol concentrations were positively correlated with weight (r = 0.102, P < 0.001), BMI (r = 0.101, P < 0.001), and waist circumference (r = 0.082, P = 0.001) and were significantly elevated in participants with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m(2) ) (F = 6.58, P = 0.001) and raised waist circumference (≥102 cm in men, ≥88 cm in women) (F = 4.87, P = 0.027). Hair cortisol levels were also positively associated with the persistence of obesity (F = 12.70, P < 0.001), evaluated in retrospect over 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic exposure to elevated cortisol concentrations, assessed in hair, is associated with markers of adiposity and with the persistence of obesity over time

Smokers' Use of E-Cigarettes in Situations Where Smoking Is not Permitted in England: Quarterly Trends 2011–2020 and Associations With Sociodemographic and Smoking Characteristics

OBJECTIVES: To examine how the proportion of dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes who use e-cigarettes in situations where smoking is not permitted has changed since e-cigarettes became popular in England, and to characterise those who do so. METHOD: Data were from 5,081 adults in England who reported current smoking and current use of e-cigarettes ('dual users') participating in a nationally-representative monthly survey between April 2011 and February 2020. We modelled quarterly changes in prevalence of e-cigarette use in situations where smoking is not permitted and assessed multivariable associations with sociodemographic and smoking characteristics. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2020, prevalence of e-cigarette use in situations where smoking is not permitted followed a positive cubic trend, with a decelerating increase from an estimated 52.5% of dual users in Q2-2011 to 72.7% in Q3-2014, followed by a small decline to 67.5% in 2018, and subsequent increase to 74.0% in 2020. Odds were higher among those who were from more disadvantaged social grades, reported stronger smoking urges, or had made a past-year quit attempt, and lower among those who were aged ≥65y (vs. 16-24y), from the south (vs. north) of England, reported currently cutting down on their cigarette consumption, or currently using NRT. CONCLUSIONS: In England, use of e-cigarettes in situations where smoking is not permitted is common among dual cigarette and e-cigarette users, has increased non-linearly since 2011, and is particularly prevalent among those who are younger, disadvantaged, more addicted, have recently failed to quit, and are not attempting to cut down

pyFRET: A Python Library for Single Molecule Fluorescence Data Analysis

Single molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is a powerful experimental technique for studying the properties of individual biological molecules in solution. However, as adoption of smFRET techniques becomes more widespread, the lack of available software, whether open source or commercial, for data analysis, is becoming a significant issue. Here, we present pyFRET, an open source Python package for the analysis of data from single-molecule fluorescence experiments from freely diffusing biomolecules. The package provides methods for the complete analysis of a smFRET dataset, from burst selection and denoising, through data visualisation and model fitting. We provide support for both continuous excitation and alternating laser excitation (ALEX) data analysis. pyFRET is available as a package downloadable from the Python Package Index (PyPI) under the open source three-clause BSD licence, together with links to extensive documentation and tutorials, including example usage and test data. Additional documentation including tutorials is hosted independently on ReadTheDocs. The code is available from the free hosting site Bitbucket. Through distribution of this software, we hope to lower the barrier for the adoption of smFRET experiments by other research groups and we encourage others to contribute modules for specific analysis needs

Perceived weight discrimination and chronic biochemical stress: A population-based study using cortisol in scalp hair

Objective: There is increasing evidence for weight-based discrimination against persons with obesity. This study aimed to examine the physiological impact of perceived weight discrimination on cortisol in hair, an indicator of chronic stress exposure. - - Methods: Data were from 563 nonsmoking individuals with obesity (body mass index, BMI ≥30 kg/m2) participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Experiences of discrimination were reported via questionnaire, and hair cortisol concentrations were determined from the scalp-nearest 2-cm hair segment. Height and weight were objectively measured. ANCOVAs tested associations between perceived weight discrimination and hair cortisol concentration overall and by degree of obesity. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and BMI. - - Results: Mean hair cortisol concentrations were 33% higher in those who had experienced weight discrimination than those who had not (mean log pg/mg 1.241 vs. 0.933, F = 12.01, P = 0.001). The association between weight discrimination and hair cortisol was particularly pronounced in individuals with severe (class II/III) obesity (1.402 vs. 0.972, F = 11.58, P = 0.001). - - Conclusions: Weight discrimination is associated with the experience of stress at a biological level. Chronic exposure to elevated levels of cortisol may play a role in generating a vicious circle of weight gain and discrimination and contribute to obesity-associated health conditions