Excess body weight as a risk factor to well-being and performance of flight personnel : potential strategies of prevention

Flight personnel is at risk of excessive weight and obesity. This is due to, for instance, irregular work schedules, irregular nutritional habits, excessive workload, and an inability to plan regular physical exercise or recreation. These factors lead to excessive body weight gains, and hence to obesity. Obesity directly infl uences quality of life as well as readiness to fulfi ll duties by the aircraft maintenance personnel. Obesity is an independent risk factor for various diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, each of which can lead to a loss of medical licence. Obesity is associated with extensive caloric consumption that cannot be controlled by the aff ected person. State of the art research has demonstrated not only hormonal and neuronal changes associated with obesity, but also points to deterioration of cognitive functions; these changes are likely induced by suboptimal diets. Furthermore, we will review prevention strategies, as well as treatments aimed at losing weight in fl ight personnel already aff ected by obesity. Implementation of these programs may prolong the time a pilot is fi t to fl y and improve his/her performance

Real life changes in physical activity due to intragastric balloon therapy and their relationship to improving cognitive functions : preliminary findings

Background. We evaluated if the intragastric balloon (IGB) treatment leads to the increase in physical activity (PA) and whether they are related to cognitive improvements. Methods. Fourteen morbidly obese patients (151 ± 24 kg, BMI = 51.8 ± 6.5, 107 ± 26% excess weight, 43.3 ± 10.6 years) underwent 6-day-long, uninterrupted evaluations of PA 1 month before IGB insertion and 1 month after its removal. Results Active energy expenditure and physical activity duration increased by more than 80% (p < 0.001) whereas the number of steps per day by 20% (p = 0.016). There was a pattern of relationships between cognitive improvements and increases in PA (p < 0.05). In particular, working memory improvements correlated with the increase in time spent on light physical activities (r = 0.673, p = 0.004). Conclusion. The relationships suggest that an increase in physical activity mediates cognitive improvements in bariatric patients

Cognitive improvements following body mass reduction induced by intragastric balloon placement in morbidly obese patients : a preliminary study

Introduction: Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are associated with poorer cognitive performance. Reports suggest that bariatric surgery may lead to improvements in cognitive processes. However, the potential effects of mood improvements have not yet been evaluated. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of intragastric balloon (IGB) induced weight loss on cognitive performance in morbidly obese patients and relate them to changes in mood. Methods: Twenty four morbidly obese patients (43.9±12.0 years of age, 145.6±22.3kg, body mass index (BMI): 49.8±6.9, 11 females, 14 with T2DM), underwent tests of visual short-term memory (Benton Visual Retention Test), sustained and divided attention (Color Trail Test), and verbal short-term memory: (Digit Span from WAIS-R) 1) a month before IGB insertion, 2) three months after, 3) one month after IGB removal. Depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: Significant cognitive improvement was observed over the first three months of IGB treatment in verbal short-term memory, visual short-term memory, and sustained and divided attention among all patients, regardless of their T2DM status. However, these changes correlated with weight loss only in patients without comorbid T2DM. The cognitive changes were not associated with changes in depressive symptoms. The improved cognitive performance was sustained over the last three months of the treatment. Conclusions: Morbid obesity treatment with an intragastric balloon leads to cognitive improvements. These improvements are not associated with mood changes

The influence of sloping cloud in the visual field on the cognitive determinants of military pilots’ behavior

Objectives The study analyzed the effectiveness of military pilots’ behavior under the influence of false horizon illusion – a false perception of the real horizon. It was assumed that visual illusion tends to cause spatial disorientation (SD). The question was asked which orientation of the sloping cloud (right/left) would have a bigger impact on SD. The effectiveness of the flight profile performance under the influence of visual illusion was analyzed in the context of the field dependence (FD), field independence (FI) or field intermediate dependence (FINT) of perception, the effectiveness of attention and operational memory. Material and Methods The study covered 66 pilots. A flight simulator was used as a measure of effectiveness in performing the flight profile in spatial disorientation conditions. The effectiveness of attention and working memory was diagnosed using 4 computer tasks. Results It was revealed that the right sloping cloud (compared to the left sloping cloud) had a greater impact on military pilots’ behavior. The cognitive style distinguishes the accuracy of the flight profile performance from the inclined cloud pointing to the right. The comparisons showed significant differences between the FI and FD pilot groups. All the pilots demonstrated the right-sided asymmetry of the flight rate. While performing tasks on the simulator, the FI pilots were characterized by a more stable rate than the FINT pilots. Conclusions A general conclusion is that the “correct falling cloud” had a greater impact on pilots’ behavior. The presented results confirm the hypothesis that susceptibility to visual illusions is significantly increased in the pilots characterized by field dependence while the pilots with the FINT style of perception are characterized by a greater variability of the flight rate. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(5):653–6