PARENTAL INFLUENCE ON ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ EATING BEHAVIOR

Introduction: The balanced nutrition of children defines their optimal growth and development. The family plays a key role in the formation of healthy eating habits in childhood. In the last decades an increasing prevalence of alternative diets, significantly differing from healthy nutrition is observed among children and adolescents. This type of dieting creates short and long term health risks. Aim: The aim of this article is to represent the role of the family in the formation of adolescent girls` eating behavior. Materials and methods: A literature review of 14 sources has been made. Results: The literature review demonstrates the powerful parental influence on the formation of their descendants` eating behavior. Findings indicate that the parental encouragement of dieting to lose weight is related to the earlier shift towards alternative diets among their daughters. There is accumulating evidence for the detrimental effect of controlling feeding practices on children`s ability to self-regulate energy intake. Results suggest that the critical comments in the family regarding weight and body shape are associated with body dissatisfaction, unhealthy and extreme weight control behaviors. A lower percentage of alternative dieting and disordered eating behaviors is reported in a family with more frequent family meals and discussions about weight. Conclusions: Parents play the role of educators in the life of children modeling their food cognitions and preferences. Appropriate education of parents would be useful to establish healthy family meal patterns and to reduce the risk of developing eating disorders

CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION AMONG WORKERS WITH PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL RISK FACTORS

Consumption of energy drinks grows worldwide which increases the need for research and scientific prove for their safe use concerning health effects they might cause among the population. Not properly discussed remains the issue about employers who offer their employees energy drinks in the workplace without any limits. Not fully clarified are the safe levels of consumption of caffeine by workers with a high level of mental tension. The purpose is to explore coffee consumption among people working at different levels of stress in the workplace. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study of coffee consumption and working conditions was conducted with an emphasis on psycho-emotional tension among working-age people from north-eastern Bulgaria. A structured proprietary questionnaire including questions about: coffee intake and working conditions has been developed. Results: Daily consumption of coffee correlates with the following characteristics of the labour task: - Level of stress according to self-assessment 0,086 - Deficiency of time by performing daily obligations 0,121 - Risk of failure by daily tasks 0,208 - Presence of high work responsibility 0,143 Consumption of coffee among workers with high work responsibility is proven to lead to increased subjective feeling and fear of failures with serious consequences (р<0.05). Conclusions: The complex approach for the evaluation of health effects caused by the consumption of coffee includes the assessment of the risk factors due to working conditions and lifestyle

ASPECTS OF THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN WITH ADOLESCENT IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS. LITERATURE REVIEW

AIS is a very common condition amongst adolescents in Bulgaria, and it has no effective prophylaxis, because of its unknown etiology. Few factors possibly play a role in the etiopathogenesis, one of which is the lifestyle, and more specifically the levels of some nutrients, and the anthropometrics. These aspects can be described as parts of the nutritional status of the patients with AIS. Numerous studies find a high incidence of vit. D deficiency amongst AIS patients(75-97%). Significantly higher compared to control groups. Few studies also find a negative correlation between the progression of the disease and bone density, and calcium levels respectively. Majority of the studies show that, when compared with a control population, scoliotic patients had a significantly lower mean body weight, lower BMI, lower fat and lean mass. The low lean body mass is suggested by some studies as the main contributor. One recent cohort study shows that the low anthropometrical indicators appear first, suggesting their possible role in the etiopathogenesis

NUTRITIVE INTAKE OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS AND MATERNITY

Introduction:Pregnancy and lactation are physiological conditions, which put the female organism into a serious ordeal. The satisfaction of the nutritive needs during maternity plays a significant role in the favorable end of pregnancy and for the health of both mother and infant. A significant number of studies prove the importance of the essential fatty acids for mother’s and baby’s health. During this period the needs of fats do not exceed, but the requirements to them increase. Aim: To study the nutritive intake of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) in pregnant women in Varna, Bulgaria and to determine if there is a risk for nutritive deficiency. Materials and methods: A questionnaire (Food Frequency Questionnaire) about the consumption of foods – sources of n-3 FA was distributed among 350 pregnant and nursing women in Varna, Bulgaria. Results and discussion: Less than 40% of the responders regularly consume foods, sources of polyunsaturated fatty acid: fish, walnuts, linseeds, etc. Only 9,3% of the young mothers take dietary supplements with n-3 FA. Conclusion: A low nutritive intake of essential fats was found. The receiving of PUFA dietary supplements is not popular among the Bulgarian mothers. Over half of the pregnant and nursing women are at risk of non-adequate intake of n-3 FA

KETOGENIC DIET – FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE TO NOWADAYS

Introduction: The ketogenic diet (KGD) is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. In 1920`s the diet was developed to treat difficult-to-control epilepsy in children. Nowadays its efficacy has been proven in many other diseases, such as metabolic disorders, brain tumours, autism, Rett syndrome, and in other areas, it has been actively studied. Aim: The aim of this article is to represent the historical review of the therapeutic implication of KGD, as well as to reveal the contemporary clinical trends in which it is being used. Material and Methods: A literature review of 96 scientific reports in English has been made. Results and Discussion: The KGD was developed in the early 1920s. In the period 1970-1990, the therapeutic use of the diet was discontinued, due to the breakthrough of the new anticonvulsants for epilepsy. The interest in KGD was recovered after a meeting of the “American Epilepsy Society” in 1996. The diet demonstrates anticonvulsant efficacy in epilepsy therapy. According to a survey in 2013, the incidence of seizures among half of the number of children was reduced by at least a half, and 15% of them were completely discontinued. The diet is also used in the treatment of metabolic diseases, such as GLUT 1-deficiency syndrome, reducing the incidence of seizures, improving muscle coordination and concentration. It is also effective in pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency syndrome by replacing the major energy source - glucose with ketones. Along with these, it is also used in patients with autism (in approximately 60% of patients it improves learning ability and social skills), Rett syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and others. Its mechanism of action is not fully clarified, as well as its degree of effectiveness in some areas. Conclusion: The ketogenic diet is widely implemented worldwide. It comprises a tremendous therapeutic potential that has been growing considerably during the past decades