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This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the estimated levels of diet advanced glycation end products (dAGEs) intake and obesity in university students.

This cross-sectional study included 301 university students aged 18–30 years. dAGEs was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire, for 549 routinely consumed food items and were reported by dividing total energy intake. Dietary intake and sociodemographic data were collected using validated questionnaires, and the anthropometric characteristics were measured. The relationship between anthropometric measurements and dAGEs intake was examined by binary logistic regression.

A total of 43.2% of the participants had high levels of dAGEs. A significant decreasing trend was found in the percentage of carbohydrate intake compared to the increasing trend in dAGEs consumption (p = 0.005). The percentage of fat intake and meat consumption were significantly higher in participants with the highest consumption, compared with the lowest consumption of dAGEs (p = 0.006). According to the dAGEs classification of participants, body mass index, waist circumference and energy intake were found to be significantly related in all model groups. Accordingly, the increase in body mass index, waist circumference and energy intake were determined as a risk factor in those with high dAGEs intakes.

The findings of this study emphasized that higher intake of dAGEs was associated with an increased risk of obesity parameters in college students.

Malaysia transitions from a pandemic to an endemic state, beginning on April 1, 2022. The dietary intake and physical activity of university students were altered during the COVID-19 pandemic confinement period, but there is limited information on this topic in the post-COVID-19 period. This cross-sectional study aims to understand gender differences in dietary intake and physical activity among university students and investigate the factors influencing their body mass index (BMI) in the post-COVID-19 period.

The questionnaire used in this study comprised three main segments: sociodemographic information, a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Results indicated that males exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) mean intakes of total dietary energy and macronutrients compared to females. Compared to the Malaysian Recommended Nutrient Intakes 2017, 76.4% of males and 68.8% of females had a sufficient daily energy intake. The majority of males (52.7%) and females (46.4%) were moderately physically active. Regression analysis revealed that male university students with lower fiber intake (ß = −0.309, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with higher BMI reading after confounding adjustment. However, a similar trend was not observed in female university students.

Understanding the gender differences in dietary intake and physical activity can provide insights into the development of effective gender-specific health promotion strategies and the formulation of policies aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles among university students in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

This study provides insights into the gender differences in the dietary and physical activity habits of university students, as well as the factors influencing their BMI in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

The phase angle (PhA) measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is associated with nutritional status and cellular health, and it is a clinically important parameter used to assess the risk of various diseases. It remains unclear whether PhA is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the BIA parameter PhA and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 adults aged 20–64 years (NAFLD: 196, normal: 104). Some biochemical findings of the participants were collected, and whole-body and segmental PhAs were measured using Tanita (MC-780) at 50 kHz.

The PhA values of the whole body (p = 0.003), trunk (p < 0.001), right and left legs (p < 0.001 for both) were found to significantly differ according to the degrees of fatty liver. It was observed that the highest PhA values were in normal individuals. Logistic regression analysis showed that the reduction in PhAs of the whole body (p = 0.038), right (p = 0.019) and left legs (p = 0.049) and trunk (p = 0.001) after adjusting for all confounding factors increased the risk of NAFLD. Additionally, whole body PhA was significantly associated with age (year, p = 0.02), BMI (kg/m²; p < 0.001), fat mass (kg; p = 0.001), fat mass (%; p < 0.001), albumin (g/L; p < 0.001) and CRP (mg/dL; p = 0.001).

The results of this study showed that PhA can be used in the management of NAFLD. To identify potential mechanisms in the relationship between the angle of the liver and NAFLD, large-scale prospective studies are needed.

Normal-weight obesity (NWO), characterized by normal body mass index (BMI) but excess body fat, is a potential contributor to chronic diseases. This study aims to assess the relationship between this phenomenon and some metabolic factors in a population of Iranian employees.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on Iranian employees from the baseline data of Employees Health Cohort Study, Shiraz, Iran. Anthropometric measures, including weight, height, waist circumference and percentage of body fat, were obtained from the cohort database. The participants were divided into three groups: healthy, normal-weight obese and overweight/obese. Metabolic variables including blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, lipid profile, liver function enzymes and metabolic syndrome were assessed in relation to the study groups.

A total of 985 participants aged 25–64 years were included. Males with NWO had significantly higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels compared to the healthy group in the fully adjusted model. Also, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was significantly lower among females with overweight/obesity than healthy group when adjusted for age and energy intake. Furthermore, after adjusting for age and energy intake, both genders in the overweight/obese group showed significantly elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while this was not observed for the NWO group. Lastly, metabolic syndrome was more prevalent in NWO as well as overweight/obesity.

These findings further encourage identification of excess body fat, even in normal-weight individuals, to prevent chronic metabolic diseases. Special attention should be paid to subgroups with sedentary occupations, as they may be at increased risk for NWO-related health issues.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent and multifaceted metabolic and endocrine disorder that affects a significant number of women in their reproductive years. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the lifeline diet score (LLDS) and PCOS.

In this study, the authors enrolled 105 women who had recently been diagnosed with PCOS. 105 women without PCOS, matched for age and body mass index (BMI), were selected as the control group. The mean age of the participants was 34.80 ± 5.37 years old. Standardized procedures were used to measure anthropometric indicators and assess the body composition of each participant. To determine the dietary patterns, a validated and reliable 147-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was administered. Based on the responses to the FFQ, the LLDS was calculated using 12 specific components. Multiple and univariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the associations between LLDS and PCOS, considering various factors.

In the control group, the mean LLDS was 45.61 ± 9.67; while in the case group, the mean LLDS was 25.10 ± 7.49, respectively (P = 0.001). After adjusting for socioeconomic status (SES), age, protein, fat, physical activity and BMI, the probability of developing PCOS is 69% lower in the third tertiles of LLDS than in the first tertiles (OR = 0.31, CI 95% = 0.15–0.62), (P < 0.001).

The study finds that a higher LLDS correlates with reduced PCOS risk, echoing dietary advice to boost fruits, dairy, vegetables, legumes, poultry and grains while limiting pasta, rice, bread, eggs, red meat, sweets, sugar and hydrogenated fats.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among people living with HIV (PLWHIV) considering a comparative study.

A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out with 247 respondents which include 123 HIV patients and 124 people without HIV (PWoH) recruited using a simple random sampling method. Anthropometric measurements were taken using the standard procedures and instruments. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was measured in all the subjects. The lipid level and blood glucose were obtained using a vacutainer method to collect at least 5 ml of venous blood into a heparin-containing bottle and fluoride bottle, and a chemical pathology analysis was conducted at the pathology laboratory.

Using the International Diabetes Federation criteria, the overall prevalence of MetS was 21.1%, while 27.6% and 14.5% prevalence were observed among the PLWHIV and PWoH, respectively. In all, 4% of the respondents were underweight, 40.9% had normal body mass index, 29.6 were overweight and 18.6 were obese I. The mean total cholesterol and triglycerides (TG) for PLWHIV and controls were 162.59 ± 37.80, 177.54 ± 34.23, 91.62 ± 51.74 and 69.59 ± 33.87 mg/dl, respectively. There was no significant association between gender and MetS. Of all the determinants of MetS, central obesity has the highest prevalence (71.5%, 65.3%) among the PLWHIV and the controls. Raised TGs were the components of MetS with the least prevalence (9.8% and 4.8%) among PLWHIV and PWoH. There was a significant association between reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (p = 0.001) and raised blood pressure (p = 0.001) of PLWHIV and PWoH. This study reveals that the burden of MetS among PLWHIV is higher than apparently healthy individuals.

This study could not measure the association between specific antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens and MetS because all the PLWHIV in the study are on one regimen Tenofovir disoproxil/lamivudine/dolutegravir. Therefore, longitudinal studies on the extent of ART on MetS should be carried out while using newly diagnosed HIV patients who are not yet on ART as controls.

Prevalence of MetS and its components toward the high range among PLWHIV compared to the PWoH who are apparently healthy individuals was found. Higher prevalence of central obesity and reduced HDL-C among PLWHIV was also found. Overall, MetS is high among PLWHIV, and this might predispose them to adverse metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and kidney diseases among others. Therefore, screening for metabolic risk factors should be adopted as part of routine HIV care.

The findings reveal the magnitude of MetS among PLWHIV compared to the apparently healthy individuals.

This paper aims to examine the association between the dietary inflammatory index, the consumption of Enteral Nutrition Supplemented with probiotics with certain serum inflammation markers and gastrointestinal complications among individuals diagnosed with COVID-19.

This cross-sectional investigation involved 100 COVID-19 patients who were admitted to intensive care units in hospitals. These patients were administered two different types of Enteral Nutrition, so the dietary inflammatory index (DII), gastrointestinal complications and some serum inflammation markers have been compared between two groups.

The mean DII scores in all patients were significantly pro-inflammatory (probiotic formula 2.81 ± 0.01 vs usual formula group 2.93 ± 0.14 p = 0.19). The probiotic formula consumption had an inverse association with High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein concentration (coef = −3.19, 95% CI −1.25, −5.14 p = 0.001) and lead to a reduction of 2.14 mm/h in the serum level of Erythrocyte sedimentation rate compared to normal formula. The incidence of diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting in probiotic formula patients was respectively 94%, 14% and 86% less than in usual formula patients (p = 0.05).

In this cross-sectional study for the first time, the authors found that probiotic formula consumption was inversely associated with serum inflammation markers and gastrointestinal complications incidence. The high DII leads to more gastrointestinal complications incidence and inflammation markers. More studies are needed to prove this relationship.

The purpose of this study was to development of a new chocolate-flavored powdered food supplement enriched with mesquite pod flour, oak extract and agave fructans, with proper sensory characteristics as well as its physicochemical and glycemic quality.

A powdered shake was formulated using experimental design (23) with mesquite (Prosopis laevigata) pod flour, oak (Quercus convallata) extracts, nonalkalinized cocoa, agave fructans, milk protein and xanthan gum. Sensory analysis (choice profile method, ranking test, focus group, quantitative descriptive analysis), moisture, ash, fiber, protein and lipids, pH, color, wettability, dispersibility and rheological tests were done. Phenolic profiling analysis to samples was done by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array detection and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, antioxidant activity was measured by 2,2’-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical cation, ferric reducing antioxidant power and oxygen radical absorbance capacity, glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load were evaluated.

The main sensory attributes in the powders were chocolate, bitter, astringent, grass/linseed flavors (p < 0.05). The product has protein [66.9%], carbohydrates [22.0%], lipids [1.6%], ash [2.7%] and moisture [6.8%], with wettability (23 s), and dispersibility of 77.9%. Catechin, epicatechin, gallocatechin, procyanidin B2, chlorogenic, coumaric and ferulic acids were identified. GI and caloric load not show differences between men (73.3±2.4, 4.4±0.1) and women (67.0±2.1, 4.1±0.1) (p > 0.05).

The use of mesquite pods, oak and agave fructans in powder food supplement is an alternative to obtain a product high in protein, with good sensory properties, antioxidant activity and moderate GI.

This study aims to examine whether inmate’s social support network is related to changes in anthropometric data among individuals in Canadian correctional facilities.

Methods: A total of 754 participants in federal correctional facilities who had been incarcerated for at least six months responded to the questionnaire by interview regarding their social support network. Chi-square tests and non-parametric tests for median comparison were used to measure changes in anthropometric data [weight and body mass index (BMI)] between the date of admission into custody and the date of the interview. Subsequently, a multivariate regression analysis for BMI change was conducted to adjust for covariates such as sex, age and ethnicity.

Results: Participants who received more than two visits per month had significantly lower weight gain (2.6 kg) than those who received less than one visit per month (7.1 kg, p = 0.02). Similar results were observed for the average change in BMI (p = 0.01). The influence of an external social support network on BMI change remained significant after adjusting for covariates. Conclusions: An individual's external social support network (outside the prison environment) may protect against weight gain in correctional facilities. Given how social support will vary based on the prison context by country and jurisdiction, individual and organizational strategies should be considered to maintain a healthy social support network and increase the number of visits (at every stage of incarceration) to counteract this weight gain and its adverse health consequences.

The social support network outside the prison environment may protect against weight gain in correctional facilities. Strategies should be considered to maintain a healthy social support network and increase the number of visits to counteract this weight gain and its adverse health consequences.

In spite of wide civic and academic interest in obesity, there are no bibliometric records of this issue in the marketing corpus. Thus, this inquiry is conceived to address this shortcoming with a bibliometric analysis of Scopus indexed articles published on the subject.

The analysis followed a five-step science mapping approach of study design, data collection, data analysis, data visualisation and data interpretation. R programming software was used to review 88 peer reviewed journals published between 1987 and 2021.

A sizable stream of literature exploring obesity has accrued in the marketing area as authors have drawn parallels between the influence of persuasive communication and advertising on human wellbeing and child health. The United States of America is found to be by far the country with the highest number of publications on obesity, followed by Australia and the United Kingdom. The topic dendrogram indicates two strands of obesity discourse: (1) social and policy intervention opportunities and (2) the effects on social groups in the population.

This review will shape future enquiries investigating obesity. Beyond the focus on children, males and females, an emerging focus on cola, ethics, food waste, milk, policy-making and students is highlighted.

This is the first bibliometric review of obesity in the marketing literature. This is especially timely for weighing up the utility of research aimed at understanding and reporting the trends, influences and role of stakeholders in addressing obesity.