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Pregnancy-related weight gain--a link to obesity?

Past research on maternal weight gain during pregnancy has focused on determinants and consequences of inadequate weight gain with concerns for the health of the infant. However, with the rising prevalence of obesity among women of childbearing ages and the high proportion of women who are gaining in excess of recommendations, a shift in research focus must occur to include consideration of the mother's long-term health status. The few studies that have examined determinants of excessive weight gain and postpartum weight retention in this country were not comprehensive in assessing diet, physical activity and psychosocial factors and suffer from small sample sizes. Information is lacking concerning pregnant women's perceptions about eating and gaining weight, what they actually eat, how consumption and exercise relate to weight gain, and how psychosocial factors influence these behaviors during pregnancy. Likewise, little is known concerning these same attitudes and behaviors during the postpartum period that may contribute to weight retention.

Adult↗

Weight loss and sweetness preferences: the effects of recent versus past weight loss.

The present study examined the effects of weight loss, recent and past, on perceptions of pleasantness and sweetness intensity of sucrose solutions. Subjects high or low in current weight loss, and high or low in past weight loss (weight suppression) rated sucrose solutions before and after the ingestion of a glucose solution. Current weight loss was total weight loss over the 3 months prior to the study; past weight loss was defined in terms of the difference between maximal and current weight. Subjects were 40 women, all of whom reported that they were dieting. After a 12-hour overnight fast, each subject tasted and rated five concentrations of sucrose solutions (2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0, and 40.0) for pleasantness and sweetness. High weight suppressors rated the sucrose solutions, before and after the glucose load, as significantly less pleasant than did low weight suppressors. High recent weight losers rated the sucrose solutions as significantly more pleasant than did low current weight losers following, but not prior to, the glucose load. These results were inconsistent with setpoint theory. High weight suppressors did not show an increase in sweetness preference as predicted by this theory. It was suggested that while weight loss affects taste hedonics, the nature of this relationship depends on the recency of the weight loss.

Adolescent↗

Sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and BMI in relation to self-perception of overweight.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the self-perception of overweight in the study population according to sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and to compare the self-perception of overweight among individuals classified as normal weight, overweight, and obese. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Data from 5440 adults who participated in the 1994 to 1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and the Diet and Health Knowledge Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture were analyzed. Data for analysis included self-perceived weight status, self-reported weight and height, and demographic and socioeconomic data. Underweight individuals, defined as those with a body mass index <18.5 kg/m2, were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: Self-perception of overweight was more common in women compared with men and in whites compared with blacks or Hispanics. Both the correct and incorrect perception of overweight was more common in normal weight and overweight white women compared with black women. More overweight and obese white men correctly perceived their overweight status compared with black men. Multiple logistic regression showed that the odds ratio of perceived overweight was significantly higher in women, whites, and individuals with higher body mass index, higher income, and higher education. DISCUSSION: Self-perceived overweight varied by sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Erroneous perception of body weight may have important health and behavioral implications. In particular, a considerable proportion of overweight men may be at risk of obesity if they continue to perceive themselves as having normal weight.

Black or African American↗

Deficits in the processing of local and global motion in very low birthweight children.

This study evaluated the impact of premature birth on the development of local and global motion processing in a group of very low birthweight (<1500 g), 5- to 8-year-old children. Sensitivity to first- and second-order local motion stimuli and coherence thresholds for global motion in random dot kinematograms were measured. Relative to full-term controls, premature children showed deficits on all three aspects of motion processing. These problems could not be accounted for by stereo deficits, amblyopia, or attentional problems. A history of mild retinopathy of prematurity and/or intraventricular hemorrhage increased risk, but deficits were observed in some children with no apparent ocular or cerebral pathology. It is important to note that, despite the observed group differences, individual profiles of performance did vary; the results suggest that these three forms of motion processing may involve separate neural mechanisms. These findings serve to increase our understanding of the organization and functional development of motion-processing subsystems in humans, and of the impact of prematurity and associated complications on visual development.

Analysis of Variance↗

Maternal influences on daughters' restrained eating behavior.

This study examined whether mothers' preoccupation with their own weight and eating was linked to daughters' restrained eating behavior. Participants included 173 non-Hispanic, White mother-daughter dyads, measured longitudinally when daughters were ages 5, 7, 9, and 11. Mothers who were preoccupied with their own weight and eating reported higher levels of restricting daughters' intake and encouraging daughters to lose weight over time. Mothers' encouragement of daughters' weight loss was linked to daughters' restrained eating behavior; this relationship was partially mediated by daughters' perception of maternal pressure to lose weight. These findings suggest that mothers' preoccupation with weight and eating, via attempts to influence daughters' weight and eating, may place daughters at risk for developing problematic eating behaviors.

Body Mass Index↗

Pune low birth weight study--a six year follow up.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the intelligence, visuo-motor perception, emotional problems and preschool skills in low birth weight (LBW) infants and the impact of social and environmental factors on their development. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: Infants discharged from a Neonatal Special Care Unit of a referral hospital with birth weight less than 2000 g followed up in the High Risk Clinic. METHODS: Low birth weight infants were assessed by Stanford Binet Scales of intelligence, Bender Gestalt Test for visuo-motor perception, Human Figure Drawing for emotional indicators and occupational therapy assessment. A detailed evaluation of their environment and socio-economic status was done. Hearing and ophthalmic assessment was also done and the school progress report was scrutinized. RESULTS: Two hundred and one LBW and seventy one control children were assessed. The mean IQ of LBW children was within normal limits (94.3), though significantly lower than controls (101.3). Preterm SGA children had the lowest mean IQ. Visuo-motor perception and preschool skills and language development was poorer in LBW children. There was no difference in the emotional indicators. Thirteen per cent of LBW children had borderline IQ, as compared to 5.6% in controls (p<0.05). Mother's education and spaciousness of the house had a positive impact and chronic medical problems had a negative impact on the IQ. CONCLUSIONS: The mean IQ of LBW children was within normal limits. The incidence of children with borderline intelligence (IQ 70-85) was significantly higher than controls. Mother's education had a positive impact on the intelligence of the children. A longer follow up is necessary to identify "slow learners".

Cognition Disorders↗

Effect of sensory perception of foods on appetite and food intake: a review of studies on humans.

OBJECTIVE: How much do the sensory properties of food influence the way people select their food and how much they eat? The objective of this paper is to review results from studies investigating the link between the sensory perception of food and human appetite regulation. CONTENT OF THE REVIEW: The influence of palatability on appetite and food intake in humans has been investigated in several studies. All reviewed studies have shown increased intake as palatability increased, whereas assessments of the effect of palatability using measures of subjective appetite sensations have shown diverging results, for example, subjects either feel more hungry and less full after a palatable meal compared to a less palatable meal, or they feel the opposite, or there is no difference. Whether palatability has an effect on appetite in the period following consumption of a test meal is unclear. Several studies have investigated which sensory properties of food are involved in sensory-specific satiety. Taste, smell, texture and appearance-specific satieties have been identified, whereas studies on the role of macronutrients and the energy content of the food in sensory-specific satiety have given equivocal results. Different studies have shown that macronutrients and energy content play a role in sensory-specific satiety or that macronutrients and energy content are not a factor in sensory-specific satiety. Sensory-specific satiety may have an important influence on the amount of food eaten. Studies have shown that increasing the food variety can increase food and energy intake and in the short to medium term alter energy balance. Further knowledge about the importance of flavour in appetite regulation is needed, for example, which flavour combinations improve satiety most, the possible connection between flavour intensity and satiety, the effect of persistence of chemesthetic sensation on palatability and satiety, and to what extent genetic variation in taste sensitivity and perception influences dietary habits and weight control.

Appetite↗

Preferences for body type and body characteristics associated with attractive and unattractive bodies: Jackson and McGill revisited.

The present investigation replicates Jackson and McGill's study (1996) and extends it by considering the effects of respondents' own height, weight, and body mass on perceptions of attractiveness. Results, although generally supportive of those found by Jackson and McGill, point to the influence of respondents' own physical characteristics in the process of perceptions of attractiveness: only 1 of Jackson and McGill's 3 (of a possible 19) differences between responses of African- and Euro-American women was corroborated (the importance of silky hair for Euro-American women), whereas a second difference (the importance of round buttocks for African-American women) disappeared when controlling for respondents' weight, height, and body mass. Although differences between the two investigations may be attributed to regional differences in the surveyed students (Michigan and North Carolina), the small effect of one's own weight, height, and body mass in assessing an other-sex person's attractiveness may reflect adherence to norms learned very early in life that are subject to regional variations.

Black or African American↗

Qualitative perceptions and caloric estimations of healthy and unhealthy foods by behavioral weight loss participants.

People are inundated with messages about foods' healthiness/unhealthiness and capacity for weight gain/loss. This study examined how people evaluate foods for 'healthiness/unhealthiness' or 'capacity for weight gain/loss' and whether these evaluations influence 'caloric' estimation accuracy. Fifty-five participants in a behavioral weight loss program rated eight 'healthy' and eight 'unhealthy' foods on perceived 'healthiness/unhealthiness', 'capacity to influence weight loss or gain' and 'caloric' content. Open-ended questions inquired why a food was 'healthy/unhealthy' or would 'contribute to weight gain/loss'. Open-ended questions were coded into 29 independent food categories (e.g. high fat). While similar foods were often judged as 'healthy' and 'contributing to weight loss' or 'unhealthy' and 'contributing to weight gain', participants provided different explanations for their 'health' and 'weight' ratings. Healthy/weight loss foods were systematically underestimated in 'calories', while unhealthy/weight gain foods were systematically overestimated in 'calories'. Errors in 'caloric' estimation decreased from pre- to post-weight loss treatment, but were not associated with weight loss. Higher baseline BMI was associated with greater inaccuracy in 'caloric' estimation. Fat content was the most common category used for evaluating foods. Participant evaluations of healthy/weight loss foods or unhealthy/weight gain foods were systematically associated with 'caloric' estimation.

Dietary Fats↗

Body image in obese adults.

Data were gathered on 38 obese women and 16 obese men attending a weight-reduction programme and on an equal number of normal weight controls, regarding accuracy of perception of body width in 4 regions, as well as attitudes towards body size. Obese subjects, particularly women, tended to overestimate body width and to dislike their bodies, but neither of these factors predicted success in losing weight. Age of onset of obesity was not related to degree of adult obesity or to accuracy of estimation of body width.

Adult↗

Effect of amount and type of dietary fiber on food intake in energy-restricted dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of adding different amounts of insoluble (IF) or soluble (SF) dietary fiber to a commercial diet formulated for weight reduction on satiety and perception of hunger in dogs. ANIMALS: 6 adult dogs. PROCEDURE: Test diets included 2 low-fiber control diets (CL1 and CL2), 2 diets with increased amount of IF (IF1 and IF2), and 2 diets with increased amount of SF (SF1 and SF2). Each test diet was fed for 12 days to 6 dogs in a Latin square design, and in amounts that correspond to the food allowance recommended for weight reduction. Behavioral characteristics of dogs were recorded for 30-minute periods after introduction of test diets. On 2 occasions during each test period, exactly 3 hours after feeding of the test diet, dogs were given a challenge meal consisting of a standard commercial canned dog food ad libitum. At the end of each 12-day feeding period, all dogs entered a 6-day washout period in which they were offered a standard commercial canned dog food ad libitum. RESULTS: Diet had no significant effect on intake of the challenge meal, intake of food during the subsequent washout period, or perception of hunger, as represented by behavioral characteristics during the 30-minute period after presentation of test diets. In addition, diet had no significant effect on percentage of weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of high amounts of IF or SF in a commercial low-energy diet has no apparent beneficial effects on satiety when fed to dogs on an energy intake regimen corresponding to allowances for weight reduction.

Animal Feed↗

Psychological effects of weight cycling in obese persons: a review and research agenda.

This review summarizes studies on the psychological effects of weight cycling (i.e., weight loss and regain) in obese persons and proposes an agenda for future research on this topic. Among general psychological constructs, the current literature suggests that weight cycling is not associated with depression, other psychopathology, or depressogenic cognitive styles. Weight cycling is associated with decreased perceptions of health and well-being, although the clinical significance of this relationship is uncertain. Among weight- and eating-related constructs, weight cycling does not appear to be related to restraint, hunger, or personality traits associated with eating disorders. Weight cycling, however, does appear to be associated with clinically significant reductions in eating self-efficacy and weak but consistent increases in binge eating severity. Definitive conclusions about the presence or absence of the psychological consequences of weight cycling are premature, given the small number of studies, as well as a variety of methodological and interpretive concerns. A new generation of research is necessary to determine the extent and nature of the psychological sequelae of weight cycling.

Eating↗

The effects of a collegiate wrestling season on body composition, cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength and endurance.

The purposes of this investigation were: (1) to study the body composition, cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength and endurance of collegiate wrestlers during the course of a season; (2) to determine if selected regression equations used to predict minimal wrestling weight were accurate; (3) to determine if the wrestlers who participated in the study had an accurate perception of their ideal minimal wrestling weights. Body composition (body densitometry), aerobic power (Vo2 max), and muscular strength and endurance (isokinetic) were measured during pre, peak, and post-seasons. The fact that very few significant changes occurred in these measurements during the course of the study appears to be the result of year-round training on the part of the athletes studied. Their peak-season percent body fat (8.36%) was very similar to that reported in other studies involving mature wrestlers. Rapid weight loss through dehydration appeared to be the preferred method of weight reduction among these athletes.

Adult↗

Drive for thinness in black and white preadolescent girls.

This study examined racial differences in drive for thinness, a motivational variable implicated in the etiology of eating disorders. Subjects included 613 black and white preadolescent girls from one of three National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Growth and Health Study centers. Instruments included the Drive for Thinness Scale, a Criticism about Weight scale, the Self-Perception Profile for Children, a Sexual Maturation index, and 3-day food diaries. Black girls reported significantly greater drive for thinness than white girls. Drive for thinness was significantly associated with adiposity in both groups; additional predictors included criticism about weight for black girls and dissatisfaction with physical appearance for white girls. Correlations between drive for thinness and nutrient intakes were not significant. The finding of a greater drive for thinness among young black girls is provocative, given the higher prevalence of obesity and the lower prevalence of anorexia nervosa among black women. Longitudinal follow-up will examine the significance of drive for thinness in the development of weight and eating disorders in this cohort.

Black or African American↗

Cue weighting in auditory categorization: implications for first and second language acquisition.

The ability to integrate and weight information across dimensions is central to perception and is particularly important for speech categorization. The present experiments investigate cue weighting by training participants to categorize sounds drawn from a two-dimensional acoustic space defined by the center frequency (CF) and modulation frequency (MF) of frequency-modulated sine waves. These dimensions were psychophysically matched to be equally discriminable and, in the first experiment, were equally informative for accurate categorization. Nevertheless, listeners' category responses reflected a bias for use of CF. This bias remained even when the informativeness of CF was decreased by shifting distributions to create more overlap in CF. A reversal of weighting (MF over CF) was obtained when distribution variance was increased for CF. These results demonstrate that even when equally informative and discriminable, acoustic cues are not necessarily equally weighted in categorization; listeners exhibit biases when integrating multiple acoustic dimensions. Moreover, changes in weighting strategies can be affected by changes in input distribution parameters. This methodology provides potential insights into acquisition of speech sound categories, particularly second language categories. One implication is that ineffective cue weighting strategies for phonetic categories may be alleviated by manipulating variance of uninformative dimensions in training stimuli.

Cues↗