Studying how plants defend themselves: a chemical weapon produced by chilli fruit

Students often prefer to study animals rather than plants, because they see plants as passive, less interesting organisms. This paper proposes a simple hands-on laboratory exercise for high-school students (grade 12) to arouse their interest in learning about plants and to demonstrate to them that plants are active organisms capable of defending themselves. In this classroom exercise, students investigate how a plant responds to an invader. As a model for study, the exercise uses three organisms: red chilli fruit, the yeast biological control agent Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the pathogenic fungus Rhizopus stolonifer. Students gain basic knowledge about how plants defend themselves against pathogens by observing the physical changes of an infected wound site and by investigating the chemical compounds produced by plants in response to pathogen invasion; they are also encouraged to think critically about using biological control as a means to promote environmentally friendly agricultural practices.     

Voluntary participation in an active learning exercise leads to a better understanding of physiology

Students learn best when they are focused and thinking about the subject at hand. To teach physiology, we must offer opportunities for students to actively participate in class. This approach aids in focusing their attention on the topic and thus generating genuine interest in the mechanisms involved. This study was conducted to determine if offering voluntary active learning exercises would improve student understanding and application of the material covered. To compare performance, an anonymous cardiorespiratory evaluation was distributed to two groups of students during the fall (control, n = 168) and spring (treatment, n = 176) semesters. Students in both groups were taught by traditional methods, and students in the treatment group had the option to voluntary participate in two additional active learning exercises: 1) a small group discussion, where students would discuss a physiology topic with their Teaching Assistant before running BIOPAC software for the laboratory exercise and 2) a free response question, where students anonymously responded to one short essay question after the laboratory exercise. In these formative assessments, students received feedback about their present state of learning from the discussion with their peers and also from the instructor comments regarding perceived misconceptions. As a result of the participation in these activities, students in the treatment group had a better overall performance [χ(2) (degree of freedom = 1) = 31.2, P < 0.001] on the evaluation (treatment group: 62% of responses correct and control group: 49%) with an observed difference of 13% (95% confidence interval: 8, 17). In conclusion, this study presents sufficient evidence that when the opportunity presents itself, students become active participants in the learning process, which translates into an improvement in their understanding and application of physiological concepts.     

Evaluation of maximal O₂ uptake with undergraduate students at the University of La Reunion

The maximal rate of O? consumption (VO? max) constitutes one of the oldest fitness indexes established for the measure of cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic performance. Procedures have been developed in which VO? max is estimated from physiological responses during submaximal exercise. Generally, VO? max is estimated using the classical renowned Astrand-Ryhming test. In young adults, poor fitness and low aerobic performance are often associated with a sedentary lifestyle, which is a well-described factor for the development of obesity and its related disorders such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. In the Indian Ocean, the inhabitants of La Reunion Island, a French overseas department, exhibit an increasing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes. At the University of La Reunion, a new laboratory course involving students was designed to teach the indirect evaluation of their VO? max from the classical Astrand-Ryhming test and using a cycle ergometer as the exercise mode. Inverse and significant correlations were established between the students' fat mass percentages and their VO? max and between their waist-to-hip ratio and VO? max as well. Results from the international physical activity questionnaire showed that most participants in this laboratory were sedentary students. Therefore, this laboratory makes the students practice and understand the use of a classical test to estimate their VO? max. It also alerts them to the correlation between a sedentary lifestyle and higher body fat content. This exercise allowed students to use a scientific method to engage the problem of sedentary lifestyle, which is a real world issue.     

Association between Combined Lifestyle Factors and Non-Restorative Sleep in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on a Japanese Health Database

Background

Although lifestyle factors such as cigarette smoking, excessive drinking, obesity, low or no exercise, and unhealthy dietary habits have each been associated with inadequate sleep, little is known about their combined effect. The aim of this study was to quantify the overall impact of lifestyle-related factors on non-restorative sleep in the general Japanese population.

Methods and Findings

A cross-sectional study of 243,767 participants (men, 39.8%) was performed using the Specific Health Check and Guidance System in Japan. A healthy lifestyle score was calculated by adding up the number of low-risk lifestyle factors for each participant. Low risk was defined as (1) not smoking, (2) body mass index<25 kg/m², (3) moderate or less alcohol consumption, (4) regular exercise, and (5) better eating patterns. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the score and the prevalence of non-restorative sleep, which was determined from questionnaire responses. Among 97,062 men (mean age, 63.9 years) and 146,705 women (mean age, 63.7 years), 18,678 (19.2%) and 38,539 (26.3%) reported non-restorative sleep, respectively. The prevalence of non-restorative sleep decreased with age for both sexes. Compared to participants with a healthy lifestyle score of 5 (most healthy), those with a score of 0 (least healthy) had a higher prevalence of non-restorative sleep (odds ratio, 1.59 [95% confidence interval, 1.29–1.97] for men and 2.88 [1.74–4.76] for women), independently of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. The main limitation of the study was the cross-sectional design, which limited causal inferences for the identified associations.

Conclusions

A combination of several unhealthy lifestyle factors was associated with non-restorative sleep among the general Japanese population. Further studies are needed to establish whether general lifestyle modification improves restorative sleep.     

Prevalence of Unhealthy Lifestyle Patterns Among Overweight and Obese Adults

This study determined the prevalence of unhealthy eating, exercise, and coping pattern traits among a large sample of overweight and obese adults. We analyzed responses to a 53‐item lifestyle pattern questionnaire posted on a commercial weight loss program Web site collected from 2004 through 2008. Subjects included 446,608 healthy weight, overweight, and obese adults, 18–65 years old, average age 31.9 (s.d. = 11.8), average BMI 30.5 kg/m² (s.d. = 7.5). Categorically, 25.5% were healthy weight, 29.0% were overweight, 33.7% were class I–II obesity, and 11.8% class III obesity. A stratified random sample was used to estimate the prevalence of the 21 lifestyle patterns (7 eating, 7 exercise, and 7 coping) in the general population, and the prevalence of patterns in the complete dataset was further analyzed by gender, age, and BMI. Finally, we analyzed the odds ratio of the pattern prevalence for each BMI category. We found that unhealthy lifestyle patterns in diet, exercise, and coping were highly prevalent among this population. In general, the prevalence of these patterns rose with increasing BMI and is correlated with advancing age. Gender differences were seen with many of the patterns, most noticeably among the coping patterns. The odds ratio for 18 of the 21 patterns was >1.0 and steadily increased with higher BMI categories. We conclude that unhealthy lifestyle patterns in diet, exercise, and coping are highly prevalent among the overweight and obese population. Pattern recognition represents a new method to analyze the cluster of behaviors, attitudes, and traits seen among this population.     

La obesidad infantil como resultado de un estilo de vida obesogénico

The present article reviews the main behavioral habits that promote childhood overweight and obesity. Lack of sleep, eating while watching television, eating alone, skipping breakfast and comfort eating constitute a whole series of interrelated factors that shape the obesogenic lifestyle. The relationships among these factors are analyzed. We conclude that only complete modification of the whole set of habits will be useful in facilitating weight control in childhood.     

The key to long-term success in liposuction: a guide for plastic surgeons and patients

Patients need to have realistic expectations for a long-term successful body contour result. There are four key elements for long-term successful improvement in body contour, and the patient is responsible for the first three: exercise, a proper diet, and other positive lifestyle changes; and successful body contouring. An extensive survey requesting information about the procedures, areas of liposuction, lifestyle habits, and satisfaction was mailed to 600 patients who had liposuction surgery performed between 1999 and 2003. One hundred and eight surveys were undeliverable and 209 completed surveys were returned (34.8 percent of 600 mailed surveys and 42.5 percent of 492 delivered surveys). Data were analyzed by a binary logistic regression with backward elimination. Weight gain (versus no weight gain) was used as the dependent variable. The results showed that regardless of whether the patient did or did not gain weight, both groups reported being very satisfied (30 percent and 48 percent, respectively) or satisfied (43 percent and 34 percent, respectively) with their procedure. Among the weight gain patients, 72 percent would still have the procedure again, compared with 82 percent of responders who did not gain weight. When asked if they would recommend the procedure to family or friends, 90 percent of responders who did not gain weight would recommend the procedure whereas only 74 percent of responders who did gain weight would recommend the procedure (p < 0.001). Among those patients who gained weight, only 29 percent thought their appearance was excellent or good (compared with 79 percent of those who did not gain weight). Among the 57 percent of patients who did not gain weight, 35 percent report exercising more postoperatively (compared with only 10 percent in the weight gain group, p = 0.002) and 50 percent report eating a healthier diet (22 percent in the weight gain group report eating a healthier diet, p = 0.002). In the weight gain group, 67 percent report no change in their diet regimen and only 17 percent thought their productivity increased (compared with 25 percent among the no weight gain group, p = 0.002). Successful body contouring surgery requires a patient to embrace positive lifestyle habits. The results of this survey have been used to create a quantitative decision-making framework or a "road map" for patients and plastic surgeons to use for navigating toward successful long-term results.     

Exercise, nutrition and you: an off-campus course for grades 2-12

Since interest in science classes has declined recently and obesity, especially in youth, continues to increase, an exercise physiology-based course was taught in public parks to promote active-learning science and healthy living. The course emphasized and integrated exercise, nutrition, and health during a 3-h session. Following an introduction, five hands-on laboratory-based student modules were performed. Students performed respiratory, cardiovascular, temperature regulation, energy expenditure, oxygen uptake, and exercise modules. During most modules, the students made measurements at rest and during the performance of exercise at different intensities. The students were very involved and engaged in problem solving throughout the session. The program was given for 10 days to more than 500 students representing 18 classes from 10 different schools. Evaluations indicated that the program was a real-life science experience that gave the students a new understanding of how their bodies worked and the purpose of exercise. The students and teachers also experienced "school learning" put into action as the program fit well with their science curriculum.     

Does size really matter? Weight and values in public health

The medical community has long regarded obesity and overweight as serious health risks, and popular culture reflects these concerns. A focus on body weight reduction motivates many contemporary exercise and diet practices, especially among women. Yet, there is significant evidence that those risks have been exaggerated, that weight loss regimens may be more detrimental to health than moderate obesity, and that pressure to be thin leads to disordered eating and unhealthy lifestyle choices. This paper examines the problematic manners in which some national health policies regard the problems of overweight and obesity. It contends that concepts of aesthetics, grounded in 19th-century beliefs about the body, guide clinicians to emphasize measurement of the body in health assessment at potential cost to individual wellness.     

Effectiveness of a Randomized Controlled Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Obesity among Chinese Primary School Students: CLICK-Obesity Study

Background

Childhood obesity has been increasing rapidly worldwide. There is limited evidence for effective lifestyle interventions to prevent childhood obesity worldwide, especially in developing countries like China. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a school-based multi-component lifestyle childhood obesity prevention program (the CLICK-Obesity study) in Mainland China.

Methods

A cluster randomized controlled trial was developed among grade 4 students from 8 urban primary schools (638 students in intervention, 544 as control) in Nanjing City, China. Students were randomly allocated to the control or intervention group at school-level. A one-year multi-component intervention program (classroom curriculum, school environment support, family involvement and fun programs/events) together with routine health education was provided to the intervention group, while the control group received routine health education only. The main outcome variables assessed were changes in body mass index, obesity occurrence, obesity-related lifestyle behaviors and knowledge.

Results

Overall, 1108 (93.7%) of the 1182 enrolled students completed the intervention study. The intervention group had a larger marginal reduction than did the control group in overall mean BMI value (-0.32±1.36 vs. -0.29±1.40, p = 0.09), although this was not significant. Compared with the control group, the intervention group was more likely to decrease their BMI (OR = 1.44, 95%CI = 1.10, 1.87) by 0.5 kg/m² or above, increase the frequency of jogging/running (OR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.18, 2.02), decrease the frequency of TV/computer use (OR = 1.41, 95%CI = 1.09, 1.84) and of red meat consumption (OR = 1.50, 95%CI = 1.15, 1.95), change commuting mode to/from school from sedentary to active mode (OR = 2.24, 95%CI = 1.47, 3.40), and be aware of the harm of selected obesity risk factors.

Conclusions

The school-based lifestyle intervention program was practical and effective in improving health behaviors and obesity-related knowledge for children in China. This study provides important policy implications on school-based intervention programs for modifications of obesity-related lifestyles.

Trial Registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-ERC-11001819     

Barriers and Facilitators to Engagement With a Weight Management Intervention in Asian Patients With Overweight or Obesity: A Systematic Review

ObjectiveThe obesity epidemic is a global health concern with Asian countries facing one of the most rapid rises in obesity rates. However, given the underwhelming long-term efficacy of weight loss strategies, especially in Asia, this review aimed to explore barriers and facilitators to weight management of patients with overweight and obesity in Asia.MethodsMedline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched for articles discussing barriers and facilitators of treatment to obesity from the perspectives of both health care professionals (HCPs) and patients. Qualitative and mixed method studies from Asia were included. Key quotes were extracted, coded, and thematically analyzed according to the methodology of Thomas and Harden.ResultsA total of 26 articles were included in this review. From patient perspectives, 3 main themes were identified: factors influencing poor eating behavior, inhibiting lifestyle modifications, and facilitating lifestyle modifications. Patients highlighted several barriers including the lack of social support, physiologic limitations to exercise, and low health literacy. Rigid sociocultural norms and lack of accessible health care services, exercise facilities, and healthy food exacerbated the barriers. Facilitators to lifestyle modifications consisted of strong support systems and high health literacy. HCPs agreed that low health literacy, lack of social support, and patient motivation impeded patients’ weight loss attempts but were unaware of the other barriers they faced.ConclusionThere are discrepancies between ideas of barriers and facilitators of HCPs and patients. A mixture of population level, primary care, and personal interventions are required to address this disparity, and enhanced health literacy can improve weight loss outcomes.     

Combination of meal and exercise timing with a high-fat diet influences energy expenditure and obesity in mice

In mice, obesity has been observed not only in those freely fed a high-fat diet (HFD) but also in those fed while physically inactive. In contrast, a HFD during physically active periods protects against obesity and the impairments in the circadian rhythm induced by free feeding of a HFD. Although exercise is known to be effective for obesity prevention and management, the optimal timing of exercise has not yet been determined. In the present experiments, we aimed to determine the best combination of daily timing of HFD consumption and exercise for the prevention of HFD-induced weight gain in mice. In this experiment, “morning” refers to the beginning of the active phase (the “morning” for nocturnal animals). Increases in body weight related to free feeding of a HFD was significantly reduced with 4?h of exercise during the late (evening) or middle (noon) active period compared to 4?h of exercise during the early (morning) active period or free access to exercise, which resulted in hours of exercise similar to that of morning exercise. These results suggested that eating in the morning or at noon followed by exercise in the evening could prevent weight gain more effectively than exercise in the morning followed by eating at noon or in the evening. The group fed a HFD for 4?h in the morning had lower body weight than the group fed a HFD for 4?h in the evening without exercise. The last group of experiments tested the hypothesis that there would be an interaction between mealtime and exercise time (i.e. time of day) versus order (i.e. which comes first) effects. We compared groups that exercised for 4?h at noon and were fed either in the morning or evening and groups that were fed for 4?h at noon and either exercised in the morning or evening. We found that the groups that were fed before exercise gained less body and fat weight and more skeletal muscle weight compared to the groups that exercised before eating. Corresponding to the body and fat weight changes, the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was lower and energy expenditure was higher in the groups fed before exercise than in the groups fed after exercise, and these effects on energy metabolism were also observed in the early stage of HFD feeding before obesity. When obese mice fed a HFD for 12 weeks were exposed to a combination of feeding and exercise timing in an effort to reduce body weight, eating followed by exercise resulted in greater weight loss, similar to the experiments conducted to prevent weight gain. These results demonstrate that a combination of daily timing of eating and exercise may influence weight gain and that eating followed by exercise may be effective for minimizing increases in body and fat weight as well as maximizing increases in skeletal muscle weight.     

Lifestyle Factors Associated with Type 2 Diabetes and Use of Different Glucose-Lowering Drugs: Cross-Sectional Study

Aims

To examine the lifestyle profile among persons with and without Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and among users of different glucose-lowering drugs.

Methods

We used questionnaire data from a Danish health survey and identified presence of Type 2 DM and use of medications through medical databases. We calculated age- and gender-standardized prevalence ratios (PRs) of lifestyle factors according to Type 2 DM and different glucose-lowering drugs.

Results

Of 21,637 survey participants aged 25–79 years, 680 (3%) had Type 2 DM (median age 63 years) with a median diabetes duration of 5 years. Participants with Type 2 DM had a substantially higher prevalence of obesity (36% vs. 13%, PR: 3.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.8–3.6), yet more reported to eat a very healthy diet (25% vs. 21%, PR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0–1.4) and to exercise regularly (67% vs. 53%, PR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.2–1.4). Also, fewer were current smokers or had high alcohol intake. When compared with metformin users, obesity was substantially less prevalent in users of sulfonylurea (PR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.4–0-8), and insulin and analogues (PR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.3–0.7). Tobacco smoking was more prevalent in sulfonylurea users (PR: 1.4, 95% CI: 0.9–2.1) compared with metformin users. We found no material differences in physical exercise, diet or alcohol intake according to type of glucose-lowering drug.

Conclusions

Type 2 DM patients are substantially more obese than other individuals, but otherwise report to have a healthier lifestyle. Metformin use is strongly associated with obesity, whereas sulfonylurea use tends to be associated with tobacco smoking.     

Mitochondrial alteration in type 2 diabetes and obesity: An epigenetic link

The growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity is largely attributed to the current lifestyle of over-consumption and physical inactivity. As the primary platform controlling metabolic and energy homeostasis, mitochondria show aberrant changes in T2DM and obese subjects. While the underlying mechanism is under extensive investigation, epigenetic regulation is now emerging to play an important role in mitochondrial biogenesis, function, and dynamics. In line with lifestyle modifications preventing mitochondrial alterations and metabolic disorders, exercise has been shown to change DNA methylation of the promoter of PGC1α to favor gene expression responsible for mitochondrial biogenesis and function. In this article we discuss the epigenetic mechanism of mitochondrial alteration in T2DM and obesity, and the effects of lifestyle on epigenetic regulation. Future studies designed to further explore and integrate the epigenetic mechanisms with lifestyle modification may lead to interdisciplinary interventions and novel preventive options for mitochondrial alteration and metabolic disorders.     

Differences in eating and lifestyle habits between first- and sixth-year medical students from Zagreb

Eating and lifestyle habits of first (n=169) and sixth (n=272) year students, aged 18 to 26 years, attending a Medical School in Zagreb, were compared related to the years of study. A self-administered questionnaire created for this study incorporated a food frequency questionnaire. Both year students reported similar number of meals per day, irregular consumption of meals, skipping breakfast, frequency of vegetables, fruits, cereals, sweets, milk and dairy products consumption, body mass index (BMI) calculated from self-reported weight and height and alcohol consumption. Significant differences between groups were observed in consuming supper (p = 0.001), being on diet (p = 0.032), intake of supplements (p = 0.041), meat (p < 0.001), dried meat (p = 0.027), coffee and tea consumption (p = 0.016), physical activity (p = 0.041; p = 0.016), and smoking (p = 0.029). This study showed non-healthy eating arid lifestyle behavior among Medical School students. We observed association between the year of study, and some of the eating habits and lifestyle factors.     

Care Giver Perception of Children's Obesity‐Related Health Risk: A Study of African American Families

Objective: To examine care giver perception of children's weight‐related health risk in African American families. Research Methods and Procedures: One‐hundred and eleven families (representing 48 boys and 63 girls) screened for participation in a diabetes prevention study participated. Care givers completed a health awareness questionnaire that assessed their perception of the child's weight, eating habits, appearance, exercise habits, and health risk. The care givers also reported each subject's family history of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. After a physical examination, height and weight were used to compute an age‐ and sex‐adjusted body mass index for each child. Results: Despite the fact that a substantial number of children were obese (57%) and super‐obese (12%), only 44% of the care givers perceived the child's weight to be a potential health problem. Regression analysis showed that 21% of the variance in parental perception of obesity‐related health risk could be predicted by child age, body mass index, perception of frame size, and perception of exercise habits. Discussion: A number of reasons for the apparent minimization of child health risk are discussed, including cultural differences in the acceptance of a large body habitus, lack of knowledge about the connection between childhood obesity and future health risk, and an optimistic bias in the perception of personal health risk.     

Binge eating disorder and the outcome of bariatric surgery at one year: a prospective, observational study

Previous studies have suggested that binge eating disorder (BED) impairs weight loss following bariatric surgery, leading some investigators to recommend that patients receive behavioral treatment for this condition before surgery. However, many of these investigations had significant methodological limitations. The present observational study used a modified intention-to-treat (ITT) population to compare 1-year changes in weight in 59 surgically treated participants, determined preoperatively to be free of a current eating disorder, with changes in 36 individuals judged to have BED. Changes in weight and binge eating in the latter group were compared with those in 49 obese individuals with BED who sought lifestyle modification for weight loss. BED was assessed using criteria proposed for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) 5. At 1 year, surgically treated participants without BED lost 24.2% of initial weight, compared with 22.1% for those with BED (P > 0.309). Both groups achieved clinically significant improvements in several cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Participants with BED who received lifestyle modification lost 10.3% at 1 year, significantly (P < 0.001) less than surgically treated BED participants. The mean number of binge eating days (in the prior 28 days) fell sharply in both BED groups at 1 year. These two groups did not differ significantly in BED remission rates or in improvements in CVD risk factors. The present results, obtained in carefully studied participants, indicate that the preoperative presence of BED does not attenuate weight loss or improvements in CVD risk factors at 1 year in surgically treated patients. Longer follow-up of participants is required.     

Perceptions of family medicine and career choice among first year medical students: a cross-sectional survey in a Turkish medical school

Public attitudes to family medicine in Turkey have lagged behind its rapid academic development. The effect of undergraduate training in primary care on medical students' attitudes to family medicine has not been assessed. Objectives of this study were to assess the attitudes of first year medical students at Uludag University School of Medicine in Bursa, Turkey to family medicine and to determine their career aspirations. The study was a survey of the first year medical class in 2003-2004. The response rate was 95% (248/261 students). Students were positive about their choice of medicine as a career but had negative opinions of general practice. Female students were more positive in this respect. Initial preference was for specialization in fields other than general practice with little knowledge of the academic specialty of family medicine. Greater undergraduate exposure to family medicine is needed in order to increase knowledge of the field and influence student career choices.     

A Fad too Far? Dietary Strategies for the Prevention and Treatment of NAFLD

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major health problem, and its prevalence has increased in recent years, concurrent with rising rates of obesity and other metabolic diseases. Currently, there are no FDA‐approved pharmacological therapies for NAFLD, and lifestyle interventions, including weight loss and exercise, remain the cornerstones for treatment. Manipulating diet composition and eating patterns may be a sustainable approach to NAFLD treatment. Dietary strategies including Paleolithic, ketogenic, Mediterranean, high‐protein, plant‐based, low‐carbohydrate, and intermittent fasting diets have become increasingly popular because of their purported benefits on metabolic disease. This review highlights what is currently known about these popular dietary approaches in the management of NAFLD in clinical populations with mechanistic insight from animal studies. It also identifies key knowledge gaps to better inform future preclinical and clinical studies aimed at the treatment of NAFLD.