Dietary and socio-economic factors associated with overweight and obesity in a southern French population

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the socio-economic and dietary factors associated with overweight and obesity, respectively, in southern France. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of socio-economic, lifestyle and nutritional characteristics of a representative population sample. A questionnaire elicited information on anthropometric measurements, socio-economic factors, physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol and food intakes. Non-parametric tests, multiple linear regression models and correspondence factorial analysis (CFA) were used to estimate the association of the various factors with overweight and obesity. SETTING: French Southwest and Mediterranean areas. SUBJECTS: In total, 1169 subjects (578 women and 552 men), aged 30-77 years, were recruited at random. RESULTS: Overweight and obesity were associated with age and education in both genders, reproductive factors in women and tobacco use in men. A few dietary factors were identified (high energy intake and low intake of carbohydrates), but all these variables explained little of the variation (18.5% in women and 14.6% in men). The CFA further investigated the association of lifestyle and nutritional factors, giving more weight to nutritional behaviour for overweight men and women. Factors for obesity differed from those for overweight by being different in men and women, possibly related to psychological behaviour, and there were fewer of them, suggesting an insufficient coverage by the usual questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity appear as two different entities. Energy imbalance induced by various lifestyle factors plays a major role in the development of overweight, whereas obesity represents a more complex entity where psychological and genetic factors that are difficult to assess may be more important. General nutritional guidelines appear more adapted to the prevention of overweight than to that of obesity, and individual counselling to the prevention of obesity.     

Beneficial effects of dietary fish-oil-derived monounsaturated fatty acids on metabolic syndrome risk factors and insulin resistance in mice

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of fish-oil-derived monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) containing large amounts of C20:1 and C22:1 isomers on metabolic disorders in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a 32% lard diet (control) or a 27% lard plus 5% saury-oil-derived MUFA diet for 6 weeks. Dietary MUFA improved insulin resistance and alleviated metabolic syndrome risk factors by reducing blood glucose and lipids. These favorable changes may be attributed to an improved adipocytokine profile. MUFA ingestion resulted in favorable changes in mRNA expression of genes involved in glucose/lipid metabolism (SCD-1, CPT1a, UCPs, and CS) as well as inflammation (MAC1, MMP3, and SAA3) and alterations in fatty acid composition. Our data suggest that marine MUFA improved glucose/lipid homeostasis and hindered the development of metabolic syndrome in obese mice.     

Endophytic fungi associated with Mediterranean plants as a source of mycelium-bound lipases

A screening of endophytic fungi isolated from Mediterranean plants rendered a mycelium-bound lipase from a strain of Rhizopus oryzae that catalyzed the esterification of fatty acids in isooctane. The influence of various factors (water content, temperature, and pH) on ester synthesis was investigated. Catalytic activity was inversely correlated with water content. This enzyme was active over the entire pH range studied, from pH 3 to pH 8, and activity was maximal at pH 4 and pH 7. The enzyme was thermostable, with maximal activity at 60 degrees C.     

Human health risk assessment associated with Co,Cr, Mn,Ni and V contents in agricultural soils from a Mediterranean site

Potentially toxic element contents in agricultural soils were assessed by comparison with levels recorded in the literature and evaluated using Index of Geoaccumulation (I_geo). The model recommended by United States Environment Protection Agency is applied for the health risk assessment from different exposure pathways. The median values of cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) exceeds about 2, 3 and 14 times, respectively, the corresponding values given by the Geochemical Atlas of Europe project, however, they present low potential ecological risk. The median values of manganese (Mn) and vanadium (V) are slightly lower than the corresponding values given by the Geochemical Atlas of Europe project. Risk assessment results present negligible health risk to children and adults due to manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and vanadium (V) exposure through ingestion of contaminated soil. Only the cobalt (Co) hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) for children around two sampling sites exceed the acceptable safe risk level.     

Survival of inocula and native AM fungi species associated with shrubs in a degraded Mediterranean ecosystem

Reconstitution of the potential of soil mycorrhizal inoculum is a key step in revegetation programs for semiarid environments. We tested the effectiveness of inoculation with native arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi or with an allochthonous AM fungus, Glomus claroideum, with respect to the growth of four shrub species, the release of mycorrhizal propagules in soil, within and outside the canopy, and the improvement of soil structural stability. Two years after outplanting, the mixture of native endophytes was more effective than, for Olea europaea subsp. sylvestris, Retama sphaerocarpa and Rhamnus lycioides, or equally as effective as, for Pistacia lentiscus, the non-native AM fungus Glomus claroideum, with respect to increasing shoot biomass and foliar NPK contents. The increases in glomalin concentration and structural stability produced by inoculation treatments in the rhizosphere soil of the all shrub species, except R. lycioides, ranged from about 55 to 173% and 13 to 21%, respectively. The mixture of native AM fungi produced the highest levels of mycorrhizal propagules in soil from the center of the canopy of P. lentiscus and R. lycioides, while plants of O. europaea and R. sphaerocarpa inoculated with G. claroideum had more mycorrhizal propagules than did those inoculated with the mixture of native fungi. The number of mycorrhizal propagules in soil outside the canopy of the four shrub species was 5-35 times higher in inoculation treatments than in soil of the non-inoculated plants.     

Adjusted population attributable fractions and preventable potential of risk factors for childhood obesity

OBJECTIVE: A number of individual risk factors for childhood obesity have been identified, but only some of these are amenable to prevention. To assess the amount of cases in a general population attributable to these risk factors, adjusted population-attributable fractions were estimated. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Obligatory school entry examination in 2001/2002 in six Bavarian communities (Germany). SUBJECTS: 5472 children at age 5-6 years. MEASURES: Anthropometric measures were ascertained by public health nurses, and measures concerning sociodemographics, lifestyle and child behaviour such as child's daily meal frequency were obtained with self-administered parental questionnaires. Obesity was defined according to sex- and age-specific body mass index cut-off points proposed by the International Obesity Task Force. Adjusted population-attributable fractions were calculated based on logistic regression. RESULTS: A combination of the risk factors low meal frequency, decreased physical activity, watching television >1 h day- 1, formula feeding and smoking in pregnancy accounted for 48.2% of obese children. This combination yielded a maximal achievable prevalence reduction of 1.5% for obesity (3.2% observed prevalence). CONCLUSIONS: A modification of five known risk factors for childhood overweight and obesity could reasonably lower obesity prevalences at school entry. These risk factors should be particularly considered in decision making on preventive measures.     

Prevalence and associated risk factors of undiagnosed diabetes among adult Moroccan Sahraoui women

OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present work was to examine the prevalence and associated risk factors of undiagnosed diabetes among urban Moroccan Sahraoui women. DESIGN AND SETTING: Randomised sample of adult women living in the city of Laayoune in south Morocco who visited public health centres during an immunisation campaign. Body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglycerides, dietary intake and physical activity were collected. SUBJECTS: Data were obtained on 249 urban women aged 15 years and older, who were not pregnant. Only subjects identified as of Sahraoui origin were eligible for this investigation. RESULTS: The prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) was 5.5% and that of undiagnosed diabetes 6.4%. Diabetes and IFG were more common among older and obese women as well as among women with hypertension or a family history of diabetes. In addition, sucrose intakes were higher in women with diabetes than in those with normal FPG. Also, physical activity estimated as the time spent in walking was negatively associated with FPG. Regression analyses showed an independent association of age, obesity, family history of diabetes and triglycerides with diabetes. CONCLUSION: The high proportion of unknown diabetes suggests the need for increased diabetes awareness in this population. The data suggest also the involvement of obesity in diabetes and the potential importance of intervention strategies to reduce population adiposity for the prevention and management of cardiovascular risk factors.     

Forecasting global biodiversity threats associated with human population growth

The size and growth of the human population are often cited as key factors in threats to Earth’s biodiversity, yet the extent of their contribution to the endangerment and extinction of other species has remained unclear. Moreover, it could be valuable to know what additional threats may arise from continued human population growth. Here we quantify a model of the relationship between human population density and the number of threatened mammal and bird species by nation. Our multiple regression analysis revealed that two predictor variables, human population density and species richness (of birds and mammals), account for 88% of the variability in log-transformed densities of threatened species across 114 continental nations. Using the regression model with projected population sizes of each nation, we found that the number of threatened species in the average nation is expected to increase 7% by 2020, and 14% by 2050, as forecast by human population growth alone. Our findings strongly support the notion that abating human population growth is a necessary, if not sufficient, step in the epic attempt to conserve biodiversity on the global scale.     

Plasma micronutrients are associated with dietary intake and environmental tobacco smoke exposure in a paediatric population

BACKGROUND: While adult populations have been well described in terms of nutritional status, such as the concentration of nutrient biomarkers, little work has been done in healthy paediatric populations. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this analysis was to explore the determinants of plasma micronutrients in a group of healthy infants and children. DESIGN: The Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY) has enrolled 1433 newborns at increased risk for type 1 diabetes in Denver, Colorado. A representative random sample of 257 children from the DAISY cohort between the ages of 9 months and 8 years with a total of 815 clinic visits over time was used in this analysis. Annual dietary intake was assessed over time with Willett food-frequency questionnaires that were validated in this population. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) was assessed using a validated survey. Plasma samples were tested for vitamins, carotenoids and total lipids. Predictors of plasma micronutrients were evaluated using mixed models for longitudinal data, while adjusting for age, human leukocyte antigen genotype, type 1 diabetes family history and other potential confounders and covariates. RESULTS: Increased micronutrient intake was associated with increased levels of their respective plasma nutrient, with the exception of gamma-tocopherol. Independent of dietary intake, levels of alpha- and beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin were significantly lower, and gamma-tocopherol was significantly higher, in children who were exposed to ETS. CONCLUSION: Dietary intake predicts plasma micronutrient levels. Exposure to ETS potentially could have negative health effects in this young population.