Dietary patterns and young adult body mass change: A 9-year longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: While excessive weight gain is highest during young adulthood, the extent to which specific dietary patterns are associated with changes in measures of body mass in this course of life remains unknown. We aimed to examine the associations of dietary patterns at 21 years with changes in body weight and body mass index (BMI) between 21 and 30 years. METHODS: We used data on young adults from a long-running birth cohort in Australia. Western and prudent dietary patterns were identified applying principal component analysis to 33 food groups obtained by a food frequency questionnaire at 21 years. Body weight and height were measured at 21 and 30 years. Multivariable regression models, using generalized estimating equations, were adjusted for concurrent changes in sociodemographic and lifestyle variables in evaluating the effect of identified dietary patterns on changes in weight and BMI over time. RESULTS: In the fully adjusted model, young adults in the highest tertile of the Western pattern had a mean weight gain of 9.9 (95% CI 8.5, 11.3) kg compared to those in the lowest that had a mean weight gain of 7.1 (95% CI 5.6, 8.5) kg, P-for linear trend = 0.0015. The corresponding values for mean gains in BMI were 3.1 (95% CI 2.7, 3.6) kg/m2 for young adults in the highest tertile compared to 2.4 (95% CI 1.9, 2.9) kg/m2 for those in lowest, P-for linear trend = 0.0164. There was no evidence of a significant association between the prudent pattern and mean changes in each outcome over time in this study. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study show that greater adherence to the Western diet at 21 years was positively associated with increases in body weight and BMI from 21 to 30 years of age, whereas the prudent diet had no significant association with these outcomes. The findings provide evidence that the adverse effects of the Western diet on weight gain in young adulthood could partly be prevented through optimising diet in the early course of life.

Meteorological factors affecting refueling of European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) during migrations.

Weather ultimately affects avian migration. The significance of meteorological variables is relatively well known for flights of migrants and for departure/landing decisions at stopover sites. Success of migration greatly depends on storage of fat and body mass gain at stopovers; however, the influence of weather on refueling at stopovers is surprisingly poorly studied. We tested the hypothesis that body mass change of European Robins during their migratory stopovers is affected by meteorological factors (air temperature, precipitations, surface wind speed), along with other ecological variables. We used data on body mass change in 9743 individuals (5147in spring and 4587 in the fall) captured and recaptured within the same day on the Courish Spit of the Baltic Sea in 1994-2003. Fuel deposition rate in Robins was positively associated with air temperature and with higher amount of precipitation. Wind speed did not influence the refueling efficiency of our study species. Also, fuel deposition rate of Robins was affected by age (higher in adults than in first-year birds), negatively influenced by the number of conspecifics at stopover, influenced by the progress of the season (negatively in spring and positively in fall), and negatively influenced by initial energy reserves of migrants, when birds in poor energy condition were more likely to gain weight than birds with large fuel stores. This study shows that refueling of Robins on migration stopovers is substantially affected by meteorological factors that should be taken in to account for comprehensive understanding of stopover ecology and migration strategy of songbird migrants.

Effect of feeding graded levels of crude protein on nutrient utilization and feather growth in Lady Amherst's pheasants.

In order to find out the optimum level of crude protein (CP) in the diet of captive Lady Amherst's pheasants (LAP) on molt, 18 male birds were randomly distributed into three groups of six each in an experiment based on completely randomized block design. The CP content of the diets of birds in groups I, II, and III was 13.4, 16.5, and 19.1%, respectively. Intake and apparent balance of nitrogen increased linearly (P < 0.001) as CP content of the diet increased. Intake and utilization of energy, calcium, and phosphorous were similar among groups. Body mass change and growth rate of feathers were significantly (P < 0.01) lower in group I as compared to groups II and III. There was a positive co-relationship between ME intake and change in body weight (R(2) = 0.89, F = 126.4, P < 0.001). Regression analysis indicates that LAP can maintain body mass when ME supply is 122.2 Kcal/kg BW(0.75)/d. Linear relationships between intake and apparent retention of N, Ca, and P as expressed on mg/kg BW(0.75)/d were all significant. Apparent nitrogen retention, and mean feather growth rate was lower in birds fed diet containing 13.4% CP. Feeding of the diets containing 16.5% CP resulted in improved retention of nitrogen, and mean feather growth rate. Further increase in dietary concentration of CP to 19.1% showed no further improvement. It was concluded that a diet containing 16.5% CP would be optimum for Lady Amherst's pheasants during molt.

Dietary restraint and body mass change. A 3-year follow up study in a representative Dutch sample.

OBJECTIVE: To determine in a representative Dutch sample the association of dietary restraint, Concern for Dieting, and Weight Fluctuation with subsequent change in body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) in addition to possible moderator effects of sex, level of education, age category, ethnicity, overweight level and physical activity. DESIGN: In a longitudinal study in a representative Dutch sample consisting of 675 participants (331 females, 344 males), dietary restraint (including Concern for Dieting and Weight Fluctuation) was assessed with the Restraint Scale at baseline, and also self-reported weight and height. Three years later, weight and height were also assessed. RESULTS: Dietary restraint was significantly associated with an increase in BMI after three years (B=.272, p=001). Inspection of the significant moderator effect of sex (B=-.387, p=.012) indicated that dietary restraint was significantly associated with increases in BMI only in females. There was no main effect for Concern for Dieting (p=.091). There was a moderator effect of sex on the association between Concern for Dieting and BMI change (B=-.424; p=.002): initial concern for dieting was positively associated with subsequent body mass gain only in women. Weight Fluctuation was significantly associated with an increase in BMI after three years (B=.162, p=008) and sex did not moderate this association. There were no moderator effects for level of education, age category, ethnicity, overweight level and physical activity. CONCLUSION: Dietary restraint and Concern for Dieting are associated with increases in BMI only in females. Weight Fluctuation is associated with increases in BMI in both males and females.

Emotional Overeating during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Polish Adolescents' COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study.

Emotional overeating is the most frequently noted type of emotional eating, being commonly associated with increased consumption of energy-dense products, as well as excessive body mass, and weight gain. Even though a number of studies assessed emotional overeating during the COVID-19 pandemic in adult populations, studies of children and adolescents are scarce. The aim of the present study was to assess emotional overeating background, including consumption in response to six emotions (anxiety, sadness, loneliness, tiredness, anger, and happiness), in the population of Polish adolescents within the PLACE-19 Study during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PLACE-19 Study is a national Polish population-based study of adolescents gathered upon recruitment based on a random quota sampling of secondary schools, conducted in a population of 1126 students (818 females and 308 males, a median of age 17.0 and 16.5 years, respectively). Emotional overeating was assessed while using the Emotional Overeating Questionnaire (EOQ), and as additional factors, the following were assessed: gender, body mass, body mass change during the COVID-19 pandemic, and declared tempting food products. Female participants declared a higher frequency of overeating in response to feelings of anxiety, sadness, loneliness, and happiness, and were characterized by a higher total score than male participants, while p ≤ 0.05 was interpreted as a statistical significance. Obese participants declared a higher frequency of overeating in response to feelings of sadness, and loneliness than normal weight participants. Participants gaining weight declared a higher frequency of overeating in response to feelings of anxiety, sadness, loneliness, tiredness, and anger, and were characterized by a higher total score than participants losing weight or maintaining a stable weight, while participants gaining weight declared a higher frequency of overeating in response to feelings of happiness than participants losing weight. Participants declaring both sweet and salty products as tempting declared a higher frequency of overeating in response to feelings of anxiety, and sadness than participants declaring no tempting products; participants declaring both sweet and salty products declared a higher frequency of overeating in response to feelings of tiredness than participants declaring only salty products and those declaring no tempting products, as well as declared a higher frequency of overeating in response to feelings of happiness than participants declaring only sweet products, and those declaring no tempting products; participants declaring sweet products declared a higher frequency of overeating in response to feelings of anger than participants declaring no tempting products, while participants declaring both sweet and salty products declared a higher frequency of overeating in response to feelings of loneliness, and were characterized by a higher total score than all other respondents. The sub-groups with the highest frequency of emotional overeating were the female respondents, obese participants, those gaining weight, and those declaring both sweet and salty products as tempting, while among the emotions most often causing emotional overeating, there were sadness and loneliness.

Analysis of Association between Adolescents' Food Habits and Body Mass Change in a Population-Based Sample: Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to food habit changes, including some negative ones that may increase the risk of overweight and obesity. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between adolescents' food habits, body mass change, as well as physical activity level in a population-based sample within the Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study. The DAY-19 Study was conducted in a cohort of 1333 students (aged 10-16 years) recruited in schools after stratified random quota sampling of primary schools (sampling counties within voivodeships and schools within counties) in June 2020. The food habits were assessed for the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and the period before the COVID-19 pandemic while using Adolescent Food Habits Checklist (AFHC). The body mass changes were assessed based on body weight and height for the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and the period before the COVID-19 pandemic while using Polish growth reference values. The physical activity changes were assessed based on the subjective assessment of adolescents. It was stated that for female adolescents declaring body mass gain during the COVID-19 pandemic the highest AFHC purchase scores (healthy purchase habits) (p < 0.0001) were accompanied by the lowest AFHC consumption score (unhealthy consumption habits) (p < 0.0001), as well as for female adolescents declaring physical activity decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic the highest AFHC purchase scores (healthy purchase habits) were observed (p = 0.0333). It was stated that for male adolescents declaring physical activity increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the highest AFHC consumption scores (healthy consumption habits) were observed (p = 0.0003). In the case of a majority of participants, the general food habits were unchanged, which was observed mainly for food habits associated with food preparation. More food habits changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in body mass changes were observed in females than in male adolescents. Body mass gain during the COVID-19 pandemic in adolescents may have resulted from unhealthy consumption habits, accompanied by decreased physical activity, in spite of the fact that this sub-group presented healthy purchase habits, which was observed especially for female adolescents.

Changes in the body mass of adult residents of rural and urban areas in the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic vs. their mental, physical and sexual health.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: A change in the body mass may be one of the health consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and may affect the health condition measured in many dimensions. The paper aims at assessment of the level and determinants of the body mass changes and stress level in the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the interrelation of these two factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were collected in June 2020, as a cross-sectional on-line survey. The representative sample of 2,535 Poles aged 18-65 was analysed. The main outcome is the Cohen's stress index PSS-4. Among thirteen independent variables, five were related to the change observed during the pandemic (including the body mass change and satisfaction with sexual life). RESULTS: Increase of the body mass within the period of the pandemic was declared by 33.9% of the respondents, including 36.1% in urban and 30.9% in rural areas (p=0.026). The average increase of body mass was 5.11 kg. The increase of body mass was related to the existing overweight and obesity, occurrence of chronic diseases, episodes of physical and mental crisis, and decrease of interest in sexual activity. The average index of stress in the initial months of the pandemic was 6.38±2.94. Multivariate regression analysis showed eight independent predictors of stress in the whole group, seven in towns and five in rural areas. The significance of the relationship with the body mass increase was proved only among residents of rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: The initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic were reflected, to a different extent, among residents of urban and rural areas. Body mass change and sexual health indicators remained significant predictors of stress level, even after analyses were corrected for other covariates.

Assessment of bioaccumulation of cu and Pb in experimentally exposed spiders, Lycosa terrestris and Pardosa birmanica, using different exposure routes.

Major concerns exist regarding the environmental and human health risks caused by exposure to heavy metals. Spiders are often used as a model in ecotoxicological studies to assess soil pollution. Here, we measured the bioaccumulation of copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) in spiders, Lycosa terrestris and Pardosa birmanica, by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We investigated whether Cu and Pb accumulation differs according to different spider species, single versus combined metal exposure, and routes of exposure. Spiders were exposed to 10 mM CuSO4 and 10 mM PbCl2 solutions separately or in combination (10 mM + 10 mM) through different exposure routes (spiked soil and food) for 6 weeks. The effect of metals on the survival and body mass of exposed and unexposed (control) spiders was determined. We found that in both spider species, accumulation of metals increased with exposure time. In single metal exposure, Cu accumulation from food was higher than soil exposure in both spider species, whereas the opposite was observed for Pb. The simultaneous uptake of Cu and Pb significantly decreased from food and soil, respectively. Soil exposure caused more accumulation of metals in L. terrestris than P. birmanica. Metal exposure via contaminated food caused higher mortality compared to soil exposure. Body mass of both spider species was significantly decreased and negatively correlated with metal's concentration. Overall, our results show that bioaccumulation efficiency of Cu and Pb differs significantly in spiders exposed to metal's mixture compared to single metal exposure and is dependent on the exposure route, the type of metal, and spider species. More understanding of the effects of exposure to metal mixture and exposure routes is essential for designing and supporting risk assessment and ecological monitoring programs.

Timing of an accelerated body mass increase in children exposed to lead in early life: A longitudinal study.

In utero exposure to lead is known to cause various adverse health outcomes and early life obesity can affect permanent metabolic alterations leading to adverse health outcomes. To examine the relation between perinatal lead exposure and childhood obesity, lead level in cord bloods and growth- and obesity-related markers at birth were measured from 280 mother-child pairs. The weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) of children were measured at birth and followed up several times up to 27months of age. The relations between lead level and growth- and obesity-related markers were evaluated using a generalized linear model after adjustment for maternal age, maternal BMI, gestational period, cesarean section, and smoking status. The changes of child weight, height, and BMI z-scores at followed-up months of age after birth by lead exposure were evaluated using a generalized linear model after adjustment for covariates used in the analyses for growth- and obesity-related markers and child's gender. The lead level was positively associated with an increase of birth height (p=0.019) and a decrease of ponderal index at birth (p=0.027) in boys, but not in girls. Moreover, the lead level was positively associated with increases of BMI z-score after 18months of age (p=0.070 at 18months of age; p=0.003 at 24months of age; and p=0.002 at 27months of age). Perinatal lead exposure affected accelerated body mass increases at specific times of the children' development.

Analysis of body mass changes in the Black-Headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) during the winter.

During the autumn migration of many waterfowls, body mass is lowest upon arrival at the wintering area and gradually increases during the winter. Consequently, body mass is highest before the spring migration. We studied the pattern of body mass changes in the Black-Headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) from December 2010 to December 2016 in the Shinhama area of Chiba, Japan. Based on 327 captured animals, body mass increased during the wintering period, but tended to decrease before migration. In 2014-2016, a muscle mass reduction in females was observed, explaining the change in body mass. However, the observed weight loss may be caused by many factors, which may be related to the migratory ecology of the regional population.