[Evaluation of food habits and physical activity in Galician students]. / Evaluación de los hábitos de alimentación y actividad física en escolares gallegos.

INTRODUCTION: Introduction: obesity causes millions of deaths each year. Its high prevalence in children and adolescents from southern European countries, including Spain, is associated with the new food preferences and decreased physical activity. Objective: to evaluate diet quality and physical activity in Galician schoolchildren in order to assess if modifying the current intervention strategies in lifestyles is required. Methods: in the present study, 662 students from the south of Galicia were studied (9-17 years). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as adiposity indicator. The dietary pattern was evaluated through the Kidmed test and physical activity with PAQ-C. The sample was stratified by BMI according to Cole international standards. Data were analysed with the SPPS software. Results: fifty-six per cent of children are at high risk of overnutrition or need to improve their nutrition. The average adherence to the Mediterranean diet was low (7.64 ± 2.28), worsening with age and adiposity significantly. The average level of physical activity was moderate (3.02 ± 0.74) and it was lower in girls and adolescents; 58% showed a low-moderate level of physical activity. Quality diet was positively correlated with physical activity and negatively with BMI. Conclusions: Galician students showed a diet and physical activity risky pattern according to international/national recommendations. After several years of awareness campaigns and lifestyle interventions, improving their diet and increasing physical activity is still necessary.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Introducción: la obesidad causa millones de muertes anuales. Su elevada prevalencia en niños y adolescentes de países del sur de Europa, entre ellos España, se asocia con las nuevas preferencias alimentarias y la disminución de actividad física. Objetivos: evaluar la calidad de la dieta y la práctica de actividad física en escolares gallegos para valorar la necesidad de modificar las estrategias actuales de intervención en estilos de vida. Métodos: se estudiaron 662 niños de Galicia (9-17 años). Se calculó su índice de masa corporal (IMC) como indicador de adiposidad. El patrón alimentario se evaluó con el cuestionario Kidmed y la actividad física con el PAQ-C. Se estratificó la muestra en función del IMC de acuerdo con los estándares internacionales de Cole. Los datos se analizan con el paquete SPSS. Resultados: el 56% de los escolares están en riesgo elevado de malnutrición por exceso o necesitan mejorar su alimentación. La adherencia media al patrón alimentario mediterráneo fue baja (7,64 ± 2,28), empeorando significativamente con la edad y la adiposidad. El nivel de actividad física medio fue moderado (3,02 ± 0,74), significativamente menor en niñas y adolescentes. El 58% mostraron un nivel bajo-moderado de actividad física. La calidad de la dieta se correlacionó positivamente con la actividad física y negativamente con el IMC. Conclusiones: los escolares gallegos presentaron un patrón alimentario y de actividad física de riesgo en relación con las recomendaciones nacionales/internacionales. Tras varios años de campañas de concienciación e intervenciones sobre estilos de vida, continúa siendo necesario mejorar la dieta y aumentar la práctica física-deportiva.

Circulating Betatrophin Levels Are Increased in Anorexia and Decreased in Morbidly Obese Women.

CONTEXT: Betatrophin is produced primarily by liver and adipose tissue and has been recently reported as a novel hormone promoting ß-cell proliferation and ß-cell mass and improving glucose tolerance. OBJECTIVE: Because it is markedly regulated by nutritional status, we hypothesized that circulating betatrophin levels might be affected by pathophysiological conditions altering body weight. SETTING AND PATIENTS: We analyzed circulating betatrophin levels in 149 female patients, including 99 with extreme body mass index (30 anorexia nervosa, 24 obese, 45 morbid obese, and 50 healthy eating/weight controls). OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Serum betatrophin levels and its correlations with different anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured. RESULTS: Plasma betatrophin levels were significantly elevated in anorexic patients, whereas its levels were reduced in morbidly obese women when compared with normal-weight women. Plasma betatrophin correlated negatively with weight, body mass index, fat percentage, glucose, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment index and positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that metabolic status is an important regulator of circulating betatrophin levels.

Peripheral signals mediate the beneficial effects of gastric surgery in obesity.

Obesity is nowadays a public health problem both in the industrialized world and developing countries. The different treatments to fight against obesity are not very successful with the exception of gastric surgery. The mechanism behind the achievement of this procedure remains unclear although the modifications in the pattern of gastrointestinal hormones production appear to be responsible for the beneficial effect. The gastrointestinal tract has emerged in the last time as an endocrine organ in charge of response to the different stimulus related to nutritional status by the modulation of more than 30 signals acting at central level to modulate food intake and body weight. The production of some of these gastric derived signals has been proved to be altered in obesity (ghrelin, CCK, and GLP-1). In fact, bariatric surgery modifies the production of both gastrointestinal and adipose tissue peripheral signals beyond the gut microbiota composition. Through this paper the main peripheral signals altered in obesity will be reviewed together with their modifications after bariatric surgery.

Histopathological effects of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) in the gills, intestine and liver of turbot (Psetta maxima).

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have become ubiquitous environmental pollutants because of their widespread use as flame retardants in various consumer products (plastics, textiles, electronic appliances and building materials) and their long half-life. BDE-47 (2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether) is the major PBDE congener detected in the environment and in animal tissues. In the present study, the histopathological effects are examined of BDE-47 on the gills, intestine and liver tissues of juvenile turbot (Psetta maxima).The specimens were exposed to two concentrations of BDE-47 (0.03 and 0.3 µg/L) for a period of 15 days. The histological changes were detected microscopically and evaluated with quantitative or semi-quantitative analyses. At the doses of BDE-47 assayed, the most common gill injuries were lamellar fusion, blood congestion and hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the epithelial and mucous cells. In the intestine of fish exposed to BDE-47, the alterations detected were hyperplasia and hypertrophy of mucous cells. Hepatic lesions in the liver of fish exposed to BDE-47 were characterized by circulatory disturbances, irregular morphology of hepatocytes, cellular and nuclear hypertrophy, and nuclear vacuolation and pyknosis. As BDE-47 is present in food and other material related to aquaculture systems, our results indicate that exposure to this pollutant could have serious consequences on health in turbot and other cultured fish.