Racial/ethnic and weight status disparities in dieting and disordered weight control behaviors among early adolescents.

BACKGROUND: This study examined whether racial/ethnic minority early adolescents with overweight/obesity are at increased risk of disordered weight control behaviors, defined as unhealthy behaviors aiming to control or modify shape and weight, ranging from self-induced vomiting to the use of dietary supplements. METHODS: U.S. Middle school children (n=12.511) provided self-report of gender, race/ethnicity, height, and weight as well as dieting and disordered weight control behaviors. RESULTS: In the entire sample, 25.6% (n=1514) of girls and 16.6% (n=1098) of boys reported dieting within the last month, while 3.5% (n=200) of girls and 2.7% (n=176) of boys reported DWCB. Within all racial/ethnic groups, participants classified as being overweight/obese (34% to 50%) were more likely to report dieting compared to their counterparts without overweight/obesity (9.6% to 29.6%). Racial/ethnic minority children with overweight/obesity had an increased risk of dieting and disordered weight control behaviors compared to their counterparts without overweight/obesity, and, for some outcomes, compared to their White peers with overweight/obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Racial/ethnic minority early adolescents with overweight/obesity are a particularly vulnerable group for disordered eating.

Effect of L-arginine and selenium added to a hypocaloric diet enriched with legumes on cardiovascular disease risk factors in women with central obesity: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aimed to discover if L-arginine and selenium alone or together can increase the effect of a hypocaloric diet enriched in legumes (HDEL) on central obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in women with central obesity. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken in 84 premenopausal women with central obesity. After a 2-week run-in period on an isocaloric diet, participants were randomly assigned to a control diet (HDEL), L-arginine (5 g/day) and HDEL, selenium (200 µg/day) and HDEL or L-arginine, selenium and HDEL for 6 weeks. Cardiovascular risk factors were assessed before intervention and 3 and 6 weeks afterwards. RESULTS: After 6 weeks, L-arginine had significantly reduced waist circumference (WC); selenium had significantly lowered fasting concentrations of serum insulin and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index; the interaction between L-arginine and selenium significantly reduced the fasting concentration of nitric oxides (NO(x)), and HDEL lowered triglycerides (TG) and WC and significantly increased the fasting concentration of NO(x). HDEL reduced high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in the first half of the study and returned them to basal levels in the second half. CONCLUSION: These data indicate the beneficial effects of L-arginine on central obesity, selenium on insulin resistance and HDEL on serum concentrations of NO(x) and TG.