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Latino men bear a disproportionate burden of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.However, limited behavioral lifestyle intervention research has focused on Latino men. This trial compares two approaches to weight loss for overweight and obese Latino men: 1) HOMBRE is a culturally adapted intervention that provides individual choice of either self-directed online videos, coach-facilitated in-person groups, and coach-facilitated online groups; and 2) a minimal intensity intervention that uses online videos with a coach available, if solicited by the participant.Latino men with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥27 kg/m 2 and one or more cardiometabolic risk factors (n = 424) will be randomly assigned to receive one of the two approaches.The RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework guides the planned evaluations.The primary aim is to determine the effectiveness of the HOMBRE intervention (the “E” in RE-AIM) on clinically significant weight loss (≥5% of baseline weight) at 18 months. We hypothesize that a significantly higher proportion of HOMBRE participants will maintain ≥5% of weight loss compared with those in the minimal intensity intervention.Secondary aims are to determine the effectiveness of HOMBRE on cardiometabolic risk factors (e.g., blood pressure, waist circumference), health behaviors (e.g., diet and physical activity), and psychosocial well-being (e.g., quality of life and depressive symptoms) and to evaluate the other attributes of RE-AIM. These findings have real word applicability with value to clinicians, patients, and other decision makers considering effective diabetes prevention programs for Latino men in primary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science policy is increasingly shifting towards an emphasis in societal problems or grand challenges. As a result, new evaluative tools are needed to help assess not only the knowledge production side of research programmes or organisations, but also the articulation of research agendas with societal needs. In this paper, we present an exploratory investigation of science supply and societal needs on the grand challenge of obesity – an emerging health problem with enormous social costs. We illustrate a potential approach that uses topic modelling to explore: (a) how scientific publications can be used to describe existing priorities in science production; (b) how policy records (in this case here questions posed in the European parliament) can be used as an instance of mapping discourse of social needs; (c) how the comparison between the two may show (mis)alignments between societal concerns and scientific outputs. While this is a technical exercise, we propose that this type of mapping methods can be useful to domain experts for informing strategic planning and evaluation in funding agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhoods (and people) are not static, and are instead shaped by dynamic long-term processes of change (and mobility). Using the Geographic Research on Wellbeing survey, a population-based sample of 2339 Californian mothers, we characterize then investigate how long-term latent neighborhood poverty trajectories predict the likelihood of obesity, taking into account short-term individual residential mobility. We find that, net of individual and neighborhood-level controls, living in or moving to tracts that experienced long-term low poverty was associated with lower odds of being obese relative to living in tracts characterized by long-term high poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades obesity has become one of the largest public policy concerns among the adult population in the developed world. Obesity and overweight are hypothesized to affect individuals' sociability through a number of channels, including discrimination and low self-esteem. However, whether these effects translate into differential behavioural patterns in social interactions remains unknown. In two large-scale economic experiments, we explore the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and social behaviour, using three paradigmatic economic games: the dictator, ultimatum, and trust games. Our first experiment employs a representative sample of a Spanish city's population ( N = 753), while the second employs a sample of university students from the same city ( N = 618). Measures of altruism, fairness/equality, trust and reciprocity are obtained from participants' experimental decisions. Using a variety of regression specifications and control variables, our results suggest that BMI does not exert an effect on any of these social preferences. Some implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intervention programs that change environments have the potential for greater population impact on obesity compared to individual-level programs. We began a cluster randomized, multi-component multi-level intervention to improve weight, diet, and physical activity among low-socioeconomic status public housing residents. Here we describe the rationale, intervention design, and baseline survey data. After approaching 12 developments, ten were randomized to intervention (n = 5) or assessment-only control (n = 5). All residents in intervention developments are welcome to attend any intervention component: health screenings, mobile food bus, walking groups, cooking demonstrations, and a social media campaign; all of which are facilitated by community health workers who are residents trained in health outreach. To evaluate weight and behavioral outcomes, a subgroup of female residents and their daughters age 8–15 were recruited into an evaluation cohort. In total, 211 households completed the survey (RR = 46.44%). Respondents were Latino (63%), Black (24%), and had ≤ high school education (64%). Respondents reported ≤ 2 servings of fruits & vegetables/day (62%), visiting fast food restaurants 1 + times/week (32%), and drinking soft drinks daily or more (27%). The only difference between randomized groups was race/ethnicity, with more Black residents in the intervention vs. control group (28% vs. 19%, p=0.0146). Among low-socioeconomic status urban public housing residents, we successfully recruited and randomized families into a multi-level intervention targeting obesity. If successful, this intervention model could be adopted in other public housing developments or entities that also employ community health workers, such as food assistance programs or hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising concern within western societies about the so-called 'obesity epidemic' has resulted in ubiquitous public health messages regarding the risks to health from being overweight. The prevalence of anti-obesity discourse has given rise to a counter movement, known as the 'Fat Acceptance' movement, which challenges claims about the relationships between body weight and health and promotes respect for people with fat bodies. This paper explores the subjective experiences of women who participate in an online fat acceptance web log via their descriptions of the ways in which they are affected by and attempt to resist cultural discourses promoting the 'thin ideal'. Using a feminist poststructuralist analysis, the findings indicate that women experience many benefits of being fat-accepting, such as self acceptance, emancipation from dieting, and more time and energy to pursue other interests. However, the women also wrote at length about their struggles to give up striving for the social and self acceptance that they associated with being thin, revealing the difficulties and complexities of these efforts at resisting the 'thin ideal' that has become such a normative requirement of successful western femininity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we examine the effect of changes in population density—urban sprawl—between 1970 and 2000 on BMI and obesity of residents in metropolitan areas in the U.S. We address the possible endogeneity of population density by using a two-step instrumental variables approach. We exploit the plausibly exogenous variation in population density caused by the expansion of the U.S. Interstate Highway System, which largely followed the original 1947 plan for the Interstate Highway System. We find a negative association between population density and obesity, and estimates are robust across a wide range of specifications. Estimates indicate that if the average metropolitan area had not experienced the decline in the proportion of population living in dense areas over the last 30 years, the rate of obesity would have been reduced by approximately 13%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Adolescents have poor dietary behaviors and high overweight prevalence. Economic contextual factors such as food prices and food store and restaurant availability are hypothesized and increasingly being explored empirically as contributors to the obesity epidemic. Evidence showed that healthful compared with less healthful foods increasingly cost more and that fast food restaurants are increasingly available. In addition, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities have been documented in access to food outlets, particularly chain supermarkets, and such disparities have been shown to be increasing recently. Empirical evidence based on nationally representative U.S. adolescent data revealed that lower fruit and vegetable prices, higher fast food prices, and greater supermarket availability were related to higher fruit and vegetable consumption and lower BMI, in particular for BMI among teens who are overweight or at risk for overweight and who are lowto middle-socioeconomic status. The availability of fast food restaurants was not associated with youth BM I. Overall, this research implies that pricing interventions of taxes on energy-dense foods such as fast food and/or subsidies to healthful foods such as fruits and vegetables and policy efforts to improve access to supermarkets may help to improve adolescent weight outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents have poor dietary behaviors and high overweight prevalence. Economic contextual factors such as food prices and food store and restaurant availability are hypothesized and increasingly being explored empirically as contributors to the obesity epidemic. Evidence showed that healthful compared with less healthful foods increasingly cost more and that fast food restaurants are increasingly available. In addition, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities have been documented in access to food outlets, particularly chain supermarkets, and such disparities have been shown to be increasing recently. Empirical evidence based on nationally representative U.S. adolescent data revealed that lower fruit and vegetable prices, higher fast food prices, and greater supermarket availability were related to higher fruit and vegetable consumption and lower BMI, in particular for BMI among teens who are overweight or at risk for overweight and who are lowto middle-socioeconomic status. The availability of fast food restaurants was not associated with youth BM I. Overall, this research implies that pricing interventions of taxes on energy-dense foods such as fast food and/or subsidies to healthful foods such as fruits and vegetables and policy efforts to improve access to supermarkets may help to improve adolescent weight outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a cross-sectional study which examines the coexistence of underweight and overweight among lower socioeconomic groups in India. Subjects and methods of the study are offered, along with a discussion on the double burden of nutrition experienced by rapidly growing economies. Result of the study reveals that the distribution of underweight and overweight remains socially segregated.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the association between obesity and diabetes among inpatients in the United States as well as to investigate the incremental hospital charges attributable to obesity or morbid obesity. Methods: We analyzed the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2005, a nationally representative probability sample that includes nearly 8 million inpatient records from US community hospitals. Results: During the past decade, the obesity among inpatients has steeply increased. In 2005, nearly 1.87 million hospitalizations were made by obese or morbidly obese patients. Both patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes were considerably more likely to be obese or morbidly obese compared with inpatients without diabetes ( P < 0.01). The proportions of hospitalizations with obese or morbidly obese conditions were 4.5% among patients without diabetes, 6.5% among patients with type 1, and 12.2% among patients with type 2 diabetes. The hospital charges for obese and morbidly obese patients were 6.1% ( P < 0.01) and 18.7% ( P < 0.01) higher than that of the nonobese patients when diabetes status, sex, age, race, hospital admission type, and length of hospital stays were the same. Conclusions: Following a parallel rise in obesity among the general population, hospital admissions of obese and morbidly obese inpatients are continuously increasing. Morbidly obese patients consumed substantially more hospital resources regardless of the presence or type of diabetes. Under the current price-per-case reimbursement system, additional hospital resource use by this growing number of morbidly obese inpatients could be a burden to hospital financial systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Racial/ethnic disparities in obesity widen dramatically during young adulthood in the US. Understanding racial/ethnic differences in the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity can provide insight on these disparities. However, the delay and complexity of the transition to adulthood create challenges for defining SES using traditional, single indicators, such as income or years of education. Our objective was to define a multidimensional measure of young adult SES using exploratory factor analysis and to investigate whether distinct SES dimensions differentially predicted obesity across race/ethnicity in 11,250 young adults (mean age=21.9 years) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Wave III: 2000–2001). Four factors (social advantage; schooling; employment; and economic hardship) extracted from a principal factor analysis on 38 SES indicators comprised our multidimensional measure of young adult SES. The respondents'' scores on each factor were entered into gender-stratified Poisson regression models to estimate the relative risk of young adult obesity for a contrast of approximately one standard deviation in score. The association of the “Social advantage” and “Economic hardship” factors with obesity differed by race/ethnicity (p <0.05 for Wald test of interaction) in females; high “Social advantage” scores were inversely associated with obesity in white and Hispanic females (9–20% lower) while high scores on “Economic hardship” were positively associated with obesity (7–76% higher) in white and Asian females. In contrast, no significant racial/ethnic differences were detected in young adult males. The “Schooling” factor was significantly protective (RR=0.91; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.98) for females of all racial/ethnic groups. These results facilitate understanding of the impact of multiple, distinct SES dimensions during the complex transition to adulthood and thus provide salient information for reducing racial/ethnic disparities in obesity during this important period for obesity development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the increase number of obesity rates in the developing countries due to lifestyle change, calorie diet and physical activity. It highlights the effort of the government to prevent obesity in the country through educational and social marketing campaigns for reducing obesity rates. It cites several ways to address the obesity epidemic including small changes in human biology, body weight regulation and lifestyle.

The article discusses the comparison between body mass index (BMI), body fat and waist circumference which indicates the measure of weight and body composition for adults in the U.S. It highlights the impact of several factors to BMI including age, sex and race-ethnicity. It cites the increase percentage body fat for both men and women due to the changes on their lifestyle and food preferences.

Purpose: This study examines independent and joint associations between several socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioral characteristics and obesity prevalence among 46,707 children aged 10–17 years in the United States. Methods: The 2003 National Survey of Children''s Health was used to calculate obesity prevalence. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds of obesity and adjusted prevalence. Results: Ethnic minority status, non-metropolitan residence, lower socioeconomic status (SES) and social capital, higher television viewing, and higher physical inactivity levels were all independently associated with higher obesity prevalence. Adjusted obesity prevalence varied by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and SES. Compared with affluent white children, the odds of obesity were 2.7, 1.9 and 3.2 times higher for the poor Hispanic, white, and black children, respectively. Hispanic, white, and black children watching television 3 hours or more per day had 1.8, 1.9, and 2.5 times higher odds of obesity than white children who watched television less than 1 hour/day, respectively. Poor children with a sedentary lifestyle had 3.7 times higher odds of obesity than their active, affluent counterparts (adjusted prevalence, 19.8% vs. 6.7%). Conclusions: Race/ethnicity, SES, and behavioral factors are independently related to childhood and adolescent obesity. Joint effects by gender, race/ethnicity, and SES indicate the potential for considerable reduction in the existing disparities in childhood obesity in the United States. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To identify sociodemographic variables and beliefs about the causes of obesity associated with reported use of Nutrition Facts panel (NFP) information. Design/Setting: Nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of 1139 adults. Data collection employed a single-stage, equal-probability sampling design with random-digit dialing across 50 states and the District of Columbia. Analysis sample consisted of 390 adults living with one or more children who reported making food purchasing decisions. Main Outcome Measure: Respondents provided self-reported information on their use of NFP information when making food purchasing decisions for their household. Analysis: Chi-square and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests compared the analysis sample to the broader population. Logistic regression analyses identified the sociodemographic and beliefs about obesity variables related to NFP use. Results: Fifty-three percent of the sample reported using NFP information on a consistent basis. Females, those with more education, and those currently married were more likely to use NFP labels. The importance of knowledge in order to maintain healthy body weight was the only belief variable associated with use of NFP information. Implications for Research and Practice: Nutrition educators interested in changing dietary behaviors should begin by identifying levels of nutritional literacy and beliefs about the importance of nutrition to motivate use of NFP labels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weight bias often results in the social exclusion of individuals with obesity. The direct, short-term psychological effects of social exclusion in obesity have not been investigated yet. This study experimentally tests whether social exclusion elicits stronger negative emotions in individuals with obesity compared to normal-weight controls. Specifically, we test whether social exclusion has a specific impact on shame. In total, N = 299 individuals ( n = 130 with body mass index [BMI] ≤ 30 and n = 169 with BMI > 30) were randomly assigned to a social exclusion condition or a control condition that was implemented with an online Cyberball paradigm. Before and after, they filled out questionnaires assessing state emotionality. Social exclusion increased negative emotionality in both groups compared to the control condition ( p < 0.001) according to a multivariate ANOVA. However, the interaction of group and social exclusion was also significant ( p = 0.035) and arose from a significant, specific increase of shame in the group with obesity during social exclusion ( p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.7). When faced with social exclusion, individuals with obesity do not respond with more intensive negative emotions in general compared to controls, but with a specific increase in shame. As social exclusion is frequent in individuals with obesity, psychological interventions focussing shame-related emotional distress could be crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the patterns of food use and nutrient intake of free-living Hualapai Indian womenin northwest Arizona. Use of long-term observation, dietary histories and 24-hour dietary recalls; High incidence of obesity in the Hualapai of northwest Arizona; Role of women on the consumption pattern of others; Method; Results; Discussion; Implications.

PURPOSE: African Americans have higher rates of obesity than white Americans. Our analyses will ascertain whether greater weight gain in African Americans is due to Education, Income, Occupation, or Childhood Socioeconomic Position (SEP). Interactions between race and the measures of SEP will be examined to identify race/SEP groups that may be at particularly high risk of weight gain. The role of marital status, number of children, physical activity, eating habits, smoking, alcohol consumption, depression, boredom, and sleep patterns in generating race differences will also be examined. This investigation is the first to examine racial differences in obesity over a long time period (34 years), to utilize four measures of SEP in analysis or risk factors, and to include a measure childhood SEP.METHODS: Data collected over 34 years, from the Alameda County Study will be analyzed using mixed models to examine the association between race, baseline weight, and weight change slopes in men (n = 1213) and women (n = 1442) aged 18–40.PRELIMINARY RESULTS: The initial analysis of race differences revealed that African American men had higher baseline weight (+2.53 kg, p = 0.004) but did not gain significantly more weight (+0.02 kg/year, p = 0.6855) than white men. African American women had higher baseline weight (+4.95 kg, p < .0001) and gained more weight (+0.10kg/year, p = 0.0271) than white women. Controlling for Childhood SEP attenuated the race difference in baseline weight for men by 29.2%. In women the racial difference in baseline weight was attenuated by 5%, and the racial difference in weight gain was reduced by 10%. Further analyses will be complete by the time of the conference. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]