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Background: Overweight and obesity are well-recognized risk factors for various non-communicable diseases. Evidence shows an increasing burden of overweight and obesity in low and middle-income countries, especially in women. Little is known about the risk factors in Zimbabwe. The aim of this study was to determine the socioeconomic risk factors for overweight and obesity in non-pregnant adult Zimbabwean women.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the 2015 Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (n = 8904) data on the adult female population aged 15 to 49. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated by dividing the body weight by height squared. The socio-economic variables studied were age, marital status, residence, province, religion, education, household wealth index, household size, access to mass media and the use of contraception. Prevalence of overweight (BMI ≥ 25-29.9 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) were determined. Simple and multivariable logistic regressions were then used to ascertain any relationships.Results: The weighted prevalence of overweight and obesity in adult females was 34.2 and 12.3% respectively. The odds for being overweight and obese were significantly higher with increasing age (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR 2.76, 95% CI:2.45-3.11 for overweight and AOR 3.24, 95% CI:2.69-3.90 for obesity) with marriage (AOR 1.58, 95% CI:1.38-1.79 for overweight and AOR 1.54, 95% CI:1.27-1.87 for obesity), high wealth status (AOR 4.01, 95% CI:2.93-5.50 for overweight and AOR 6.97, 95% CI:4.08-11.9 for obesity), and the use of hormonal contraception (AOR 1.24, 95% CI:1.07-1.41 for overweight and AOR 1.35, 95% CI:1.10-1.64 for obesity). Additionally, having higher education increased the odds of being obese (AOR 1.44, 95% CI:1.07-1.96) while being Christian increased the odds for being overweight (AOR 1.13, 95% CI:1.00-1.28).Conclusions: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among women in Zimbabwe was high. The key social factors associated were older age, being married, being wealthy and the use of hormonal contraception. Having a higher education and being Christian also increased the risk of being obese and overweight respectively. The design of multi-faceted overweight and obesity reduction programs for women that focus on increasing physical activity and strengthening of social support systems are necessary to combat this epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Southern region of the United States is home to substantial populations with obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertriglyceridemia, while also housing a large percentage of America's minority, rural, and low socioeconomic status (SES) peoples. Adult-onset cardiovascular disease (CVD) research may be informed by investigating associations(s) between late adolescent demographic variables and lipid values. Our objective was to investigate lipid parameter associations with college-age socioeconomic status, which may improve age-specific screening algorithms for management or prevention of adult-onset CVD.Methods: Using an Analysis of Variance test and a general linear model, associations between gender, race/ethnicity, SES, and athletic participation on lipid parameters (VLDL-C, LDL-C, TG, TC, and HDL-C) were analyzed in 4423 private liberal arts college students enrolled in freshman-level wellness courses at Furman University in Greenville, SC. Comparative data were collected from an age-matched sample (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: NHANES 2003-2016). Our main outcomes were statistically significant relationships between any lipid values (TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG) and any demographic variables (gender, SES, ethnicity, athlete status).Results: Males demonstrated lower TC and LDL-C, and higher HDL-C values. HDL-C was highest in athletes. African-American students demonstrated healthier VLDL-C, TG, and HDL-C values. With similar distributions, the age-matched NHANES comparison group showed unhealthier values in nearly all categories.Conclusions: College students may have better lipid health than the general population. African-Americans may have seemingly healthier lipid values than age-matched individuals independent of athletic or college enrollment which has already been demonstrated in other studies. Future research should include SES relationships in lipid screening paradigms along with other appropriate risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Based on our comparative data, pediatric health providers and researchers may consider education as a potential protective factor against poor lipid health when considering lipid screening protocols for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent construction of a so-called "obesity epidemic" has been fueled by epidemiologically-based studies recuperated by the media and suggestions of the rapid acceleration of obesity rates in the Western world. Studies linking obesity to ill-health have also exploded and greatly impacted our "physical" culture. In this article, I present a series of postcards to summarize the dominant obesity discourse and document the rhetorical terrain of the impending epidemic. I also offer counter-postcards to dispute the postcards' objective postulations and contextualize the birth of what I call the "Obesity Clinic." I then characterize this polymorphous clinic as an apparatus of capture sustained by biomedicalization, bioeconomics, and biocultural discourses and speak to its regulation and abjection of unruly (fat) bodies. I conclude with a few reflections about the territorializing nature of the Obesity Clinic as well as what it means for individuals and, more generally, for physical culture and its study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the use of a feminist science studies analytic to explore how the vivisection of a fat, white woman in the documentary "Obesity: The Post Mortem" became acceptable material for a television program, as well as the cultural work performed by such a program. It discusses the significance of the largely positive reviews received by the program from the media and support from regulatory bodies. It examines the effect of the program's use of hegemonic stereotypes about fatness.

This study sought to identify indicators of cultural competence in 670 news stories covering obesity by four urban news organizations: two mainstream newspapers and two ethnic newspapers serving the African-American and Hispanic communities. Through semantic network analysis, the research found that the news organizations converged on five themes: unhealthy lifestyle, food access and education, healthy lifestyle, public policy, and research. Public policy solutions were favored by the mainstream newspapers, while self-efficacy was emphasized in the ethnic papers. In all four newspapers, indicators of cultural competence were mixed. Ethnic newspapers showed particular competence in certain areas, such as community-based sourcing, direct mention of groups at risk for obesity, and lack of medical jargon. Chi-square tests showed, however, that the African-American newspaper discussed obesity less than expected, while the metropolitan daily directly mentioned ethnic groups at risk for obesity less than expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Social capital, defined as the resources accessed by individuals and groups through social connections, has been posited to be a social determinant of obesity. However, empirical evidence for this association has been inconsistent – namely, some studies have found a protective association while others have reported no correlation. We sought to conduct a systematic review on the relation between neighbourhood social capital and obesity, considering potential differences on the results based on the measures used and the covariates and mediators included in the studies. PRISMA statement guidelines were followed. Our results indicate that an association between neighbourhood social capital and obesity exists, but that it depends on the measures and covariates used in the study design. Understanding the role of social capital in the development and/or maintenance of obesity will require the use of strong methodological designs and a thorough conceptualization of how this relationship may arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding factors that influence physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior is crucial to develop interventions to improve adolescents' health-related behaviors.Purpose: To compare the influence of friends and psychosocial factors on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and screen time (ST) between normal weight (NW) and overweight (OW) adolescents.Methods: In all, 21 OW and 21 NW adolescents wore accelerometers and completed questionnaires assessing MVPA, ST, and psychosocial variables. The MVPA and ST were assessed in nominated friends. Adolescents participated in focus groups assessing influence on activity behaviors.Results: There were no differences in MVPA; however, NW adolescents reported less ST than OW adolescents (8.9 vs 13.1 h/wk, P = .04). For OW adolescents, friends' ST ( P = .002) and psychosocial factors ( P = .05) were associated with ST, while only PA self-efficacy was associated with MVPA. For NW adolescents, only friends' MVPA ( P = .04) was associated with self-reported PA. Exploratory analyses revealed differences among weight status and gender. Focus group discussions revealed that friends influenced both OW and NW adolescents' MVPA; however, this appeared to be more apparent for NW males, while psychosocial factors played a role in both OW and NW females. The OW adolescents reported that friends were more of an influence on their ST levels, while NW adolescents indicated that their ST was not affected by their friends' behaviors.Conclusions: Interventions to increase MVPA and/or decrease ST may need to be tailored for NW and OW adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to explore fat women's experiences of sex and sexuality in Aotearoa New Zealand. Despite a growing body of literature within fat studies, there is still very little writing that considers the lived experiences of fat people. This research is informed by feminist theory and utilises interviews with self-identified fat women to consider the ways that being a fat woman in society may impact one's sexual experiences and relationships. Analysis of these interviews shows that fat women in society continue to have complex and sometimes contradictory feelings about their bodies. Their particular lived experiences occur due to an intersection of being fat and being women, and their experiences are varied. The positive and negative personal experiences these women shared show that the fat body is still interpreted in numerous different ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community violence is an important social determinant of health in many high-poverty, urban communities.Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore and characterize self-described experiences of community violence among adults with chronic health conditions.Design: Qualitative study design was implemented in 2017 using in-depth, semi-structured focus groups and interviews; data were collected from two clinical sites located in geographic epicenters of high violent crime in Chicago.Participants: Adult patients, ages 35 years and older, who had at least one chronic condition.Approach: Data were analyzed using grounded theory and the constant comparison method.Key Results: The overall sample (N = 51) was predominantly female (67%) and black non-Hispanic (75%); a large proportion had hypertension (65%), arthritis (55%), obesity (53%), and/or diabetes (45%). The majority reported that a close friend or family member was seriously injured or killed due to community violence (71%); a similar proportion had never discussed their experiences of community violence with a healthcare provider (73%). Several major themes emerged: (1) perceived risk of being targeted, (2) chronic stress and worry, (3) hypervigilance, (4) social breakdown, (5) chronic isolation, (6) constrained choice (loss of freedom), (7) limited access to material resources, and (8) inadequate healthcare responses.Conclusions: Patients often struggled to balance the challenges imposed by community violence with the demands of living with and managing their chronic conditions. Emergent themes may inform practical targets for addressing community violence as a social determinant of health in vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a growing public health concern, with 37.5% of the adult population in need of therapeutics that are more efficacious with a better side effect profile. An innovative target in this regard is neuromedin U, a neuropeptide shown to suppress food intake and attenuate weight gain in animal models. These effects of neuromedin U on feeding behavior are thought to be related to agonism at the centrally expressed neuromedin U receptor 2 (NMUR2). As peptides present unique challenges that limit their therapeutic potential, the discovery of small-molecule NMUR2 agonists is needed to validate the targets therapeutic value, but to date, none have been evaluated in any animal model of disease. We therefore assessed two smallmolecule NMUR2 agonists for their in vitro signaling and their in vivo efficacy. The NMUR2 agonists were synthesized and both NMUR2 agonists, NY0116 and NY0128, decreased cAMP while stimulating calcium signaling in stably expressing NMUR2 HEK293 cells. When small-molecule NMUR2 agonists were tested in vivo, acute administration significantly decreased high-fat diet consumption. Repeated administration of the compounds decreased body weight and more specifically, decreased the percentage of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in obese mice. These results have confirmed small-molecule NMUR2 agonists are efficacious in animal models to decrease fat content, food intake, and body weight, suggesting NMUR2 is a promising therapeutic target for metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In implicit personality theory, people with entity views or a fixed mindset perceive characteristics (e.g., intelligence) as uncontrollable, whereas people with incremental views or a growth mindset perceive characteristics as controllable. In addition to other benefits, the literature sometimes suggests that having a growth mindset will protect against prejudice, which the current two studies examine in terms of negative attitudes toward obese people. Participants (total N = 501) were randomly assigned to complete a questionnaire assessing attitudes toward an obese or nonobese person and a self‐theory questionnaire also assessed ideas about body weight. People with a growth mindset, and not fixed mindset, were more likely to have negative attitudes toward obese individuals, pointing to a potential downside of growth mindset in the obesity domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In adults, greater social integration is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. Social integration earlier in life may be similarly associated with cardiovascular risk. Using a longitudinal sample of 267 Black and White men, we examined whether greater social integration with peers during childhood and adolescence, assessed by parent report, prospectively predicts lower blood pressure and body mass index two decades later in adulthood and whether these effects differ by race, given well-documented racial disparities in hypertension. Boys who were reported by their parents to be more socially integrated with peers evidenced lower blood pressure and body mass index in adulthood, and this effect was not accounted for by body mass index in childhood, childhood socioeconomic status, childhood hostility, childhood physical health, extraversion measured in adolescence, or concurrent adult self-reports of social integration. Results did not differ by race, but analyses were not powered to detect interactions of small effect size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

We posit that individuals develop causal stories to explain the world around them, including events, behaviors, and conditions in society. These are narratives that attribute causes to controllable components, such as individual choices, or uncontrollable components, such as broader forces in the environment. We use attribution theory to understand how group identity and individual characteristics may shape causal attributions about obesity. Based on previous empirical findings, we argue that attributions and identity can explain policy preferences. We test our hypotheses using individual-level data from a unique national survey of American adults. Our findings suggest that partisan and weight identities predispose people to make certain attributions about obesity, and these attributions influence policy preferences related to obesity. We suggest policymakers need to consider public attributions about obesity and future research should develop more refined measures of attributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shifts focus from an individualised and anthropocentric perspective on obesity, and uses a new materialist analysis to explore the assemblages of materialities producing fat and slim bodies. We report data from a study of adults’ accounts of food decision-making and practices, investigating circulations of matter and desires that affect the production, distribution, accumulation and dispersal of fat, and disclose a micropolitics of obesity, which affects bodies in both ‘becoming-fat’ and ‘becoming-slim’ assemblages. These assemblages comprise bodies, food, fat, physical environments, food producers and processing industries, supermarkets and other food retailers and outlets, diet regimens and weight loss clubs, and wider social, cultural and economic formations, along with the thoughts, feelings, ideas and human desires concerning food consumption and obesity. The analysis reveals the significance of the marketisation of food, and discusses whether public health responses to obesity should incorporate a food sovereignty component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health law has focused primarily on combatting stigma through laws targeting discrimination based on attributes (de jure), when the reach of stigma extends far beyond mere appearances. By exploring the lived experience of stigmatized individuals, policy makers might more deeply understand public health problems, more appropriately create health policies, and more effectively promote positive health behaviors. Efforts to address stigma must focus on all aspects of stigma to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that public health campaigns have an ethical obligation to combat fat stigma, not mobilize it in the “war on obesity.” Fat stigma is conceptualized, and a review is undertaken of how pervasive fat stigma is across the world and across the lifespan. By reviewing the negative impacts of fat stigma on physical health, mental health, and health seeking behaviors, fat stigma is clearly identified as a social determinant of health. Considering the role of fat stigma in public health, and the arguments made for using stigmatisation in public health campaigns to promote population health, it is concluded that it is a violation of public health ethics to use stigma as a tool in combatting fatness. The article concludes by making recommendations of how public health in New Zealand can combat, rather than reinforce, fat stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although it is known that the prevalence of obesity is high in deprived patients, the link between deprivation and obesity, and the impact of deprivation on compliance and efficacy of a lifestyle intervention program are not known. Materials and methods: Deprivation was assessed in 40 patients (23 Females, mean±SD age: 49±17 years) from the diabetology department and 140 patients (101 Females, age: 50±15 years) from the nutrition department of Bordeaux University hospital. Eighty-seven patients suffering from obesity were evaluated before and after a tailored, multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention. Deprivation was assessed using EPICES scores. Deprivation was defined with an EPICES score > 30. Results: Deprived patients suffering from obesity had significantly higher current (43.8 ±8.4 versus 40.9 ± 5.5 kg/m2, p = 0,02) and maximal BMI (46.1± 8.6 versus 42.3± 5.2 kg/m2, p = 0.002) compared to non-deprived obese. Percentage of body weight loss was not different according to deprivation (4.74 ± 0.75 versus 4.65 ± 1.04%, p = 0.9). EPICES scores were not different according to adherence to lifestyle intervention program (20.5 ± 8.5 versus 29.9 ± 3.9 versus 29.0 ±2.5, no follow up versus partial follow up versus total follow up, p = 0,58). Conclusion: Deprived patients suffering from obesity have a more serious disease than non-deprived patients. However, neither compliance to the lifestyle intervention program nor body weight loss differed between deprived patients with obesity and non-deprived ones. Deprivation should not be a limitation when enrolling patients with obesity in lifestyle intervention programs. [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]

Childhood overweight and obesity (COWOB) is currently one of the most important global public health challenges, especially, in developing nations. Studies in Nigeria are beginning to focus attention on its prevalence among children, adolescents, and adults in selected urban and rural areas across the nation. Some of these studies have implicated economic transition and rapid urbanization as well as globalization in its causation. Thus indicating that prevalence data for paediatric overweight and obesity in Nigeria are available. However, there appear to be existing gaps in the literature on the impact of maternal socio-economic status on childhood obesity across the nation. Hence, this study aims to conduct an extensive desk review of the literature to provide a broad overview of the impacts of maternal socioeconomic status (SES) on childhood obesity in Nigeria for improved public health intervention and paediatric Health Planning. Data for this review were obtained from original PubMed articles and EndNote referencing style. Internet search engines (google and google Scholar) were also employed. The years searched were from 1997 to 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To examine food insecurity and cardiovascular disease-related health outcomes among American Indians (AIs) in rural Oklahoma. Methods. We surveyed a cross-sectional sample of 513 AI adults to assess food insecurity domains (i.e., food quality and quantity) and obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Results. Among AIs surveyed, 56% reported inadequate food quantity and 62% reported inadequate food quality. The unadjusted prevalence of diabetes (28.4% vs 18.4%), obesity (60.0% vs 48.3%), and hypertension (54.1% vs 41.6%) was higher among participants with inadequate food quantity than among those with adequate food quantity. These associations did not reach statistical significance after adjustment for age, gender, study site, education, and income. The unadjusted prevalence of obesity (60.7% vs 45.8%), diabetes (27.3% vs 18.8%), and hypertension (52.5% vs 42.5%)was higher among those with inadequate food quality than among those with adequate food quality, even after adjustment for age, gender, study site, education, and income. Conclusions. Tribal, federal, and state policymakers, as well as businesses and nonprofit organizations, must collaboratively take aggressive action to address food insecurity and its underlying causes, including improving tribal food environments, reducing barriers to healthy foods, and increasing living wages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various models and methods have been proposed to address the worldwide decline in children's and youth's physical fitness, and the social-ecological model has shown some promise. Yet, the impact of the policy intervention, 1 component of that model, has not been evaluated carefully. Using limited data from policy documents, the impact of policy related to children and youth fitness in China was examined, and it was found that the policy alone did not seem to work. Possible reasons are explored, and a call for more policy evaluation research is made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to Statistics Canada, the number of adults who are overweight or obese rises every year in Canada. As such, it is obvious that various public policies are not working. After extensive community consultation, the Healthy Weights Initiative (HWI) started in Moose Jaw and expanded to Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Objectives: This study aimed to determine adherence, factors affecting adherence and their impact on various health outcomes. Methods: From January 2014 to March 2015, 229 participants started the comprehensive 6-month HWI program. It was determined that having a "buddy" and signing a social support contract with three additional family members or friends were important to program adherence. As such, both policies went from being recommended to becoming mandatory. From April 2015 to August 2016, 771 additional participants started the program, allowing evaluation of the two new policies. Moreover, HWI participant adherence was compared to that of 100 new YMCA members. Results: Among the first 229 HWI participants, 79.9% completed the 6-month program. After the two new policy changes among the 771 participants, 96.1% completed the HWI program (risk ratio =1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.49). In comparison, among the new YMCA regular members without supervision or assistance, 14.0% were still fully adhering to their fitness program after 6 months (RR =6.85; 95% CI: 3.88-12.10). After logistic regression, the only variable with an independent effect for not completing the HWI program was not having a spouse/partner supporting the program (odds ratio =2.31; 95% CI: 1.13-3.67). Although weight loss reductions were obtained (mean: 4.3 kg), the more significant benefits observed were health outcomes. For example, the prevalence of depressed mood reduced from 44% to 16.4% (P=0.000). Conclusion: With two new policy changes, including a mandatory "buddy" and a signed social support contract, the HWI has become more successful at promoting program adherence. Moreover, numerous positive health outcomes have been obtained during this free, communitybased initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objective of this population-based, large sample size study was to investigate the socioeconomic inequality of overweight and obesity among the elderly in Iran.Methods: Baseline data of 3000 persons aged ≥60 years who participated in the Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) program was analyzed. Overweight and obesity were defined as a body mass index (BMI) equal to or higher than 25 and 30, respectively. Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured by an asset index, constructed using principal component analysis, income, education level, and employment status. The Concentration Index and the Lorenz curve were used to illustrate the levels of inequality for overweight and obesity by gender.Results: The frequencies among men and women were, respectively, 840 (57.7%) and 1131 (73.2%), P < 0.001, for overweight, and 211 (14.7%) and 511 (33.7%), P < 0.001, for obesity. There were direct associations between asset index quintiles and both overweight and obesity among both genders (Ps for trend <0.01) except for obesity among men (P for trend = 0.118). The overall Concentration Indices for overweight and obesity were 0.031 (95%CI = 0.016-0.046, P < 0.001) and 0.041 (95%CI = 0.004-0.078, p = 0.028), respectively.Conclusion: Findings support the direct relationship between SES and obesity among women as previously reported in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigates the relationship between recurrent binge eating episodes and nutritional and food profiles and lifestyle in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (Estudo Longitudinal da Saúde do Adulto - ELSA-Brazil) cohort. Results: Recurrent binge eating episodes were associated with obesity (OR 5.188; confidence interval [CI] 4.051-6.645), overweight (OR 2.534; CI 1.980-3.243), female sex (OR 1.918; CI 1.573-2.338), age between 34 and 54 years old (OR 1.349; CI 1.115-1.631), alcohol ingestion ≥ 5 in two hours (OR 1.397; CI 1.068-1.827), and insufficient physical activity (OR 1.290; CI 1.078-1.544). Conclusion: Being overweight has an important association with recurrent binge eating episodes, as does demographic and lifestyle characteristics, including excessive alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilevel/hierarchical obesity studies analyze adolescent and family, neighbourhood and social settings' characteristics to generate data needed to design prevention interventions. This scoping study summarizes such studies' characteristics and key findings to provide information to decision makers, which allows them to quickly grasp the state of the evidence and potential policy implications for adolescent obesity prevention. PubMed, CINAHLplus, PsychINFO and Sociological Abstracts were searched for peer-reviewed studies spanning 1 January 2000-31 August 2014. Inclusion criteria included (i) outcome weight status, physical activity and weight status, or physical activity alone if the aim was obesity prevention; (ii) 12- to 19-year-old participants in a cross-sectional study, a separate analysis in a cross-sectional study or a longitudinal follow-up. Nineteen studies were published in the United States of America; four in Canada; two in Spain, China and Vietnam, respectively; and one in Germany. Self-efficacy, parental physical activity support, perceived neighbourhood support, social cohesion and access to recreational facilities were associated with increased activity levels; neighbourhood physical disorder and perceived lack of safety associated with reduced physical activity levels. Overweight or obesity was associated with sugar-sweetened beverage intake and household availability thereof; reduced odds were reported with fruit and vegetable intake and household availability of these, daily breakfast and family meal frequency. Potential adolescent obesity risk regulators may be found at the individual, family or social contextual levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the cultural phenomenology of Sara Ahmed, we expand upon biopolitical analyses of obesity discourse by interrogating how the contours of normative feminine embodiment are formed through entangled relations between dominant obesity discourse and everyday sensuous encounters. We examine qualitative interviews with young women and suggest that fat encounters are situated within a 'cultural politics of emotion', where 'feelings about' and 'feelings for' fat others reflect emotional orientations that imbue the boundaries demarcating the normatively thin feminine subject with a sensuous materiality. We conclude by suggesting that Ahmed's cultural phenomenological approach offers novel and nuanced insights into the materialization of embodied feminine subjectivities by centring the sensuous, felt and emotional encounters between sameness and difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance (IR) is important in the development and progression of NAFLD. Nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) has previously been reported to be a novel regulator in NAFLD. The present study determined that Nrf2 knockdown accelerated the onset of obesity and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), via the induction of hepatic IR in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), which was confirmed by an increase in total and hepatic weight in Nrf2-null-HFD mice, in addition to marked structural disorder in liver tissues from the Nrf2-null-HFD group analyzed by histopathological examination. Subsequently, it was demonstrated that hepatic IR in Nrf2-null-HFD mice was influenced by oxidative stress; this was confirmed by an increase in malondialdehyde levels and a decrease in glutathione levels. In addition, it was determined that the induction of hepatic IR by Nrf2 knockdown in HFD-treated mice was regulated by activation of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, as detected by an increase in the expression levels of nuclear NF-κB, and its downstream effectors interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. The present study provides insight into the function of Nrf2 in NAFLD, indicating that Nrf2 deletion may lead to hepatic IR by activation of NF-κB, which is often associated with oxidative stress. Therefore, activation of Nrf2 may limit disease progression and act as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of NASH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is associated with a notable risk for disease, including risk of cardiovascular disorders, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. Adipose tissue modulates the metabolism by releasing free fatty acids (FFAs) and adipokines, including leptin, resistin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Altered secretion patterns of FFAs and adipokines have been demonstrated to result in obesity-associated insulin resistance (IR) and inflammatory responses. MicroRNA-199a-3p (miR)-199a-3p expression is significantly induced in differentiated human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells and indicates the association with T2DM. However, the association between miR-199a-3p levels in adipocytes and obesity-associated IR, as well as inflammatory responses remains to be elucidated. The present study observed an elevation of miR-199a-3p expression level in mature human adipocytes (visceral) compared with pre-adipocytes. In addition, miR-199a-3p expression was higher in visceral adipose deposits from obese subjects. FFA, TNF-α, IL-6 and leptin significantly induced miR-199a-3p expression in mature human adipocytes, while resistin had the opposite effect. miR-199a-3p may represent a factor in the modulation of obesity-associated IR and inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To assess the impact of a large-scale place-based intervention on obesity prevalence in Black communities. Methods. The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health across the United States (REACH US) project was conducted in 14 predominantly Black communities in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. We measured trends from 2009 to 2012 in the prevalence of obesity. We used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to compare these trends with trends among non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks in the United States and in the 10 states where REACH communities were located, and with a propensity score-matched national sample of non-Hispanic Blacks. Results. The age-standardized prevalence of obesity decreased in REACH US communities (P = .045), but not in the comparison populations (P = .435 to P = .996). The relative change was -5.3% in REACH US communities versus +2.4% in propensity score-matched controls (P value for the difference = .031). The net effect on the reduction of obesity prevalence was about 1 percentage point per year for REACH. Conclusions. Obesity prevalence was reduced in 14 disadvantaged Black communities that participated in the REACH project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity and aging share an impaired immune system and oxidative and inflammatory stress. Therefore, the hypothesis of obesity as a possible model of premature immunosenescence has been proposed. In this study, we investigated whether adult obese mice, as a consequence of being fed with a fat-rich diet during their adolescence, showed premature immunosenescence and if this was aggravated with aging. Peritoneal cell suspensions were obtained when ICR/CD1 obese female mice were adults (28 weeks) and old (72 weeks), and several functions and antioxidant defenses were evaluated. The results showed that the chemotaxis of both macrophages and lymphocytes, phagocytosis of macrophages, activity of natural killer cells, proliferative response of lymphocytes, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-2, and interleukin-10 released in leukocyte cultures, as well as antioxidant and oxidant capacity were significantly impaired in adult obese mice with respect to adult nonobese mice, with values similar to those in chronologically old mice. When these obese animals grew older, although having been fed with a standard diet, they showed a higher deterioration of their immune functions in comparison with the old control group. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that a high fat intake during adolescence can produce an obesity state in adult age associated with a premature immunosenescence, which is aggravated through aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We investigated the combined impact of abdominal obesity and low skeletal muscle mass on cardiovascular and total mortality in an elderly Asian population.Methods: A total of 1,485 elderly individuals (≥65 years) from Elderly Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (1999-2000) were enrolled, and their survival status was followed using data from the National Death Registry. Skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI) was calculated by dividing skeletal muscle mass (kg) by height squared (m(2)). Low skeletal muscle mass was defined as the first quartile of SMMI. Abdominal obesity (high triglycerides plus waist circumference [HTGWC]) was defined as triglycerides ≥150mg/dL and waist circumference ≥90cm (men) and ≥80cm (women). The Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the combined impact of abdominal obesity and low SMMI on cardiovascular and total mortality.Results: During follow-up (median 9.2 years), one third (n = 493) of subjects died from any cause, of which 34% (n = 168) were cardiovascular-related. Total and cardiovascular mortality were 4.2 and 1.4 per 100 person-years, respectively. Low SMMI and HTGWC were independently associated with total mortality in men, but only low SMMI was significantly associated in women. Those with both HTGWC and low SMMI had the highest mortality risk, with the cardiovascular mortality risk increased by >6.8-fold and 3.2-fold in men and women, respectively, compared with controls having normal SMMI and TGWC.Conclusions: Elderly individuals with abdominal obesity and low skeletal muscle mass have higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide obesity has more than doubled in the last forty years. Even more worrying is the fact that the number of overweight and obese children and adolescents has considerably increased. Socioeconomic development, as well as educational, agricultural and marketing policies have significantly changed dietary and physical activity habits among the youngest, who are thus susceptible to develop chronic and disabling diseases such as diabetes, some cancers and cardiovascular disorders. Adolescence is a critical age, in which the adoption of healthy habits may have dramatic effects on the health state in adulthood. For this reason, prompt interventions are urgently required to prevent the onset of obesity in this time of life. In this regard, the CAL-TAS program from Alicia Foundation was born to combat obesity and promote healthy lifestyles in Spanish adolescents. A total of 2519 students, aged 13–14 years, from 79 schools distributed all over the 17 autonomous communities in Spain were asked to report through the CAL-TAS platform their food intake and physical activity over one week. The body mass index, the consumption of food and beverages, the intake of macronutrients and micronutrients, and the values obtained from the PAQ-A questionnaire, which evaluated physical activity, were analyzed. Twenty percent of the participants were overweight or obese. In general, adolescents did not or poorly respected the recommendations provided by the . For example, in more than half of the subjects, the ingestion of fruits and beverages was less than recommended, whereas the consumption of meat, baked goods and fried foods was excessive. Moreover, adolescents with higher body mass index also presented worse eating habits and more inactivity. In conclusion, Spanish adolescents present low adherence to recommendations provided by the (SENC) and by the World Health Organization. In order to prevent obesity-related disorders, effective educational programmes have to be designed. Indeed, adolescents and their families should be aware that the early adoption of healthy dietary habits and of a correct physical activity may strongly improve their future quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity rates are on the rise in British Columbia, in Canada, and throughout the world. Because obesity is associated with many well-documented comorbidities and perioperative complications, surgical and anesthetic management of obese patients is challenging and resource-intensive. An obesity guideline from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia considers the suitability of patients for surgery at nonhospital medical facilities in terms of three body mass index (kg/m2) categories. Patients with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 are considered suitable surgical candidates only if they have no more than two comorbid conditions; patients with a BMI of 35 to 38 should have only minor peripheral procedures with regional or local anesthesia; and patients with a BMI higher than 38.1 should have surgery only "under extraordinary situations." These recommendations mean that some obese patients may not have access to the surgical care they require--a potential care gap that we set out to quantify by surveying BC surgeons and anesthesiologists. Methods: A questionnaire was developed to find out about the surgical care of obese patients based on three risk stratification categories: BMI 30 to 34, 35 to 37, and 38 or higher. The questionnaire was distributed via e-mail invitation to BC associations representing general surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, obstetrician/gynecologists, and anesthesiologists. SurveyMonkey was used to collect and analyze the responses. Results: A total of 377 respondents completed the survey: 154 surgeons (53 general surgeons, 57 orthopaedic surgeons, and 44 obstetrician/ gynecologists) and 223 anesthesiologists. All six health authorities in British Columbia were well represented. All surgeons and almost all anesthesiologists (97%) indicated that they provide care for obese patients. Anesthesiologists indicated that they modify their management of patients based on a BMI of 30 to 34 (72%), 35 to 37 (98%), and 38 or higher (100%). Of the surgeons surveyed, 85% acknowledged that patients at their hospitals have had surgery postponed or cancelled because of obesity and either had to leave the community for their care or go without care, and 68% indicated that they have cared for obese patients at some point in their careers whose surgery had been postponed or declined by another provider. Regarding elective surgery, surgeons delayed or declined to perform surgery because of concerns about obesity-related complications in patients with a BMI of 30 to 34 (77%) and in patients with a BMI of 38 or higher (96%). Regarding urgent surgery, surgeons delayed or declined to perform surgery in patients with a BMI of 30 to 34 (31%) and in patients with a BMI of 38 or higher (60%). When surgeons were asked if they thought their hospitals could become centres of excellence for managing obese surgical patients, 73% felt this would be possible with the adequate resources to allow for the extra time, skill, and effort needed for safe care of these complex patients. Conclusions: Survey responses revealed a significant care gap existing in BC. A number of patients are waiting for or being denied surgical care because of concerns about their obesity. It is notable that 96% of surgeon respondents have delayed or declined to perform elective surgery in patients with a BMI higher than 38, and that 60% of surgeon respondents have delayed or declined to perform urgent surgery in patients with a BMI of 38 or higher. There is a clear need for provincial centres of excellence to support the work of surgeons and anesthesiologists with an interest in treating these patients and achieving better patient outcomes with the use of evidenceinformed protocols and increased volume and provider experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To examine the associations between obesity and multiple aspects of the food environments, at home and in the neighborhood. Methods. Our study included 38 650 individuals nested in 18 381 households located in 2104 US counties. Our novel home food environment measure, USDAScore, evaluated the adherence of a household's monthly expenditure shares of 24 aggregated food categories to the recommended values based on US Department of Agriculture food plans. The US Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2008), the detailed food purchase information in the IRi Consumer Panel scanner data (2008-2012), and its associated MedProfiler data set (2012) constituted the main sources for neighborhood-, household-, and individual-level data, respectively. Results. After we controlled for a number of confounders at the individual, household, and neighborhood levels,USDAScore was negatively linked with obesity status, and a census tract-level indicator of food desert status was positively associated with obesity status. Conclusions. Neighborhood food environment factors, such as food desert status, were associated with obesity status even after we controlled for home food environment factors. [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]

Gastric bypass may be conducted to aid in glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical results of diabetes remission and metabolic syndrome in individuals with T2DM after undergoing a gastric bypass. A total of 85 patients (39 men and 46 women) with T2DM underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). Data regarding patient demographics, body mass index (BMI), co-morbidities and details of diabetes mellitus, including disease duration, remission, β-cell function, blood lipid levels and nutritive status were prospectively collected and analyzed. The mean duration from the onset of T2DM was 7.79±4.84 years (range, 1 month to 22 years). The preoperative mean BMI was 31.60±4.10 (range, 28.53-48.10 kg/m²), mean percentage of body fat was 36.35±9.12% (range, 18-56%), and the mean HbA1c was 8.32±2.13% (range, 7-15.9%). Five patients (5.9%) developed complications without mortality. T2DM and β-cell function were significantly improved from by month 6 after surgery (P<0.05). Improvements in central obesity, blood pressure (BP; systolic and diastolic) control, blood lipid levels were observed, without malnutrition or severe anemia. Therefore, the present results indicate that laparoscopic RYGBP is a safe and effective procedure for improving glycemic control, obesity, body fat percentage and BP in patients with T2DM and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a public health model of obesity, this study set out to examine whether a news article reporting the obesity issue in a societal versus individual frame would increase perceptions of societal responsibilities for the obesity problem and motivate responsibility-taking behaviors. Responsibility-taking behaviors were examined at 3 levels: personal, interpersonal, and societal. Data from a Web-based experiment revealed significant framing effects on behaviors via causal and treatment responsibility attributions. The societal frame increased societal causal and treatment attribution, which led to greater likelihoods of interpersonal and social responsibility-taking behaviors as well as personal behaviors. Our findings suggest that news framing can be an effective venue for raising awareness of obesity as a societal issue and mobilizing collective efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared ecometric neighbourhood scores of social capital (contextual variation) to mean neighbourhood scores (individual and contextual variation), using several health-related outcomes (i.e. self-rated health, weight status and obesity-related behaviours). Data were analysed from 5,900 participants in the European SPOTLIGHT survey. Factor analysis of the 13-item social capital scale revealed two social capital constructs: social networks and social cohesion. The associations of ecometric and mean neighbourhood-level scores of these constructs with self-rated health, weight status and obesity-related behaviours were analysed using multilevel regression analyses, adjusted for key covariates. Analyses using ecometric and mean neighbourhood scores, but not mean neighbourhood scores adjusted for individual scores, yielded similar regression coefficients. Higher levels of social network and social cohesion were not only associated with better self-rated health, lower odds of obesity and higher fruit consumption, but also with prolonged sitting and less transport-related physical activity. Only associations with transport-related physical activity and sedentary behaviours were associated with mean neighbourhood scores adjusted for individual scores. As analyses using ecometric scores generated the same results as using mean neighbourhood scores, but different results when using mean neighbourhood scores adjusted for individual scores, this suggests that the theoretical advantage of the ecometric approach (i.e. teasing out individual and contextual variation) may not be achieved in practice. The different operationalisations of social network and social cohesion were associated with several health outcomes, but the constructs that appeared to represent the contextual variation best were only associated with two of the outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research on obesity has shown that stigma often accompanies obesity and impacts many life domains. No previous research has systematically reviewed published literature about the prevalence and the nature of perceived weight discrimination in individuals with obesity. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to fill that gap. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted without time limits using the databases Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge and the Cochrane Library. Meta-analyses were performed using random effect models. Observational studies pertaining to (i) prevalence estimates and (ii) forms of perceived weight discrimination among individuals with obesity were included. Results: Of 4393 citations retrieved, nine citations retrieved, nine studies met inclusion criteria. Pooled prevalence was 19.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 11.7 to 29.8%) for individuals with class I obesity (Body mass index [BMI] = 30-35 kgm-2) and 41.8% (95% CI 36.9 to 46.9%) for individuals with more extreme obesity (BMI>35 kgm-2). Findings from nationally representative US samples revealed higher prevalence estimates in individuals with higher BMI values (BMI>35 kgm-2) and in women. Conclusions: The results provide evidence that perceptions of weight discrimination by individuals with obesity were common, and its negative consequences are highly relevant issues within society and need to be the focus of potential interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent the intergenerational transfer of obesity and end the current epidemic, interventions are needed across the early life stages, from preconception to prenatal to infancy through the age of 2 years. The foundation for obesity is laid in early life by actions and interactions passed from parent to child that have long-lasting biologic and behavioral consequences. The purpose of this paper is to examine the best evidence about (a) factors in parents and offspring that promote obesity during the early life stages, (b) the social determinants and dimensions of obesity in early life, (c) promising and effective interventions for preventing obesity in early life, and (d) opportunities for future research into strategies to disrupt the intergenerational cycle of obesity that begins early in life. The pathway for halting the intergenerational obesity epidemic requires the discovery and development of evidence-based interventions that can act across multiple dimensions of influence on early life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flurry of recent articles in the medical and popular press have decried black women's "alarmingly high" rates of obesity. The number of high-profile publications lamenting the "epidemic" among black women has grown, even as mounting evidence indicates that obesity (defined as a body mass index ≥ 30) does not necessarily lead to poor health outcomes. Indeed, given its functional limitations in explaining or predicting health status, a number of medical researchers are now issuing calls to revise the standard definition of obesity. In this article, I examine the curious nature of the discourse decrying the obesity epidemic among black women. I argue that rather than being a novel concern about black women's health or public health, the medical and popular discourse about obesity and black women is largely a reproduction of the trope of the diseased black woman that has been used throughout American history. This trope reifies the purported sensualism of black women. Moreover, the newest incarnation of this discursive device is distinct in that it renders black women as triply signified "social dead weight." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: South African studies have suggested that differences in obesity prevalence between groups may be partly related to differences in body image and body size dissatisfaction. However, there has never been a national study that measured body image and its relationship to weight control in the country. Hence, the main aim of the study was to examine body image in relation to body mass index and weight control in South Africa.Methods: A cross-sectional survey and a secondary analyses of data were undertaken for 6 411 South Africans (15+ years) participating in the first South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Body image was investigated in relation to weight status and attempts to lose or gain weight. Data were analysed using STATA version 11.0. Descriptive statistics are presented as counts (numbers), percentages, means, standard error of means, and 95 % confidence intervals. Any differences in values were considered to be significantly different if the confidence intervals did not overlap.Results: Overall, 84.5 % participants had a largely distorted body image and 45.3 % were highly dissatisfied about their body size. Overweight and obese participants under estimated their body size and desired to be thinner. On the other hand, normal- and under-weight participants over estimated their body size and desired to be fatter. Only 12.1 and 10.1 % of participants attempted to lose or gain weight, respectively, mainly by adjusting dietary intake and physical activity.Discussion: Body mass index appears to influence body image and weight adjustment in South Africa.Conclusions: South Africans at the extreme ends of the body mass index range have a largely distorted body image and are highly dissatisfied by it. This suggests a need for health education and beneficial weight control strategies to halt the obesity epidemic in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although it is increasingly acknowledged that social networks are important to our understanding ofoverweight and obesity, there is limited understanding about the processes by which such networks shapetheir progression. This paper reports the findings of a scoping review of the literature that sought to identify the key processes through which social networks are understood to influence the development of overweight and obesity.Methods: A scoping review was conducted. Forty five papers were included in the final review, the findings of which were synthesised to provide an overview of the main processes through which networks have been understood to influence the development of overweight and obesity.Results: Included papers addressed a wide range of research questions framed around six types of networks: a paired network (one's spouse or intimate partner); friends and family (including work colleagues and people within social clubs); ephemeral networks in shared public spaces (such as fellow shoppers in a supermarket or diners in a restaurant); people living within the same geographical region; peers (including co-workers, fellow students, fellow participants in a weight loss programme); and cultural groups (often related toethnicity). As individuals are embedded in many of these different types of social networks at any one time, the pathways of influence from social networks to the development of patterns of overweight and obesity are likely to be complex and interrelated. Included papers addressed a diverse set of issues: body weight trends over time; body size norms or preferences; weight loss and management; physical activity patterns; and dietary patterns.Discussion: Three inter-related processes were identified: social contagion (whereby the network in which people are embedded influences their weight or weight influencing behaviours), social capital (whereby sense of belonging and social support influence weight or weight influencing behaviours), and social selection (whereby a person's network might develop according to his or her weight).Conclusions: The findings have important implications for understanding about methods to target the spread of obesity, indicating that much greater attention needs to be paid to the social context in which people make decisions about their weight and weight influencing behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anti-fat attitudes may lead to stigmatisation of and lowered self-esteem in obese people. Examining anti-fat attitudes is warranted given that there is an association with anti-fat behaviours. Previous studies, mainly outside the UK, have demonstrated that anti-fat attitudes are increasing over time. Methods: The study was cross-sectional with a sample of 2380 participants (74.2 % female; aged 18-65 years). In an online survey participants reported demographic characteristics and completed a range of implicit and explicit measures of obesity related attitudes. Results: Perceptions of obesity were more negative than reported in previously. Main effects indicated more negative perceptions in males, younger respondents and more frequent exercisers. Attitudes about obesity differed in relation to weight category, and in general were more positive in obese than non-obese respondents. Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate anti-fat attitudes across different sections of the UK population. As such, this study provides the first indication of the prevalence of anti-fat attitudes in UK adults. Interventions to modify these attitudes could target specific groups of individuals with more negative perceptions as identified here. Future work would be useful that increases understanding of both implicit and explicit attitudes towards obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowledge about trends in the socioeconomic patterning of overweight and obesity in women provides insights into the nature of the obesity epidemic. Therefore the aim was to assess a ten-year trend (2000-2010) in the prevalence of excessive weight in Balearic Islands' women and its association with socioeconomic factors. Method: Young (18-35 year-old) and middle-aged (36-55 year-old) women were selected from two population-based cross-sectional nutritional surveys carried out in the Balearic Islands, Spain. The participation rate was 80% during 1999-2000 and 92.5% during 2009-2010. Measured weight and height was obtained, and body mass index (kg/m²) was classified as follows: overweight (25.0 < 30), obese (≥30) and excessive weight (≥25). In both surveys, a general questionnaire including questions relating to socioeconomic status factors was used. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of excessive weight with socioeconomic variables and to test the interaction between the survey period and the socioeconomic factors. Results: Overall, while the prevalence of obesity mainly remained stable over the study period, the prevalence of overweight increased from 21.0 to 24.8%. Young women showed an increased prevalence of overweight and excessive weight, from 14.1 to 20.9% and from 20.9 to 28.6%, respectively. Significant differences were not found in middle-aged women. Over the whole period, the incidence of excessive weight was higher among middle-aged and foreign women, but lower in women with a high educational profile and in employment. The prevalence of excessive weight in young women was also around 2.5 times higher in women who were living with at least one child at home. The tendency towards excessive weight in employed women decreased significantly between 2000 and 2010 in the younger age group (OR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.22-0.82). Conclusions: No significant increase in the prevalence of overweight/obesity was observed in middle-aged women, with a low level of education being the single socioeconomic variable associated with excessive weight in this target group. Overweight/obesity increased in young women with unemployment being the distinguishing socioeconomic factor associated with this increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health of a population is a social asset. The individual and the society contribute to it through biology and behaviour, environment and health systems. An ethical and responsible conduct from all parties is expected but difficult to legislate while seeking to respect personal and collective rights and freedoms. Out of all chronic diseases related to lifestyle, obesity is the best example to give when discussing if individuals are the only ones responsible for engaging in healthy behaviours or not, or whether environmental factors undermine their ability to act in their best interest and erode their freedom. It is still a controversial issue if the heath systems resources could be distributed according to the personal responsibility for health. The aim of this article is to review literature data about personal and social responsibility in relation to obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]