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This nutrition and physical fitness curriculum kit provides a means for students, teachers, parents, and school health and food service staff to learn about the nutritional value of food and the relationship of food and physical fitness to growth, development, and health; develop food and activity habits which promote good health; and share this knowledge with family members and the community. Fifth and sixth grade class plans for nutrition instruction identify objectives for the lesson, list instructional aids, outline learning activities, and offer pertinent explanatory information on the lesson topic. Topics covered include: (1) cells and energy nutrients; (2) body composition; (3) food-energy measurement, and structural and regulatory nutrients; (4) nutrient identification, and vitamin, and mineral review; (5) metabolism and digestion; (6) body types; (7) nutrition status assessment; (8) factors which influence eating habits; (9) environmental foodways; (10) food labeling and advertising; (11) fueling body cells, pulse rate, and exercise; (12) physical fitness; (13) personal fitness test; (14) personal fitness; (15) dental health, snacks, and calories; (16) nutrient density; (17) goals for healthful eating, and school lunch; (18) nutrition-fitness case studies; and (19) nutrition information evaluation. Testing materials are included as well as selected references and instructional aids. Spirit master originals are provided for classroom use. (JD)

This kit is designed to be used as part of health, science, physical education, and home economics education at the middle school level. It provides current information about and describes student learning activities in food, nutrition, physical fitness, and ecology. Class plans are offered for five lesson topics: (1) Food supplies nutrients, which form unique dynamic body composition; (2) Food safety and sanitation prevents food borne illness; (3) Many factors influence eating and activity habits; (4) Fitness levels and eating habits influence health status; and (5) Apply nutrition and fitness knowledge when making food and activity choices. Class plan objectives are summarized at the beginning of each of the five sets of lesson plans, and 43 student worksheet handouts suitable for photocopying are provided. Selected references and instructional aids are included. (JD)

This kit provides coaches, physical education teachers, and health professionals with current nutrition information and guidelines for applying that information in classes and athletic training programs. The kit contains four components. A "Key Terms" section provides an index to nutrition-fitness terminology and concepts. The instructional materials section contains information on: (1) sports-nutrition essentials; (2) fitness assessment and conditioning; (3) nutrition and athletic performance; and (4) nutrition-fitness assessment skills training. A directory provides information on how to obtain nutrition and fitness education materials, audiovisual aids, and nutrition-fitness assessment tools. The reference section lists resources used to develop the kit. Additional reference information is appended, including suggestions for classroom activities; sample high-carbohydrate daily food game-plans; a chart of recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for adolescents; a Cooperative Extension Service (Arizona University, College of Agriculture) publication on nutrition and fitness; tables containing the nutritive value of foods; and a sports-nutrition posttest, with answer key.

Osteoporosis is a major public health concern with origins in childhood and is potentially linked to childhood obesity. This study used novel approaches in bone imaging to characterize skeletal development in girls and to assess the influence of whole body and regional soft tissue composition on bone material, structural and geometric properties, the primary determinants of bone strength, controlling for important covariates such as maturation, diet and physical activity. Prospective analyses were conducted to assess associations between measures of total body fat (TBFM) and android fat masses (AFM) and skeletal muscle fat (SMF) content on bone mineral content, density and strength. The results showed that higher TBFM and AFM were inversely associated with changes in cortical bone sites of the femur and tibia. These findings suggest that gains in abdominal adiposity during the pre- and early- pubertal years may contribute to suboptimal bone development and skeletal fragility later in life. The analyses also showed inverse associations between baseline muscle density of the thigh and calf with 2-year changes in bone strength and bone density of the metaphyseal and diaphyseal sites of the femur and tibia. This paradoxical relationship between SMF and bone outcomes was explained by subsequent analyses showing that girls exhibiting larger gains in muscle density experienced larger increases in bone density and strength compared to girls who did not significantly increase muscle density. These findings suggest that fatty infiltration of skeletal muscle contributes to suboptimal bone development in peri-pubertal girls. Further longitudinal analyses were conducted to examine the individual effects of the muscle-bone unit components on 2-year changes in bone strength. These results showed that muscle size contributed to gains in bone strength, independent of its mechanostat effect on BMC. These results underscore the importance of muscle size for promoting bone development

Osteoporosis, a major public health problem, likely has its origins in childhood. During periods of rapid skeletal growth, diet may influence accrual of bone mineral density (BMD) and adult bone health. This study used novel approaches in bone imaging to further characterize optimal skeletal development and enhance our understanding of key dietary components that influence attainment of peak bone mass (PBM) and contribute to determinants of peak bone strength in peri-pubertal females. The use of a validated food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) enabled the influence of usual dietary intake on bone parameters to be examined.This study examined the relationship of dietary intake of micronutrients and bone macro-architectural structure in peri-pubertal girls. This study suggested that vitamin C and zinc intake are associated with objective measures of bone status in 4th, but not 6th grade girls. This indicates potential differences in micronutrient and bone associations at various age-associated stages of bone maturation.The impact of dietary fat on peri-pubertal skeletal growth is not well characterized. This study examined relationships of select dietary fatty acid (FA) intakes and measures of bone status in peri-pubertal girls. This study suggested that MUFA, total PUFA, n-6 and linoleic acid (LA) are inversely associated with bone status prior to menarche, but composition of dietary fat may be more important during the early-pubertal years. Decreased intakes of n-6 PUFA may benefit bone health in young girls.The impact of a dietary protein on volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and bone strength throughout maturation remains controversial. Given evidence of both anabolic and catabolic affects of protein on bone health, this study examined relations of dietary protein from different sources with bone parameters in peri-pubertal girls. This study showed that dietary protein intake is related to higher trabecular but not cortical vBMD, BMC

The Trans-community Approaches to Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Study (Activa Y Sana) was a two-year (August 2006 to May 2008) intervention in one hundred and forty-one 3rd and 4th grade children and their parents from four schools in the Sunnyside School District in Tucson, Arizona. Activa was designed to expand upon schools as an intervention venue, and was the first to test the feasibility and impact of a multi-level, or "trans-community" approach (involving children, their parents or caregivers, schools, and community agencies) on the prevention of childhood weight gain in an at-risk Mexican-American population.Families were assigned to one of three interventions, depending upon which school the child attended: Level 1, state-mandated nutrition- and physical activity-based health curricula; Level 2, Level 1 curricula plus an after-school program; or Level 3, Level 1 + Level 2 activities, plus a family intervention.Primary endpoints of this study were changes in child BMI z-score, % fat, abdominal circumference, activity levels and food intake, psychosocial characteristics and correlates of these measures.The three manuscripts contained herein represent the main findings of this pilot study. Identifying potential mediators and describing their influence on childhood overweight is essential to development of successful interventions. In Study #1, the findings for the examination of correlates of child BMI z-score and % fat are reported. Activa Y Sana was designed to test whether combining different levels of intervention would have a greater impact on child weight. In Study #2, the results of this trans-community intervention on child weight status is discussed. The majority of evidence-based obesity prevention programs in use today were not designed with minorities in mind, and the continued scarcity of research in Latino populations has hindered the development of culturally-competent interventions that might reduce overweight prevalence. The challe

Objective. This study was designed to test the hypotheses that a 16-week, individualized, intensive strength training program in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients taking Remicade™ (Infliximab) would improve strength, body composition, disease activity, physical function, pain and quality of life outcomes , as compared to RA patients on Remicade™ with no strength training program. Methods. Twenty-four patients with RA taking Remicade™, participated in a randomized, controlled trial. The exercise group carried out a three time a week strength training program, with the control group continuing standard of care. Assessments were completed at baseline, 8-week, and 16-week time points . Maximal strength, physical function, disease activity, body composition, quality of life, and pain were measured with active tests and via questionnaires. Patients also completed exit evaluations on their satisfaction with the study. Results. Highly significant strength gains were seen in the exercise group according to 3 repetition maximums (3RMs) (p<.01), as well as in all 8 exercises performed in the gym (p<.01). The mean exercise attendance for the 16 weeks was 82.0±10.6%. Compared to the control group, there was a significant increase in right hand grip strength (p<.1), and lean tissue in the trunk (p<.01). Significant improvements were also seen in physical function according to 50-foot walk time (p<.01), the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale 2 (AIMS2) hand and arm function subscales (p<.05), and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (MOS SF-36) (p<.1), as compared to controls. The exercise group showed clinically important differences via the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ DI), with a mean change of -0.41±0.42. Significant reductions in pain, as measured by the Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), also occurred (p<.1). The individualization of the strength training program and personal attention received by the patients was critical to the success of the st

The long-range goal of this project is to investigate the protective effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) against carcinogenesis. In this dissertation, we demonstrate the mechanisms of CLA action on cell cycle progression and repression of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-induced Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in breast and colon cancer cells. CLA reduced the expression of factors required for G1 to S-phase transition including cyclins D1 and E, and hyperphoshorylated retinoblastoma Rb protein. In contrast, the over-expression of mutant p53 (175Arg to His) in MCF-7 cells prevented the CLA-dependent accumulation of p21 and the reduction of cyclin E levels suggesting that the expression of wild-type p53 is required for CLA-mediated activation of the G1 restriction point. We also report, CLA reduced the expression of COX-2 promoter activity induced by the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-ligand benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Mutagenesis or deletion of potential xenobiotic responsive elements (XREs) within the COX-2 promoter abrogated its ability to be induced by the high affinity AhR-ligand TCDD. In addition, promoter studies using a XRE-dependent CYP1A1 plasmid revealed CLA can inhibit PAH-induced AhR/XRE-driven genes. In both studies, the t10,c12-CLA isomer was more effective than c9,t11-CLA in inhibiting cell proliferation and AhR/XRE-dependent genes. Taken together, these data suggest that the anti-cancerous properties of CLA appear to be a function, at least in part, of the relative content of specific isomers and their 1) ability to elicit a p53 response that leads to the accumulation of pRb and cell growth arrest, and 2) ability to inhibit PAH-induced cyclooxygenase-2 promoter activity through an AhR-dependent mechanism.