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The obesity pandemic continues unabated despite a persistent public health campaign to decrease energy intake ("eat less") and increase energy expenditure ("move more"). One explanation for this failure is that the current approach, based on the notion of energy balance, has not been adequately embraced by the public. Another possibility is that this approach rests on an erroneous paradigm. A new formulation of the energy balance model (EBM), like prior versions, considers overeating (energy intake > expenditure) the primary cause of obesity, incorporating an emphasis on "complex endocrine, metabolic, and nervous system signals" that control food intake below conscious level. This model attributes rising obesity prevalence to inexpensive, convenient, energy-dense, "ultra-processed" foods high in fat and sugar. An alternative view, the carbohydrate-insulin model (CIM), proposes that hormonal responses to highly processed carbohydrates shift energy partitioning toward deposition in adipose tissue, leaving fewer calories available for the body's metabolic needs. Thus, increasing adiposity causes overeating to compensate for the sequestered calories. Here, we highlight robust contrasts in how the EBM and CIM view obesity pathophysiology and consider deficiencies in the EBM that impede paradigm testing and refinement. Rectifying these deficiencies should assume priority, as a constructive paradigm clash is needed to resolve long-standing scientific controversies and inform the design of new models to guide prevention and treatment. Nevertheless, public health action need not await resolution of this debate, as both models target processed carbohydrates as major drivers of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Obese Americans, who receive more care for chronic diseases, may receive fewer preventive services. We evaluated the association between body mass index (BMI) and receipt of screening mammography and Papanicolaou tests among middle-aged women and the association between BMI and receipt of influenza vaccination among the elderly. Methods. We analyzed 2 datasets: the Health and Retirement Study (4439 women aged 50-61 years) and the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) Study (4045 women and 2154 men aged 70 years or more). Results. When BMI was greater than 18.5 kg/[m.sup.2], we found an inverse doseresponse relationship between BMI and receipt of screening mammography and Pap tests among White, but not Black, middle-aged women. We found a similar association between BMI and influenza vaccination among the elderly. Conclusions. Higher BMI was associated with less frequent receipt of preventive services among middle-aged White women and elderly White women and men. The Healthy People 2010 clinical preventive service goals remain elusive, especially for overweight and obese White persons. (Am J Public Health. 2005; 95:1623-1630. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2004.047803)

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of factors that influence clinical decision making and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) among South Asians (SA).Recent Findings: ASCVD and T2DM in SAs have been examined in recent times. Pathophysiologic and genetic factors including the role of adiponectin, visceral adiposity, lower beta cell function, and psycho-social factors like sedentary lifestyle, poor adherence to medications, and carbohydrate dense meals play a role in early development and the high-risk presentation of both ASCVD and T2DM in SA. Recently, large population-based cohort studies have attempted to compare outcomes and interventions that can be translated to timely detection and targeted interventions in this high-risk group. SAs in the USA are more likely to be diagnosed with T2DM and ASCVD when compared to non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanic populations. The development of personalized ethnic risk assessment tools and better representation of SAs in prospective studies are essential to increasing our understanding and management of cardio-metabolic disease in SA living in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a 2019 Consensus Report on individualizing medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for diabetic or prediabetic adults. Topics discussed include the effectiveness of MNT in improving outcomes, macronutrient eating plans for diabetics, the evidence for specific eating patterns in managing diabetes, and the role of weight loss therapy for managing obese diabetics. Also noted is the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) on diabetes risk.

Background: Management of osteoarthritis requires both medical and behavioral strategies, but some recommended therapies are underused.Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a combined patient and provider intervention for improving osteoarthritis outcomes.Design: Cluster randomized clinical trial with assignment to osteoarthritis intervention and usual care groups. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01130740).Setting: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.Participants: 30 providers (clusters) and 300 outpatients with symptomatic hip or knee osteoarthritis.Intervention: The telephone-based patient intervention focused on weight management, physical activity, and cognitive behavioral pain management. The provider intervention involved delivery of patient-specific osteoarthritis treatment recommendations to primary care providers through the electronic medical record.Measurements: The primary outcome was total score on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were WOMAC function and pain subscale scores, physical performance (Short Physical Performance Battery), and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-8). Linear mixed models that were adjusted for clustering of providers assessed between-group differences in improvement in outcomes.Results: At 12 months, WOMAC scores were 4.1 points lower (indicating improvement) in the osteoarthritis intervention group versus usual care (95% CI, -7.2 to -1.1 points; P = 0.009). WOMAC function subscale scores were 3.3 points lower in the intervention group (CI, -5.7 to -1.0 points; P = 0.005). WOMAC pain subscale scores (P = 0.126), physical performance, and depressive symptoms did not differ between groups. Although more patients in the osteoarthritis intervention group received provider referral for recommended osteoarthritis treatments, the numbers who received them did not differ.Limitation: The study was conducted in a single Veterans Affairs medical center.Conclusion: The combined patient and provider intervention resulted in modest improvement in self-reported physical function in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis.Primary Funding Source: Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research and Development Service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We examined the clinical utility of supplementing type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) risk counseling with DM genetic test results and counseling.Research Design and Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, non-diabetic overweight/obese veteran outpatients aged 21 to 65 years received DM risk estimates for lifetime risk, family history, and fasting plasma glucose, followed by either genetic test results (CR+G; N = 303) or control eye disease counseling (CR+EYE; N = 298). All participants received brief lifestyle counseling encouraging weight loss to reduce the risk of DM.Results: The mean age was 54 years, 53% of participants were black, and 80% were men. There was no difference between arms in weight (estimated mean difference between CR+G vs. CR+EYE at 3 months = 0.2 kg, 95% CI: -0.3 to 0.7; at 6 months = 0.4 kg, 95 % CI: -0.3 to 1.1), insulin resistance, perceived risk, or physical activity at 3 or 6 months. Calorie and fat intake were lower in the CR+G arm at 3 months (p's ≤ 0.05) but not at 6 months (p's > 0.20).Conclusions: Providing patients with genetic test results was not more effective in changing patient behavior to reduce the risk of DM compared to conventional risk counseling.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01060540 http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01060540. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a prevalent and costly psychiatric disorder, is associated with high rates of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. Many studies have examined PTSD and risky behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol/substance abuse); far fewer have examined the relationship between PTSD and health-promoting behaviors. Physical activity and eating behaviors are 2 lifestyle factors that impact cardiometabolic risk and long-term health. This comprehensive review of the literature (1980-2014) examined studies that reported physical activity and eating behaviors in adults with PTSD or PTSD symptoms. A systematic search of electronic databases identified 15 articles on PTSD-physical activity and 10 articles on PTSD-eating behaviors in adults. These studies suggest that there may be a negative association among PTSD, physical activity, and eating behaviors. Preliminary evidence from 3 pilot intervention studies suggests that changes in physical activity or diet may have beneficial effects on PTSD symptoms. There was considerable heterogeneity in the study designs and sample populations, and many of the studies had methodological and reporting limitations. More evidence in representative samples, using multivariable analytical techniques, is needed to identify a definitive relationship between PTSD and these health behaviors. Intervention studies for PTSD that examine secondary effects on physical activity/eating behaviors, as well as interventions to change physical activity/eating behaviors that examine change in PTSD, are also of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]