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Background/objectives: We aimed to investigate the associations of colors of fruit and vegetable (FV) subgroups, with 3-year changes of cardiometabolic risk factors.Subjects/methods: This longitudinal study was conducted in the framework of Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, between 2006-2008 and 2009-2011, on 1272 adults. Total intake of FV and their subgroups have been assessed by a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire at baseline (2006-2008) and again at the second examination (2009-2011). Demographics, anthropometrics and biochemical measures were evaluated at baseline and 3 years later. The associations of anthropometric and lipid profile changes with FV subgroups were estimated.Results: The mean age of men and women at baseline was 39.8±12.7 and 37.3±12.1 years, respectively. Mean total intake of FV, red/purple, yellow, green, orange and white FV was 706±337, 185±95, 141±91, 152±77, 141±87 and 22±18 g/day, respectively. In men, 3-year changes of weight (β=-0.13, P=0.01) and waist circumference (β=-0.14, P=0.01) were related to intake of red/purple FV; the yellow group was inversely associated with 3-year changes of total cholesterol (β=-0.09, P=0.03) and High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (β=-0.11, P=0.03). Consumption of green and white FV was inversely related to abdominal fat gain, and atherogenic lipid parameters in men (P<0.05). In women, higher intake of red/purple FV was associated to lower weight and abdominal fat gain, fasting serum glucose and total cholesterol (P<0.05); yellow FV was also related to 3-year weight gain (β=-0.11, P=0.01).Conclusions: Various colors of FV subgroups had different effects on cardiometabolic risk factors; higher intake of red/purple FV may be related to lower weight and abdominal fat gain, and yellow, green and white FV may be related to lipid parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:Mice from a long-term selective breeding experiment for high voluntary wheel running offer a unique model to examine the contributions of genetic and environmental factors in determining the aspects of behavior and metabolism relevant to body-weight regulation and obesity. Starting with generation 16 and continuing through to generation 52, mice from the four replicate high runner (HR) lines have run 2.5–3-fold more revolutions per day as compared with four non-selected control (C) lines, but the nature of this apparent selection limit is not understood. We hypothesized that it might involve the availability of dietary lipids.Methods:Wheel running, food consumption (Teklad Rodent Diet (W) 8604, 14% kJ from fat; or Harlan Teklad TD.88137 Western Diet (WD), 42% kJ from fat) and body mass were measured over 1–2-week intervals in 100 males for 2 months starting 3 days after weaning.Results:WD was obesogenic for both HR and C, significantly increasing both body mass and retroperitoneal fat pad mass, the latter even when controlling statistically for wheel-running distance and caloric intake. The HR mice had significantly less fat than C mice, explainable statistically by their greater running distance. On adjusting for body mass, HR mice showed higher caloric intake than C mice, also explainable by their higher running. Accounting for body mass and running, WD initially caused increased caloric intake in both HR and C, but this effect was reversed during the last four weeks of the study. Western diet had little or no effect on wheel running in C mice, but increased revolutions per day by as much as 75% in HR mice, mainly through increased time spent running.Conclusion:The remarkable stimulation of wheel running by WD in HR mice may involve fuel usage during prolonged endurance exercise and/or direct behavioral effects on motivation. Their unique behavioral responses to WD may render HR mice an important model for understanding the control of voluntary activity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The severity of obesity is often more determined by the distribution of fat depots rather than by body weight itself. Therefore, the effect of rimonabant on fat distribution pattern was investigated in female candy-fed Wistar rats.Design:Female Wistar rats were fed a high fat, high carbohydrate (candy-) diet for 12 weeks. During the last 6 weeks rats were treated with rimonabant. Food intake and body weight development were investigated, as well as effects on total body fat, especially visceral fat and ectopic lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle and liver, determined by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance spectroscopy.Results:Candy-diet increased body weight, which was predominantly due to the increased total fat mass with predominance of visceral fat accumulation. Treatment with rimonabant fully reversed the weight gain and fat deposition in the visceral cavity and skeletal muscle, in contrast to pair feeding. In spite of an only transient reduction of food intake, body weight reduction, as well as normalized body fat, reduced visceral fat and intramyocellular lipids were maintained over the treatment period.Conclusions:We conclude that additional factors other than reduced caloric intake must be responsible for the improvements in these lipid parameters. The complete cluster of results is consistent with increased lipid oxidation caused by rimonabant.International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 1363–1372; doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.105; published online 15 July 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:High-intensity progressive resistance training (PRT) improves adiposity and metabolic risk in adults, but has not been investigated in children within a randomized controlled trial (RCT).Objective:We hypothesized that high-intensity PRT (8 weeks, twice a week) would decrease central adiposity in children, as assessed via waist circumference.Methods Design/Setting/Participants:Concealed randomization stratified by age and gender was used to allocate rural New Zealand school students to the wait-list control or PRT group.Intervention:Participants were prescribed two sets (eight repetitions per set) of 11 exercises targeting all the major muscle groups at high intensity.Primary Outcome:Waist circumference; secondary outcomes included whole body fat, muscular fitness (one repetition maximum), cardiorespiratory fitness (peak oxygen consumption during a treadmill test), lipids, insulin sensitivity and fasting glucose.Results:Of the 78 children (32 girls and 46 boys; mean age 12.2(1.3) years), 51% were either overweight (33%) or obese (18%). High-intensity PRT significantly improved waist circumference (mean change PRT −0.8 (2.2) cm vs +0.5 (1.7) cm control; F=7.59, P=0.008), fat mass (mean change PRT +0.2 (1.4) kg vs +1.0 (1.2) kg control; F=6.00, P=0.017), percent body fat (mean change PRT –0.3 (1.8)% vs +1.2 (2.1)% control; F=9.04, P=0.004), body mass index (mean change PRT −0.01 (0.8) kg m−2 vs +0.4 (0.7) kg m−2 control; F=6.02, P=0.017), upper body strength (mean change PRT+11.6(6.1) kg vs +2.9(3.7) kg control; F=48.6, P<0.001) and lower body strength (mean change PRT +42.9(26.6) kg vs +28.5(26.6) kg control; F=4.72, P=0.034) compared to the control group. Waist circumference decreased the most in those with the greatest baseline relative strength (r=−0.257, P=0.036), and greatest relative (r=−0.400, P=0.001) and absolute (r=0.340, P=0.006) strength gains during the intervention.Conclusion:Isolated high-intensity PRT significantly improves central and whole body adiposity in association with muscle strength in normal-weight and overweight children. The clinical relevance and sustainability of these changes in adiposity should be addressed in future long-term studies.International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 1016–1027; doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.5; published online 19 February 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To determine whether increased expression of macrophage markers and of inflammatory markers in subcutaneous adipose tissue is associated with liver fat in human obesity. We also determined whether expression of TNF (gene encoding TNF-α), HSD11B1 (gene encoding 11β-HSD-1) and RETN (gene encoding resistin) in cultured monocyte-derived macrophages differs between obese/overweight and non-obese subjects.Design:Cross-sectional comparison of obese/overweight and non-obese subjects with respect to adipose tissue gene expression, gene expression in monocyte-derived macrophages, liver fat content and in vivo insulin sensitivity.Subjects:Adipose tissue gene expression, gene expression in monocyte-derived macrophages, liver fat content and in vivo insulin sensitivity: 10 healthy non-obese (24.2±1.0 kg/m2) and 10 healthy obese/overweight (33.1±1.7 kg/m2) women. Gene expression in monocyte-derived macrophages: seven healthy non-obese (22.1±0.7 kg/m2) and seven healthy obese/overweight (36.9±2.2 kg/m2) women.Measurements:Adipose tissue biopsies and blood samples for isolation of peripheral mononuclear cells were taken after an overnight fast. Liver fat content was measured using magnetic resonance proton spectroscopy. Whole body insulin sensitivity was measured using the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique. Expression levels of TNF, HSD11B1, RETN and the macrophage markers CD68 and ITGAM were determined by real-time PCR.Results:In adipose tissue, expression of HSD11B1, ITGAM and CD68 was significantly increased in the obese/overweight as compared to the non-obese group. Expression of all these genes was closely positively correlated with liver fat content and inversely correlated with whole body insulin sensitivity. The associations between expression of CD68, ITGAM and HSD11B1 and liver fat were independent of obesity. There were no differences in TNF, HSD11B1, RETN or CD68 gene expression basally or after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide in monocyte-derived macrophages between obese/overweight and non-obese subjects.Conclusion:Accumulation of fat in the liver is associated with increased adipose tissue inflammation independent of obesity.International Journal of Obesity (2007) 31, 1617–1625. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803635; published online 24 April 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE:: To assess the relationship of fat mass (FM) and its distribution to hypertension and dyslipidemia in normal-weight Japanese individuals. DESIGN:: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS:: Apparently healthy Japanese subjects with a body mass index (BMI) between 20 and 23.5?kg/m2 (265 males and 741 females, age 21-69?y). MEASUREMENTS:: BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) were measured. Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated by the Friedewald formula. Percentage fat mass (%FM) and trunk fat mass-leg fat mass ratio (FMtrunk/FMlegs) were obtained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS:: WC, WHR, %FM and FMtrunk/FMlegs were significantly correlated with TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG with the tendency of FMtrunk/FMlegs to show the strongest correlations. For %FM and FMtrunk/FMlegs in both sexes, odds ratios (ORs) of the third tertiles with respect to the first tertiles increased for LDL-C elevation, TG elevation and dyslipidemia. In males, ORs of the third tertiles of WC were significantly high for LDL-C elevation and dyslipidemia whereas those of WHR were high for TG elevation and dyslipidemia. ORs of the third tertiles of WC and WHR were significantly high for TG elevation in females. BMI was not associated with the risk of abnormal lipid levels. ORs for hypertension showed significant increases in none of the variables of obesity. CONCLUSIONS:: Excess accumulation of FM, especially to the upper body, was related to dyslipidemia in normal-weight subjects. Simple anthropometric variables, WC and WHR, may be useful for screening and management of dyslipidemia in these subjects.International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 242-247. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802528 Published online 11 November 2003 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]