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Objective: To examine the associations among several body mass index (BMI) metrics (z-scores, percent of the 95th percentile (%BMIp95) and BMI minus 95th percentile (ΔBMIp95) as calculated in the growth charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is known that the widely used BMI z-scores (BMIz) and percentiles calculated from the growth charts can differ substantially from those that directly observed in the data for BMIs above the 97th percentile (z = 1.88).Study Design: Cross-sectional analyses of 8.7 million 2- to 4-year-old children who were examined from 2008 through 2011 in the CDC's Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System.Results: Because of the transformation used to calculate z-scores, the theoretical maximum BMIz varied by >3-fold across ages. This results in the conversion of very high BMIs into a narrow range of z-scores that varied by sex and age. Among children with severe obesity, levels of BMIz were only moderately correlated (r ~ 0.5) with %BMIp95 and ΔBMIp95. Among these children with severe obesity, BMIz levels could differ by more than 1 SD among children who had very similar levels of BMI, %BMIp95 and ΔBMIp95 due to differences in age or sex.Conclusions: The effective upper limit of BMIz values calculated from the CDC growth charts, which varies by sex and age, strongly influences the calculation of z-scores for children with severe obesity. Expressing these very high BMIs relative to the CDC 95th percentile, either as a difference or percentage, would be preferable to using BMI-for-age, particularly when assessing the effectiveness of interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate sleep is crucial during childhood for metabolic health, and physical and cognitive development. Inadequate sleep can disrupt metabolic homeostasis and alter sleeping energy expenditure (SEE). Functional data analysis methods were applied to SEE data to elucidate the population structure of SEE and to discriminate SEE between obese and non-obese children. Minute-by-minute SEE in 109 children, ages 5–18, was measured in room respiration calorimeters. A smoothing spline method was applied to the calorimetric data to extract the true smoothing function for each subject. Functional principal component analysis was used to capture the important modes of variation of the functional data and to identify differences in SEE patterns. Combinations of functional principal component analysis and classifier algorithm were used to classify SEE. Smoothing effectively removed instrumentation noise inherent in the room calorimeter data, providing more accurate data for analysis of the dynamics of SEE. SEE exhibited declining but subtly undulating patterns throughout the night. Mean SEE was markedly higher in obese than non-obese children, as expected due to their greater body mass. SEE was higher among the obese than non-obese children (p<0.01); however, the weight-adjusted mean SEE was not statistically different (p>0.1, after post hoc testing). Functional principal component scores for the first two components explained 77.8% of the variance in SEE and also differed between groups (p = 0.037). Logistic regression, support vector machine or random forest classification methods were able to distinguish weight-adjusted SEE between obese and non-obese participants with good classification rates (62–64%). Our results implicate other factors, yet to be uncovered, that affect the weight-adjusted SEE of obese and non-obese children. Functional data analysis revealed differences in the structure of SEE between obese and non-obese children that may contribute to disruption of metabolic homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Focuses on the effects of dieting and exercise in overweight, lactating women on newborn growth as discussed in the study by Lovelady et al. Whether the restriction of energy intake compromised milk production; Evidence that some women who consumed less than 1500 calories a day produced less milk; Recommendation that diet and exercise programs should be postponed until four to six months post partum when breast milk is no longer the sole source of infant nutrition.

Studies the association between profound obesity and balanced translocation that disrupts the SIM1 gene. Role of transcription factors in the regulation of food intake; Production of corticotropin-releasing factors; Molecular pathways involved in the regulation of growth and energy balance.

In the 1970s, Doris Howes Calloway turned to the need to better understand mild to moderate malnutrition. She led the Nutrition Collaborative Research Support Program (NCRSP), which was designed to look at possible effects of inadequate food intakes on outcomes such as growth, morbidity, pregnancy, and childhood intellectual development. Although it was known that a severe lack of calories and/or nutrients could result in serious morbidity and death, there was controversy about the effects of moderate malnutrition. Although growth might be stunted, it seemed possible that other health and developmental outcomes might not be affected. The NCRSP selected low-income regions of 3 countries (Egypt, Kenya, and Mexico) where there was moderate malnutrition, to evaluate causes and effects on these outcomes. The study found that child growth was compromised in all 3 sites, primarily due to childhood illnesses in Egypt and to poor diets in Kenya and Mexico. Other negative effects were also seen in lower scores on tests of cognitive abilities. The NCRSP results were further extended by new studies of undernutrition both in the original countries sites and in additional locations. Ultimately, the NCRSP led to a greater acceptance of the negative consequences of even moderate malnutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the US Department of Agriculture developed a new West Coast human nutrition research center in 1980, it turned to Dr Doris Calloway at the University of California at Berkeley, an internationally known and respected researcher in human nutrition, for expertise on controlled human nutrition metabolic research. This article highlights the importance and impact of Dr Calloway's leadership, expertise, and unique metabolic research methods in establishing human nutrition metabolic research at the US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Western Human Nutrition Research Center. It also provides a historical overview of the origins of the Western Human Nutrition Research Center and discusses the importance of a metabolic facility for human nutrition research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food composition tables (FCTs) provide the levels of nutrients and other components in foods. Researchers, dietitians, educators, the food industry, and consumers use these tables to convert food intakes into nutrient intakes to evaluate foods, meals, and diets or to plan feeding programs. Doris Howes Calloway, along with her graduate students, made many contributions to the development of accurate FCTs, including one of the first tables to have complete values for every food: the UC Berkeley Mini-List, which was later extended into tables for use in the classroom and by the public, and a table that could be used globally. Other advances include the development of tables for dietetics, Indigenous Peoples' food composition data, dietary supplement composition tables, and food composition data for use in government surveys and food labeling. Overall, this work significantly advanced the quality and quantity of FCTs available today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo determine the association of beverage consumption with obesity in Mexican American school-aged children.DesignCross-sectional study using the baseline data from a cohort study. Mothers and children answered questions about the frequency and quantity of the child's consumption of soda, diet soda, other sugar-sweetened beverages, 100 % fruit juice, milk and water. The questions were adapted from the Youth/Adolescent FFQ. Children were weighed and measured. Data were collected on the following potential confounders: maternal BMI, household income, maternal education, maternal occupational status, maternal acculturation, child physical activity, child screen time and child fast-food consumption. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between servings (240 ml) of each beverage per week and obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile).SettingParticipants were recruited from among enrolees of the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan of Northern California. Data were collected via an in-home assessment.SubjectsMexican American children (n 319) aged 8–10 years.ResultsAmong participants, 20 % were overweight and 31 % were obese. After controlling for potential confounders, consuming more servings of soda was associated with increased odds of obesity (OR = 1·29; P < 0·001). Consuming more servings of flavoured milk per week was associated with lower odds of obesity (OR = 0·88; P = 0·004). Consumption of other beverages was not associated with obesity in the multivariate model.ConclusionsDiscouraging soda consumption among Mexican American children may help reduce the high obesity rates in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the energy requirements of pregnant and lactating women consistent with optimal pregnancy outcome and adequate milk production.Design: Total energy cost of pregnancy was estimated using the factorial approach from pregnancy-induced increments in basal metabolic rate measured by respiratory calorimetry or from increments in total energy expenditure measured by the doubly labelled water method, plus energy deposition attributed to protein and fat accretion during pregnancy.Setting: Database on changes in basal metabolic rate and total energy expenditure during pregnancy, and increments in protein based on measurements of total body potassium, and fat derived from multi-compartment body composition models was compiled. Energy requirements during lactation were derived from rates of milk production, energy density of human milk, and energy mobilisation from tissues.Subjects: Healthy pregnant and lactating women.Results: The estimated total cost of pregnancy for women with a mean gestational weight gain of 12.0 kg, was 321 or 325 MJ, distributed as 375, 1200, 1950 kJ day(-1), for the first, second and third trimesters, respectively. For exclusive breastfeeding, the energy cost of lactation was 2.62 MJ day(-1) based on a mean milk production of 749 g day(-1), energy density of milk of 2.8 kJ g(-1), and energetic efficiency of 0.80. In well-nourished women, this may be subsidised by energy mobilisation from tissues on the order of 0.72 MJ day(-1), resulting in a net increment of 1.9 MJ day(-1) over non-pregnant, non-lactating energy requirements.Conclusions: Recommendations for energy intake of pregnant and lactating women should be updated based on recently available data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obese and diabetic patients may benefit from foodstuffs that are poorly absorbed and/or digested at a slower rate. Prowashonupana (PW) is a cultivar of barley, whose grains are enriched in beta-glucans, and thus may be less digestible than standard barley (barley cultivar (BZ) 594.35.e). To test this, both kinds of barley were grown in a chamber into which (13)CO(2) was injected. On two occasions, 10 healthy hydrogen (H(2))-producing adults consumed in random order one 35-g portion of each of the cooked, dehulled (13)C-enriched grains. CO(2) production was measured in a whole-body direct calorimeter, and H(2) and (13)CO(2) were measured in breath at baseline and intermittently for 450 min. The percentage of the (13)C dose recovered in breath was calculated. Results were compared by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The percentage of the (13)C dose oxidized was greater after BZ than after PW consumption (P < 0.05). The area under the curve for H(2) was greater after PW (mean +/- SD, 8658 +/- 6582) than after BZ (5178 +/- 4759) intake (P < 0.05), whereas there was no difference in CO(2) production. We conclude that absorption of PW is significantly lower than that of BZ, making the modified barley appropriate for obese and diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Establishing energy requirements in infants and young children is important in developing age-appropriate diet recommendations but most published guidelines for energy requirements have 1 or more limitations related to the data underlying the calculations. Objective To develop a comprehensive set of daily energy requirements for infants and young children aged 0–24 mo meeting the ideals of worldwide applicability to all healthy children based on the use of the doubly labeled water (DLW) technique to measure total energy expenditure (TEE), the use of recent, international growth charts, and calculation of values across a wide range of body weight. Methods Daily estimated energy requirements (EERs) were calculated in 1-mo increments from 0 to 24 mo for boys, girls, and combined, using as inputs the following: 1) TEE measured using the DLW technique, 2) energy deposition estimates from the Institute of Medicine, and 3) body weight values from the 25th to 75th percentiles from the 2006 WHO growth charts. EERs were combined for age groups 0 to <6, 6–8, 9–11, and 12–24 mo by averaging EERs from individual months. The EER calculations were supported by a systematic literature review and a meta-regression of existing studies. Results Energy requirements naturally increase with age and are slightly higher in boys than in girls. The EERs derived in this study are similar to those in other recent international efforts. Conclusions This updated set of EERs for infants and young children expand and improve upon the methodology used to establish previous published guidelines. These estimates have multiple potential uses including planning age-appropriate menus for the complementary feeding period, the development of foods that are more precisely targeted to the needs of infants and children at particular ages, and establishing macronutrient requirements within specific age groups based on a percentage of energy, such as dietary fat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total daily energy expenditure (“total expenditure”) reflects daily energy needs and is a critical variable in human health and physiology, but its trajectory over the life course is poorly studied. We analyzed a large, diverse database of total expenditure measured by the doubly labeled water method for males and females aged 8 days to 95 years. Total expenditure increased with fat-free mass in a power-law manner, with four distinct life stages. Fat-free mass–adjusted expenditure accelerates rapidly in neonates to ~50% above adult values at ~1 year; declines slowly to adult levels by ~20 years; remains stable in adulthood (20 to 60 years), even during pregnancy; then declines in older adults. These changes shed light on human development and aging and should help shape nutrition and health strategies across the life span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many childhood obesity intervention studies report mean outcomes but do not explore the variation in responses and the characteristics of those who respond well. Objective: To identify child and family characteristics associated with improvement in the primary outcome, %BMIp95, of the Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration project (TX‐CORD). Methods: The 12‐month TX‐CORD secondary prevention study randomized 549 children, ages 2 to 12 years, with BMI ≥85th percentile to the intensive intervention vs. the comparison program, with measurements at baseline, 3‐, and 12‐months. A growth mixture model was used to identify mutually exclusive latent %BMIp95 trajectories. Latent class regression tested associations between baseline characteristics and latent class membership. Results: A 2‐class solution emerged after accounting for the effect of intervention randomization. Latent Class 1 participants (86% of sample) were characterized by mild‐to‐moderate obesity and demonstrated a significantly greater response to the intensive intervention between 0 and 3 months (slope‐on‐group = −0.931, p = 0.03). A rebound between 3 and 12 months was not significantly different between arms. Latent Class 2 participants (14%), who had severe obesity, demonstrated no difference in response between intervention groups. Characteristics associated with Class 1 membership included younger age (2–5 years vs. 6–12 years: OR 3.70, p =.035) and lower maternal BMI category (< 35 kg/m2 vs. ≥ 35 kg/m2: OR 7.14, p <.0001). Conclusions: The optimal target population for the intensive intervention are children who have milder obesity, are younger, and do not have a mother with severe obesity. Children with severe obesity may require different approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purposes of this article are to: (a) describe the rationale and development of the Youth Compendium of Physical Activities (Youth Compendium); and (b) discuss the utility of the Youth Compendium for audiences in research, education, community, health care, public health, and the private sector.Methods: The Youth Compendium provides a list of 196 physical activities (PA) categorized by activity types, specific activities, and metabolic costs (youth metabolic equivalents of task [METy]) as measured by indirect calorimetry. The utility of the Youth Compendium was assessed by describing ways in which it can be used by a variety of audiences.Results: Researchers can use METy values to estimate PA levels and determine changes in PA in intervention studies. Educators can ask students to complete PA records to determine time spent in physical activities and to identify health-enhancing activities for classroom PA breaks. Community leaders, parents, and health care professionals can identify activity types that promote healthful behaviors. Public health agencies can use the METy values for surveillance and as a resource to inform progress toward meeting national physical activity guidelines. Applications for the private sector include the use of METy in PA trackers and other applications.Conclusion: The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research Web site presents the Youth Compendium and related materials to facilitate measurement of the energy cost of nearly 200 physical activities in children and youth. The Youth Compendium provides a way to standardize energy costs in children and youth and has application for a wide variety of audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mothers' feeding practices are associated with their children's weight status, but little is known about the associations between fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status. Moreover, there is a dearth of research on Latino fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status, even though Latino children suffer some of the highest obesity rates in the U.S. We examined the associations between fathers' feeding practices and child weight status, conditional on mothers' feeding practices, within 174 Mexican American families with children aged 8-10 years. Parents completed the Parental Feeding Practices Questionnaire, which consists of four subscales: positive involvement in child eating, pressure to eat, use of food to control behavior, and restriction of amount of food. To assess child weight status, body mass index (BMI) was calculated and converted to age- and gender-specific percentile scores (BMI z-score). We fit four sets of regression models, one set for each of the four parental feeding practices subscales, with child BMI z-score as the outcome variable. Fathers' pressure to eat (b = -0.20, p = 0.04; 95% CI: -0.39, -0.01) and use of food to control behavior (b = -0.36, p = 0.02; 95% CI: -0.65, -0.07) were associated with lower child BMI z-score, and restriction of amount of food (b = 0.56, p < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.84) was associated with higher child BMI z-score, after accounting for mothers' feeding practices. Fathers' positive involvement in child eating was not associated with child BMI z-score. These findings provide empirical evidence that fathers' feeding practices are independently associated with children's weight status, even when mothers' feeding practices are taken into account, and suggest that fathers' feeding practices also matter in regard to children's weight status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reduced renal excretion of uric acid plays a significant role in the development of hyperuricemia and gout in adults. Hyperuricemia has been associated with chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease in children and adults. There are limited genome-wide association studies associating genetic polymorphisms with renal urate excretion measures. Therefore, we investigated the genetic factors that influence the excretion of uric acid and related indices in 768 Hispanic children of the Viva La Familia Study. Methods: We performed a genome-wide association analysis for 24-h urinary excretion measures such as urinary uric acid/urinary creatinine ratio, uric acid clearance, fractional excretion of uric acid, and glomerular load of uric acid in SOLAR, while accounting for non-independence among family members. Results: All renal urate excretion measures were significantly heritable (p <2 × 10-6) and ranged from 0.41 to 0.74. Empirical threshold for genome-wide significance was set at p <1 × 10-7. We observed a strong association (p < 8 × 10-8) of uric acid clearance with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in zinc finger protein 446 (ZNF446) (rs2033711 (A/G), MAF: 0.30). The minor allele (G) was associated with increased uric acid clearance. Also, we found suggestive associations of uric acid clearance with SNPs in ZNF324, ZNF584, and ZNF132 (in a 72 kb region of 19q13; p <1 × 10-6, MAFs: 0.28-0.31). Conclusion: For the first time, we showed the importance of 19q13 region in the regulation of renal urate excretion in Hispanic children. Our findings indicate differences in inherent genetic architecture and shared environmental risk factors between our cohort and other pediatric and adult populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Hepatic glucose release into the circulation is vital for brain function and survival during periods of fasting and is modulated by an array of hormones that precisely regulate plasma glucose levels. We have identified a fasting-induced protein hormone that modulates hepatic glucose release. It is the C-terminal cleavage product of profibrillin, and we name it Asprosin. Asprosin is secreted by white adipose, circulates at nanomolar levels, and is recruited to the liver, where it activates the G protein-cAMP-PKA pathway, resulting in rapid glucose release into the circulation. Humans and mice with insulin resistance show pathologically elevated plasma asprosin, and its loss of function via immunologic or genetic means has a profound glucose- and insulin-lowering effect secondary to reduced hepatic glucose release. Asprosin represents a glucogenic protein hormone, and therapeutically targeting it may be beneficial in type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mammals, trait variation is often reported to be greater among males than females. However, to date, mainly only morphological traits have been studied. Energy expenditure represents the metabolic costs of multiple physical, physiological, and behavioral traits. Energy expenditure could exhibit particularly high greater male variation through a cumulative effect if those traits mostly exhibit greater male variation, or a lack of greater male variation if many of them do not. Sex differences in energy expenditure variation have been little explored. We analyzed a large database on energy expenditure in adult humans (1494 males and 3108 females) to investigate whether humans have evolved sex differences in the degree of interindividual variation in energy expenditure. We found that, even when statistically comparing males and females of the same age, height, and body composition, there is much more variation in total, activity, and basal energy expenditure among males. However, with aging, variation in total energy expenditure decreases, and because this happens more rapidly in males, the magnitude of greater male variation, though still large, is attenuated in older age groups. Considerably greater male variation in both total and activity energy expenditure could be explained by greater male variation in levels of daily activity. The considerably greater male variation in basal energy expenditure is remarkable and may be explained, at least in part, by greater male variation in the size of energy-demanding organs. If energy expenditure is a trait that is of indirect interest to females when choosing a sexual partner, this would suggest that energy expenditure is under sexual selection. However, we present a novel energetics model demonstrating that it is also possible that females have been under stabilizing selection pressure for an intermediate basal energy expenditure to maximize energy available for reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parental feeding practices are thought to influence children's weight status, through children's eating behavior and nutritional intake. However, because most studies have been cross-sectional, the direction of influence is unclear. Moreover, although obesity rates are high among Latino children, few studies of parental feeding practices have focused on this population. Methods: This 2-year longitudinal study examined mutual influences over time between parental feeding practices and children's weight status, in Mexican American families with children 18 years old at baseline. Mothers (n = 322) and fathers (n = 182) reported on their feeding practices at baseline, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up. Weight status, defined by waist-height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI), was ascertained at all assessments. Cross-lagged panel models were used to examine the mutual influences of parental feeding practices and child weight status over time, controlling for covariates. Results: Both mothers' and fathers' restriction of food predicted higher subsequent child weight status at Year 1, and for fathers this effect was also found at Year 2. Mothers' and fathers' pressure to eat predicted lower weight status among boys, but not girls, at Year 1. Child weight status also predicted some parental feeding practices: boys' heavier weight predicted mothers' less pressure to eat at Year 1, less use of food to control behavior at Year 2, and greater restriction at Year 2; and girls' heavier weight at Year 1 predicted fathers' less pressure to eat and less positive involvement in child eating at Year 2. Conclusions: This study provides longitudinal evidence that some parental feeding practices influence Mexican American children's weight status, and that children's weight status also influences some parental feeding practices. Feeding practices of both mothers and fathers were related to children's weight status, underscoring the importance of including fathers in research on parental feeding practices and child obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on research which was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the progressive aerobic capacity endurance run (PACER) and a newly designed modified PACER (MPACER) for assessing aerobic fitness in Hispanic children who are obese. Researchers evaluated 39 obese children between the ages of seven and 12. They found that the MPACER was better than the PACER for assessing aerobic fitness in obese Hispanic children.

Glutaredoxins (Grxs) have been shown to be critical in maintaining redox homeostasis in living cells. Recently, an emerging subgroup of Grxs with one cysteine residue in the putative active motif (monothiol Grxs) has been identified. However, the biological and physiological functions of this group of proteins have not been well characterized. Here, we characterize a mammalian monothiol Grx (Grx3, also termed TXNL2/PICOT) with high similarity to yeast ScGrx3/ScGrx4. In yeast expression assays, mammalian Grx3s were localized to the nuclei and able to rescue growth defects of grx3grx4 cells. Furthermore, Grx3 inhibited iron accumulation in yeast grx3gxr4 cells and suppressed the sensitivity of mutant cells to exogenous oxidants. In mice, Grx3 mRNA was ubiquitously expressed in developing embryos, adult tissues and organs, and was induced during oxidative stress. Mouse embryos absent of Grx3 grew smaller with morphological defects and eventually died at 12.5 days of gestation. Analysis in mouse embryonic fibroblasts revealed that Grx3−/− cells had impaired growth and cell cycle progression at the G2/M phase, whereas the DNA replication during the S phase was not affected by Grx3 deletion. Furthermore, Grx3-knockdown HeLa cells displayed a significant delay in mitotic exit and had a higher percentage of binucleated cells. Therefore, our findings suggest that the mammalian Grx3 has conserved functions in protecting cells against oxidative stress and deletion of Grx3 in mice causes early embryonic lethality which could be due to defective cell cycle progression during late mitosis. Structured digital abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine video-recorded observations of evening family mealtime at home among Mexican American children to help elucidate style of meal service, fathers' and mothers' feeding practices and child's eating behavior. Consistent with guidelines for coding behaviors, we analyzed observational data of evening mealtimes of 71 Mexican American children aged eight to 10 years. Regarding style of meal service, in almost all cases (96%), parents plated the child's food, with more available on the table or counter in 40% of the observations. Mothers almost always served the child (94%). Regarding parental feeding practices, parents used positive involvement in meals (80%), pressure to eat (42%) and restriction of food (9%). Using food as a reward to control behavior was never used by either parent. The majority (75%) of children requested or negotiated to eat less food, or only eat certain items. In Mexican American families, both mothers and fathers play a role in family mealtimes and both use positive involvement in child's meals, and to a lesser extent pressure to eat, with their children aged eight to 10 years. To help reduce the obesity epidemic, intervention strategies are needed, which integrate the family, a plating style of meal and parental feeding practices that promote healthy eating in the home. To reduce obesity among Mexican American children, interventions that focus on parental positive involvement in child's meal and maintenance of home cooked meals could have a positive impact on the entire family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Valid and reliable physical activity checklists are needed to assess effectiveness of interventions. This study tested the validity and reliability of the Girls health Enrichment Multi-site Studies (GEMS) Activity Questionnaire.Methods. Two-hundred and ten African-American girls completed the GEMS Activity Questionnaire (GAQ), a checklist of 28 physical and 7 sedentary activities, including TV viewing, inquiring whether performed on the previous day (“yesterday”), and whether usually performed (“usual”). The girls wore an accelerometer (used as the criterion for validity) for three consecutive days at baseline and after a 12-week pilot intervention. Data from 172 girls at baseline and follow-up were usable for this report.Results. Girls were (mean ± SD) 8.8 ± 0.8 years old with a BMI of 22.3 ± 5.9 kg/m2. The intraclass correlation (ICC) examining reliability for the accelerometer across 3 days at baseline for the combined group was fair (ICC = 0.33, P < 0.21). The test–retest reliability coefficient for the 18-item MET-weighted GAQ yesterday scores for the comparison group of girls was 0.57 (P < 0.001). At baseline and follow-up, nonsignificant correlations were observed between 3-day accelerometer counts/minute and GAQ 18-item usual score for both comparison and intervention groups. A significant correlation was found between change in accelerometer minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA) between 12 noon and 6 PM and change in GAQ physical activities in the comparison girls (R = 0.35, P < 0.01). The TV-usual score was correlated with 3-day accelerometer counts/minute (R = −0.19, P = 0.02) at baseline for the total sample.Conclusions. Correlations between the GAQ and accelerometer were low, indicating low validity. Although the GAQ may be helpful in describing types of physical activities performed, it needs further development to improve its psychometric properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Understanding the impacts of activity on energy balance is crucial. Increasing levels of activity may bring diminishing returns in energy expenditure because of compensatory responses in non-activity energy expenditures. 1–3 This suggestion has profound implications for both the evolution of metabolism and human health. It implies that a long-term increase in activity does not directly translate into an increase in total energy expenditure (TEE) because other components of TEE may decrease in response—energy compensation. We used the largest dataset compiled on adult TEE and basal energy expenditure (BEE) (n = 1,754) of people living normal lives to find that energy compensation by a typical human averages 28% due to reduced BEE; this suggests that only 72% of the extra calories we burn from additional activity translates into extra calories burned that day. Moreover, the degree of energy compensation varied considerably between people of different body compositions. This association between compensation and adiposity could be due to among-individual differences in compensation: people who compensate more may be more likely to accumulate body fat. Alternatively, the process might occur within individuals: as we get fatter, our body might compensate more strongly for the calories burned during activity, making losing fat progressively more difficult. Determining the causality of the relationship between energy compensation and adiposity will be key to improving public health strategies regarding obesity. • Energy compensation in humans was analyzed from daily and basal energy expenditure • Reduced BEE results in energy compensation of 28% • Degree of energy compensation varied between people of different body composition Energy compensation is the concept that not all the energy spent when activity levels increase translates to additional energy spent that day, but it is poorly characterized. Careau, Halsey et al. find that in humans, energy compensation averages 28%, i.e., only 72% of the extra calories we spend on additional activity translates into extra calories burned that day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis is a major public health burden with significant economic costs. However, the correlates of bone health in Hispanic children are understudied. We aimed to identify genetic variants associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) at multiple skeletal sites in Hispanic children. We conducted a cross-sectional genome-wide linkage analysis, genome-wide and exome-wide association analysis of BMD and BMC. The Viva La Familia Study is a family-based cohort with a total of 1030 Hispanic children (4–19 years old at baseline) conducted in Houston, TX. BMD and BMC were measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Significant heritability were observed for BMC and BMD at multiple skeletal sites ranging between 44 and 68% (P < 2.8 × 10−9). Significant evidence for linkage was found for BMD of pelvis and left leg on chromosome 7p14, lumbar spine on 20q13 and left rib on 6p21, and BMC of pelvis on chromosome 20q12 and total body on 14q22-23 (logarithm of odds score > 3). We found genome-wide significant association between BMC of right arm and rs762920 at PVALB (P = 4.6 × 10−8), and between pelvis BMD and rs7000615 at PTK2B (P = 7.4 × 10−8). Exome-wide association analysis revealed novel association of variants at MEGF10 and ABRAXAS2 with left arm and lumber spine BMC, respectively (P < 9 × 10−7). We identified novel loci associated with BMC and BMD in Hispanic children, with strongest evidence for PTK2B. These findings provide better understanding of bone genetics and shed light on biological mechanisms underlying BMD and BMC variation. • Osteoporosis and low bone mass are a major public health threat for US. • The correlates of bone health in children are understudied. • We aimed to identify genetic variants associated with bone health in Hispanic children utilizing genome-wide linkage, genome-wide association and exome-based analysis approaches. • We identified novel loci associated with BMC and BMD in Hispanic children, with strongest evidence for PTK2B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective To evaluate behavior modification of diet and parent feeding practices in childhood obesity interventions. Design Secondary analysis of randomized, controlled trial comparing Mind, Exercise, Nutrition ... Do It! (MEND2-5 and MEND/ Coordinated Approach to Child Health [CATCH6-12]) vs Next Steps at baseline and 3 and 12 months. Setting Austin and Houston, TX. Participants A total of 549 Hispanic and black children randomized to programs by age groups (2–5, 6–8, and 9–12 years) Interventions Twelve-month MEND2-5 and MEND/CATCH6-12 vs Next Steps. Main Outcome Measure(s) Diet (MEND-friendly/unfriendly food groups and Healthy Eating Index-2010) and parent feeding practices (parental overt control, discipline, limit setting, monitoring, reinforcement, modeling, and covert control; and food neophobia). Analysis Mixed-effects linear regression. Results Changes in diet quality, consumption of MEND-unfriendly foods, and parent feeding practices did not differ between programs. In both interventions, MEND-unfriendly vegetables, grains, dairy and protein, added fat and desserts/sugar-sweetened beverages declined in 2–5- and 6–8-year-olds (P <.001). Healthy Eating Index-2010 improved in 2–5- (treatment; P =.002) and 6–8-year-olds (P =.001). Parental overt control decreased and limit setting, discipline, monitoring, reinforcement, and covert control increased with both interventions in 2–5- and 6–8-year-olds (P < 0.01–0.001). Conclusions Diet quality, consumption of MEND-unfriendly foods, and parent feeding practices were altered constructively in 2 pediatric obesity interventions, especially in 2–5- and 6–8-year-olds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Doubly labeled water is gold standard for measuring total energy expenditure (TEE). Measurements using the method are sensitive to the isotope dilution space ratio (DSR). Accuracy and precision of the method might be improved if we could identify factors influencing DSR., Objectives: We evaluated the potential associations of age, sex, ethnicity, anthropometry, body composition, turnover rates of the isotopes, and geographical elevation with DSR., Methods: We used univariate regression analysis to explore the relationships between the continuous variables and analysis of variance to test the relationships between the categorical variables with DSR. Subsequently, we used general linear model (GLM) and 1-way analysis of variance to evaluate the simultaneous associations of age, sex, ethnicity, fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) on DSR., Results: From 5678 measurements complied from studies around the world with diverse ethnicity and living at various elevations, the mean DSR was 1.0364 ± 0.0141. No meaningful physiologic effect of any of the continuous and categorical variable on DSR was detected. General linear model analysis revealed no effect of FFM and FM (P > 0.33) on DSR, but DSR decreased with age (P < 0.001) among those aged 60 y and older regardless of sex. Among the Whites who were younger than 60 y, DSR was not related to FFM and FM (P = 0.73) but was affected by both age and sex (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Previous estimates of age-related decline in TEE may have overestimated TEE at age 90 y. Validation studies on older participants are required to confirm this finding., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest WWW reports administrative support was provided by Baylor College of Medicine. JRS reports administrative support and article publishing charges were provided by University of Aberdeen. MLN is a Deputy Editor of the Journal of Nutrition but played no role in the Journal’s evaluation of the manuscript. The other authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Water is essential for survival, but one in three individuals worldwide (2.2 billion people) lacks access to safe drinking water. Water intake requirements largely reflect water turnover (WT), the water used by the body each day. We investigated the determinants of human WT in 5604 people from the ages of 8 days to 96 years from 23 countries using isotope-tracking ( 2 H) methods. Age, body size, and composition were significantly associated with WT, as were physical activity, athletic status, pregnancy, socioeconomic status, and environmental characteristics (latitude, altitude, air temperature, and humidity). People who lived in countries with a low human development index (HDI) had higher WT than people in high-HDI countries. On the basis of this extensive dataset, we provide equations to predict human WT in relation to anthropometric, economic, and environmental factors.

Background: Short sleep durations are related to risks for obesity in preschool children. However, the underlying mechanism or mechanisms are not clear., Objectives: We evaluated the relationships between sleep characteristics and body composition, energetics, and weight-regulating behaviors in preschool-aged children, as well as the longitudinal associations between children's sleep and eating patterns and body composition at a 1-year follow-up., Methods: Data were drawn from a longitudinal study of 118 children aged 3-5 years. Sleep (duration, midpoint, regularity) and physical activity (PA) were measured by accelerometry over 6 consecutive days; total energy expenditure (TEE) was measured using the doubly labeled water method; body composition (fat mass, fat-free mass, and percent body fat) was measured by DXA; and dietary intake (energy intake, timing) was measured using two 24-hour recalls. Multivariable regression was used to estimate interindividual associations of sleep parameters with body composition, PA, TEE, and dietary outcomes and to examine the relationships between sleep and dietary behaviors and body composition 1 year later., Results: Cross-sectionally, later sleep midpoint is associated with having a greater fat mass (0.33; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.60) and a higher percent body fat (0.92; 95% CI: 0.15, 1.70). Later sleep midpoint was associated with delayed morning mealtimes (0.51; 95% CI: 0.28, 0.74) and evening mealtimes (0.41; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.53), higher nighttime energy intakes (45.6; 95% CI: 19.7, 71.4), and lower morning energy intakes (-44.8; 95% CI: -72.0, -17.6). Longitudinally, shorter sleep duration (-0.02; 95% CI: -0.03, 0.00) and later meal timing (0.83; 95% CI: 0.24, 1.42) were associated with higher percent body fat measurements 1 year later., Conclusions: Shorter sleep duration and later meal timing are associated with adiposity gains in preschoolers., (Copyright © 2022 American Society for Nutrition.)

Context: Childhood obesity disproportionately affects Hispanic youth. The skeletal system appears to be a target organ of the adverse effects of obesity. Yet, the relationship between adiposity and bone health in youth and the modulating factors are not well understood., Objective: This work aims to examine the relationship between adiposity, insulin resistance (IR), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and bone mass in Hispanic youth., Methods: A total of 951 Hispanic youth (50% male), aged 4 to 19 years, participated in this cross-sectional design study from the Viva La Familia Study at Children's Nutrition Research Center. Bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD), lean mass (LM), total body fat mass (FM), truncal FM were obtained using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Fasting glucose and insulin were obtained and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. CRF was measured using a treadmill ramp protocol. We applied linear regression models and mediation analyses., Results: Adiposity measures were negatively related to BMC and BMD after accounting for LM and sex. IR negatively contributed whereas CRF positively contributed to the variance in BMC and BMD, more notably in the pubertal age group. In mediation analysis, HOMA-IR partially mediated the negative relationship of adiposity to BMC (standardized indirect effect [IE] = -0.0382; 95% CI, -0.0515 to -0.0264) whereas the sequential IE of HOMA-IR and CRF partially attenuated (IE = -0.0026; 95% CI, -0.0053 to -0.0005) this relationship. Similar findings were seen with BMD as the primary outcome., Conclusion: IR mediates the negative relationship between adiposity and bone mass whereas CRF may partially attenuate it., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Glycine is a proteogenic amino acid that is required for numerous metabolic pathways, including purine, creatine, heme, and glutathione biosynthesis. Glycine formation from serine, catalyzed by serine hydroxy methyltransferase, is the major source of this amino acid in humans. Our previous studies in a mouse model have shown a crucial role for the 10-formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase enzyme in serine-to-glycine conversion., Objectives: We sought to determine the genomic influence on the serine-glycine ratio in 803 Hispanic children from 319 families of the Viva La Familia cohort., Methods: We performed a genome-wide association analysis for plasma serine, glycine, and the serine-glycine ratio in Sequential Oligogenic Linkage Analysis Routines while accounting for relationships among family members., Results: All 3 parameters were significantly heritable (h2 = 0.22-0.78; P < 0.004). The strongest associations for the serine-glycine ratio were with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member L1 (ALDH1L1) and glycine decarboxylase (GLDC) and for glycine with GLDC (P < 3.5 × 10-8; effect sizes, 0.03-0.07). No significant associations were found for serine. We also conducted a targeted genetic analysis with ALDH1L1 exonic SNPs and found significant associations between the serine-glycine ratio and rs2886059 (β = 0.68; SE, 0.25; P = 0.006) and rs3796191 (β = 0.25; SE, 0.08; P = 0.003) and between glycine and rs3796191 (β = -0.08; SE, 0.02; P = 0.0004). These exonic SNPs were further associated with metabolic disease risk factors, mainly adiposity measures (P < 0.006). Significant genetic and phenotypic correlations were found for glycine and the serine-glycine ratio with metabolic disease risk factors, including adiposity, insulin sensitivity, and inflammation-related phenotypes [estimate of genetic correlation = -0.37 to 0.35 (P < 0.03); estimate of phenotypic correlation = -0.19 to 0.13 (P < 0.006)]. The significant genetic correlations indicate shared genetic effects among glycine, the serine-glycine ratio, and adiposity and insulin sensitivity phenotypes., Conclusions: Our study suggests that ALDH1L1 and GLDC SNPs influence the serine-to-glycine ratio and metabolic disease risk., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

Hispanic/Latinos have been underrepresented in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for anthropometric traits despite their notable anthropometric variability, ancestry proportions, and high burden of growth stunting and overweight/obesity. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed densely imputed genetic data in a sample of Hispanic/Latino adults to identify and fine-map genetic variants associated with body mass index (BMI), height, and BMI-adjusted waist-to-hip ratio (WHRadjBMI). We conducted a GWAS of 18 studies/consortia as part of the Hispanic/Latino Anthropometry (HISLA) Consortium (stage 1, n = 59,771) and generalized our findings in 9 additional studies (stage 2, n = 10,538). We conducted a trans-ancestral GWAS with summary statistics from HISLA stage 1 and existing consortia of European and African ancestries. In our HISLA stage 1 + 2 analyses, we discovered one BMI locus, as well as two BMI signals and another height signal each within established anthropometric loci. In our trans-ancestral meta-analysis, we discovered three BMI loci, one height locus, and one WHRadjBMI locus. We also identified 3 secondary signals for BMI, 28 for height, and 2 for WHRadjBMI in established loci. We show that 336 known BMI, 1,177 known height, and 143 known WHRadjBMI (combined) SNPs demonstrated suggestive transferability (nominal significance and effect estimate directional consistency) in Hispanic/Latino adults. Of these, 36 BMI, 124 height, and 11 WHRadjBMI SNPs were significant after trait-specific Bonferroni correction. Trans-ancestral meta-analysis of the three ancestries showed a small-to-moderate impact of uncorrected population stratification on the resulting effect size estimates. Our findings demonstrate that future studies may also benefit from leveraging diverse ancestries and differences in linkage disequilibrium patterns to discover novel loci and additional signals with less residual population stratification., Competing Interests: S.M.G. and A.M.S. receive funding from Seven Bridges Genomics to develop tools for the NHLBI BioData Catalyst consortium. All others authors declare no competing interests., (© 2022 The Author(s).)