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Summary: Arterial stiffness is improved by weight loss. However, no data exist on the impact of aerobic exercise levels on arterial stiffness during weight maintenance. Adults who were overweight or with obesity (N = 39) participated in a 10‐week weight loss program. Participants who achieved ≥7% weight loss were randomized to aerobic training at the minimum physical activity guidelines (PA‐REC, 550 MET min/week) or weight maintenance guidelines (WM‐REC, 970 MET min/week) for 18 additional weeks. Arterial stiffness (carotid‐to‐femoral pulse wave velocity [cfPWV], augmentation index normalized for 75 beats/min [AIX75]) and blood pressure [aortic and brachial]) were assessed at baseline, the end of the weight loss phase (week 10), and follow‐up (week 28). There was a reduction in cfPWV in participants who met the weight loss goal (−0.34 m/s, p =.02) and approached significance for the entire sample (p =.051). Similarly, there were reductions in AIX75, brachial blood pressure, and aortic blood pressure (p <.05) in the full sample. In the weight maintenance phase, no differences were observed between the PA‐REC and the WM‐REC groups for change in arterial stiffness or blood pressure (p >.05). However, changes in cfPWV were independently associated with changes in LDL (r2: 0.45, p =.004) and exercise intensity (r2: 0.17, p =.033). Aerobic exercise level at the minimum physical activity guidelines or weight maintenance guidelines does not affect the change in PWV or the change in cfPWV after clinically significant weight loss. However, interventions which limit increases in LDL cholesterol and promote high‐intensity aerobic exercise may prevent increases in stiffness during weight maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Step-counting interventions with discrepant intensity emphases may elicit different effects. Methods: A total of 120 sedentary/low-active, postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to one of the following 3 groups: (1) 10,000 steps per day (with no emphasis on walking intensity/speed/cadence; basic intervention, 49 completers), (2) 10,000 steps per day and at least 30 minutes in moderate intensity (ie, at a cadence of at least 100 steps per minute; enhanced intervention, 47 completers), or (3) a control group (19 completers). NL-1000-determined steps and active minutes (a device-specific indicator of time at moderate+ intensity) were collected as process variables during the 12-week intervention. Outcome variables included systolic and diastolic blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, fasting blood glucose and insulin, flow-mediated dilation, gait speed, and ActiGraph GT3X+-determined physical activity and sedentary behavior. Results: The "basic group" increased 5173 to 9602 steps per day and 9.2 to 30.2 active minutes per day. The "enhanced group" similarly increased 5061 to 10,508 steps per day and 8.7 to 38.8 active minutes per day. The only significant change over time for clinical variables was body mass index. Conclusions: Interventions that use simple step-counters can achieve elevated volume and intensity of daily physical activity, regardless of emphasis on intensity. Despite this, few clinical outcomes were apparent in this sample of postmenopausal women with generally normal or controlled hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in children in the United States (US) is very low. Adequate FV consumption is required for proper development during childhood, and dietary habits are established during preschool-age and tend to persist into adulthood. As most U.S. preschool-aged children attend childcare or preschool, this may be an opportune time and setting to conduct interventions to improve FV intake. These interventions should be based in theory and use behavior change techniques (BCTs) to explain mechanisms for expected change. To date, no published reviews have examined the effectiveness of childcare- or preschool-based FV interventions in preschoolers and their use of theoretical frameworks and BCTs. Methods: This systematic review was completed adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2012 and 2022 of interventions to improve diet or FV intake in preschoolers (aged 2–5 years) in childcare or preschool-settings. A search of four databases was conducted between in September 2022 using search terms pertaining to the study's primary aim (FV consumption), age group (preschool-aged), settings (US childcare or preschool settings), and study design (RCT). Additional criteria were objective measures of FV consumption or skin carotenoids, as a proxy for FV intake. Included studies were narratively synthesized based on intervention type, measured effect, and use of theory and BCTs. Results: The search resulted in six studies that reported on nine interventions. Overall, six interventions increased FV intake, of which five used nutrition education and one manipulated the feeding environment. Among the three interventions with no measured effect, two manipulated the feeding environment and one used peer modeling. Effective studies used at least three BCTs, though no pattern was observed between use of theory or BCTs and intervention effect. Conclusions: While several studies have shown promising results, the limited number of studies identified in this review highlights key gaps in this field: there is a need for studies to test FV interventions in US childcare settings that use objective measures of FV intake, directly compare intervention components and BCTs, are theory-based, and assess long-term behavior change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]