Food Neophobia in Young Adults: Genetic Architecture and Relation to Personality, Pleasantness and Use Frequency of Foods, and Body Mass Index—A Twin Study

Background: Central obesity stands for the corner-stone of cardio-metabolic health, while nitric oxide (NO) is a major regulator of cardiovascular function. To day, the correlation between serum NO metabolites nitrate/nitrite and the obesity components in young adults remains elusive. Thus, this current study was conducted to know the correlation between serum NO metabolites levels and body fat percentage, waist circumference (WC) as well as body mass index (BMI) in young adults with central obesity.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Riau, Indonesia, involving 79 young adults aged 18-25 years, composing of 39 and 40 subjects with and without central obesity, respectively. Anthropometric measurements were performed to assess WC and BMI. Body fat percentage was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis and serum NO metabolites levels were assessed using Griess methods.Results: Levels of serum NO metabolites were significant higher in the subjects with central obesity (168.41±12.64 μmol/L) than that of normal subjects (70.57±44.99 μmol/L, p<0.001), but the levels were no significant different between male and female subjects. Serum NO metabolites levels were strongly correlated with total body fat (r=0.618, p<0.001), visceral fat (r=0.733, p<0.001), subcutaneous fat (r=0.547, p<0.001), WC (r=0.717, p<0.001) and BMI (r=0.788, p<0.001).Conclusions: For young adults in Riau, Indonesia, levels of serum NO metabolites are higher in the central obesity group than that of the normal. In this population, body fat percentage, waist circumference and body mass index are correlated with serum nitric oxide metabolites levels.Keywords: nitric oxide, body fat percentage, young adults, central obesity

Download Full-text

Low Physical Activity Levels Are Linked to Early Hypertension Risk in College-Going Young Adults

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9101258 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 1258

Author(s):

Kalyana Chakravarthy Bairapareddy ◽

Mariam Mhd Salem Kamcheh ◽

Ranim Jihad Itani ◽

Mirna Mohamed ◽

Heba Ayman Eid Abdellatif Zahran ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Young Adults ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Body Mass ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Hypertension Risk ◽

College Going ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Weekly Physical Activity

Background: Sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity along with body mass are identified as critical determinants of vascular health along with body mass in young adults. However, the relationship between potential physical health and anthropometric variables with high blood Eid pressure remain unexplored in young adults from the United Arab Emirates region. Methodology: We administered a cross-sectional study in young adults assessing their self-reported physical activity levels, anthropometric variables (body mass index and waist circumference) and ambulatory blood pressure. The associations among potential physical health, anthropometric variables and high blood pressure were analysed through logistic regression after necessary transformation. Results: Of 354 participants (176 males, 178 females), we found 17.79% (n = 63) had higher mean arterial pressure. Males (n = 40; 22.73%) had higher risk of hypertension than females (n = 12.92%). Weekly physical activity levels (β = −0.001; p = 0.002), age (β = −0.168; p = 0.005) and gender (β = −0.709; p = 0.028) were found to be more strongly associated with hypertension risk than the body mass index (β = 0.093; p = 0.075), waist circumference (β = 0.013; p = 0.588) and the weekly sitting time (β = 0.000; p = 0.319) of the individuals. Conclusions: Lower physical activity was associated with hypertension risk compared to other modifiable risk factors such as waist circumference, body mass index and sedentary time in college-going young adults. Public health measures should continue to emphasise optimisation of weekly physical activity levels to mitigate vascular health risks at educational institution levels.

Download Full-text