Body weight status and onset of functional limitations in U.S. middle-aged and older adults: The role of overweight status

(1) Background: Media play a significant role in forming audience perceptions about physical external appearance and food consumption patterns. It has been reported that children’s cartoons project slimness, and concomitantly consumption of poor nutritional quality food. However, data on the role of gender in this respect are lacking; thus, this was the aim of the present study. (2) Methods: 100 episodes of the 10 most popular cartoon series were analyzed. Characters’ body weight status was classified into underweight, normal weight and overweight, and foods consumed as core (e.g., fruit, vegetables) and non-core (e.g., sweets, snacks). Messages about characters’ attractiveness were recorded and classified according to their body weight status and gender. (3) Results: Out of 37 protagonists, 12 were female figures (32%), while out of the 10 thin protagonists, 7 were females (70%) and only 3 males (30%). Thin heroines were the recipients of the majority of the messages connotative to physical attractiveness (36 out of 58 messages). However, consumption of core and non-core foods did not differ within genders (core: z = −1.526, p = 0.127, non-core: z = −0.417, p = 0.667). (4) Conclusions: Females seem to be underrepresented in cartoon series but receive the majority of the comments related to physical appearance, with most of them addressing the attractiveness of a thin figure.

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PROP taster status interacts with the built environment to influence children's food acceptance and body weight status

Obesity ◽

10.1002/oby.20059 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 786-794 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Carlye Burd ◽

Araliya Senerat ◽

Earle Chambers ◽

Kathleen L. Keller

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Built Environment ◽

Weight Status ◽

Food Acceptance ◽

Body Weight Status

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Is overweight/obesity a risk factor for atopic allergic disease in prepubertal children? A case–control study

Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism ◽

10.1515/jpem-2021-0051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Aysel Vehapoglu ◽

Zeynep Ebru Cakın ◽

Feyza Ustabas Kahraman ◽

Mustafa Atilla Nursoy ◽

Ali Toprak

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Allergic Disease ◽

Weight Status ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

University Hospital ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Prepubertal Children ◽

Body Weight Status ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Objectives It is unclear whether body weight status (underweight/normal weight/overweight/obese) is associated with allergic disease. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between body weight status (body mass index; BMI) and atopic allergic disease in prepubertal children, and to compare children with atopic allergic diseases with non atopic healthy children. Methods A prospective cross sectional study of 707 prepubertal children aged 3–10 years was performed; the participants were 278 atopic children with physician-diagnosed allergic disease (allergic rhinitis and asthma) (serum total IgE level >100 kU/l and eosinophilia >4%, or positivity to at least one allergen in skin test) and 429 non atopic healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Data were collected between December 2019 and November 2020 at the Pediatric General and Pediatric Allergy Outpatient Clinics of Bezmialem Vakıf University Hospital. Results Underweight was observed in 11.6% of all participants (10.8% of atopic children, 12.2% of healthy controls), and obesity in 14.9% of all participants (18.0% of atopic children, 12.8% of controls). Obese (OR 1.71; 95% CI: 1.08–2.71, p=0.021), and overweight status (OR 1.62; 95% CI: 1.06–2.50, p=0.026) were associated with an increased risk of atopic allergic disease compared to normal weight in pre-pubertal children. This association did not differ by gender. There was no relationship between underweight status and atopic allergic disease (OR 1.03; 95% CI: 0.63–1.68, p=0.894). Conclusions Overweight and obesity were associated with an increased risk of atopic allergic disease compared to normal weight among middle-income and high-income pre pubertal children living in Istanbul.

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