Subjective Equality and Just Noticeable Differences in Body-Size Judgments by Obese Persons

1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 595-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick M. Gardner ◽  
James A. Morrell ◽  
Deborah N. Watson ◽  
Susan L. Sandoval
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Continuous Method ◽  
Difference Threshold ◽  
Subjective Equality ◽  
Second Procedure ◽  
Size Estimates ◽  
Method Of Constant Stimuli

Body-size estimates by obese and normal-weight subjects were compared using two different procedures with a TV-video methodology. In the continuous method subjects adjusted an image larger or smaller until they judged a correct TV-image had been achieved. In the second procedure the method of constant stimuli was used wherein values corresponding to the point of subjective equality ( PSE) and difference threshold ( DL) were determined. No differences between obese and normal-weight subjects were obtained with these procedures. On the continuous task subjects slightly underestimated body size and were more accurate on descending trials where they adjusted the size of the image downwards. With the second procedure, an average PSE of −.62% was obtained, with an average DL = 7.27%. Different PSE values were obtained when subjects were judging whether their image was distorted too wide or too thin. Data from the two procedures are compared and ramifications for the study of body size are discussed.

scholarly journals Body size throughout the life-course and incident benign prostatic hyperplasia-related outcomes and nocturia

BMC Urology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saira Khan ◽  
K. Y. Wolin ◽  
R. Pakpahan ◽  
R. L. Grubb ◽  
G. A. Colditz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Prostate Volume ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract Background Existing evidence suggests that there is an association between body size and prevalent Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)-related outcomes and nocturia. However, there is limited evidence on the association between body size throughout the life-course and incident BPH-related outcomes. Methods Our study population consisted of men without histories of prostate cancer, BPH-related outcomes, or nocturia in the intervention arm of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) (n = 4710). Associations for body size in early- (age 20), mid- (age 50) and late-life (age ≥ 55, mean age 60.7 years) and weight change with incident BPH-related outcomes (including self-reported nocturia and physician diagnosis of BPH, digital rectal examination-estimated prostate volume ≥ 30 cc, and prostate-specific antigen [PSA] concentration > 1.4 ng/mL) were examined using Poisson regression with robust variance estimation. Results Men who were obese in late-life were 25% more likely to report nocturia (Relative Risk (RR): 1.25, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.11–1.40; p-trendfor continuous BMI < 0.0001) and men who were either overweight or obese in late-life were more likely to report a prostate volume ≥ 30 cc (RRoverweight: 1.13, 95% CI 1.07–1.21; RRobese: 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.19; p-trendfor continuous BMI = 0.017) as compared to normal weight men. Obesity at ages 20 and 50 was similarly associated with both nocturia and prostate volume ≥ 30 cc. Considering trajectories of body size, men who were normal weight at age 20 and became overweight or obese by later-life had increased risks of nocturia (RRnormal to overweight: 1.09, 95% CI 0.98–1.22; RRnormal to obese: 1.28, 95% CI 1.10–1.47) and a prostate volume ≥ 30 cc (RRnormal to overweight: 1.12, 95% CI 1.05–1.20). Too few men were obese early in life to examine the independent effect of early-life body size. Later-life body size modified the association between physical activity and nocturia. Conclusions We found that later-life body size, independent of early-life body size, was associated with adverse BPH outcomes, suggesting that interventions to reduce body size even late in life can potentially reduce the burden of BPH-related outcomes and nocturia.

First estimates of genome size in ribbon worms (phylum Nemertea) using flow cytometry and Feulgen image analysis densitometry

2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (10) ◽  
pp. 847-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly L. Mulligan ◽  
Terra C. Hiebert ◽  
Nicholas W. Jeffery ◽  
T. Ryan Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Image Analysis ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Genome Size ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Nuclear Dna ◽  
Nuclear Dna Content ◽  
Size Estimation ◽  
Size Diversity ◽  
Size Estimates

Ribbon worms (phylum Nemertea) are among several animal groups that have been overlooked in past studies of genome-size diversity. Here, we report genome-size estimates for eight species of nemerteans, including representatives of the major lineages in the phylum. Genome sizes in these species ranged more than fivefold, and there was some indication of a positive relationship with body size. Somatic endopolyploidy also appears to be common in these animals. Importantly, this study demonstrates that both of the most common methods of genome-size estimation (flow cytometry and Feulgen image analysis densitometry) can be used to assess genome size in ribbon worms, thereby facilitating additional efforts to investigate patterns of variability in nuclear DNA content in this phylum.

scholarly journals Body Size Preferences and Food Choice Among Normal and Overweight Mothers and Children in Malawi (P10-070-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Flax ◽  
Chrissie Thakwalakwa ◽  
Lindsay Jaacks ◽  
John Phuka
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Overweight Child ◽  
Mothers And Children ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Healthy Body

Abstract Objectives Overweight in mothers and children in sub-Saharan Africa is rapidly increasing and may be related to body size preferences. The objective of this study was to measure mothers’ preferences for their own and their child's body size and how they relate to food choices. Methods We enrolled 271 mothers and their children (6–59 months) in Lilongwe and Kasungu Districts. Based on standard body-mass index and weight-for-height z-score cutoffs, 78 mothers (29%) were normal weight and 193 (71%) were overweight; 120 children (44%) were normal weight and 151 (56%) were overweight. Interviewers used a set of 7 adult female and 7 child body silhouette drawings and a semi-structured question guide to measure mothers’ perceptions of their own and their child's preferred and healthy body sizes and how their preferences affected food choices. We performed chi-squared tests comparing body size perceptions and grouped open-ended responses by weight status. Results Mothers’ selection of silhouettes that represented their body size preferences (67% normal weight, 68% overweight preferred overweight) and perceptions of a healthy body size (96% normal weight, 94% overweight selected overweight as healthy) did not differ by their weight status. A higher percentage of mothers of overweight than normal weight children preferred overweight child body sizes (70% vs. 48%, P = 0.003). Mothers’ perceptions of a healthy child body size (89% normal weight, 94% overweight selected overweight as healthy) did not differ by the child's weight status. To attain a larger body size, mothers said they could eat or feed the child larger quantities or more frequently and increase consumption of fatty/oily foods and drinks (such as sodas, sweetened yoghurt, and milk), but many cannot afford to do this. Conclusions Malawian mothers had strong preferences for overweight body sizes for themselves and mixed preferences for their children. Their desired strategies for increasing weight indicate that body size preferences may drive food choice but could be limited by cost. Funding Sources Drivers of Food Choice (DFC) Competitive Grants Program, funded by the UK Government's Department for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and managed by the University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health.

scholarly journals Pattern of Adiponectin, Osteocalcin, Irisin, FGF-21, and MCP-1 According to the Body Size Phenotype: Could They Be Markers of Metabolic Health in Mexican-Mestizo Middle-Aged Women?

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 771
Author(s):  
Lourdes Balcázar-Hernandez ◽  
Lourdes Basurto ◽  
Leticia Manuel-Apolinar ◽  
Sara Vega-García ◽  
Norma Basurto-Acevedo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
The Body ◽  
Metabolic Phenotype ◽  
Obese Women ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Metabolically Healthy Obese ◽  
Metabolically Healthy

Variations in levels of some adipokines, myokines, osteokines, hepatokines and inflammatory cytokines contribute to abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of adiponectin, osteocalcin (OCN), irisin, FGF-21, and MCP-1 according to the body size phenotype of middle-aged women, and their associations with BMI, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and HOMA-IR. A cross-sectional study in 265 women aged from 40 to 65 years was performed. The biochemical characteristics were evaluated in metabolically healthy normal weight, metabolically unhealthy normal weight, metabolically healthy obese, and metabolically unhealthy obese women. There was an association of OCN with BMI (r = −0.107; p = 0.047); adiponectin with BMI (r = −0.217; p = 0.001), insulin (r = −0.415; p = 0.0001), HOMA-IR (r = −0.429; p = 0.0001), and VAT (r = −0.134; p = 0.025); irisin with BMI (r = 0.604; p = 0.001), insulin (r = 0.446; p = 0.0001), HOMA-IR (r = 0.452; p = 0.0001), and VAT (r = 0.645; p = 0.0001); FGF−21 with insulin (r = −0.337; p= 0.030) and HOMA-IR (r = −0.341; p = 0.03); and MCP-1 with BMI (r = 0.481; p = 0.0001), VAT (r = 0.497; p = 0.001), insulin (r = 0.298; p= 0.001), and HOMA-IR (r = 0.255; p = 0.004). A multivariate analysis showed that an elevation of OCN (OR 1.4 (95%CI 1.06–1.81)) and a reduction of adiponectin (OR 0.9 (0.84–0.96)) were associated factors for a metabolic unhealthy phenotype in normal weight participants. Likewise, higher irisin (OR 1.007 (1.003–1.011)) and MCP-1 (1.044 (1.008–1.083)) were risk factors for a metabolic unhealthy phenotype in woman with obesity. OCN, adiponectin, irisin, FGF-21, and MCP-1 are associated with some metabolic parameters such as BMI, HOMA-IR, and VAT, and could be possible biomarkers of an unhealthy metabolic phenotype in middle-aged women.

scholarly journals Do Different Methods Yield Equivalent Estimations of Brain Size in Birds?

2020 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-122
Author(s):  
Diego Ocampo ◽  
César Sánchez ◽  
Gilbert Barrantes
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Brain Mass ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Evolutionary Studies ◽  
Relative Brain Size ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Endocranial Volume ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Size Estimates

The ratio of brain size to body size (relative brain size) is often used as a measure of relative investment in the brain in ecological and evolutionary studies on a wide range of animal groups. In birds, a variety of methods have been used to measure the brain size part of this ratio, including endocranial volume, fixed brain mass, and fresh brain mass. It is still unclear, however, whether these methods yield the same results. Using data obtained from fresh corpses and from published sources, this study shows that endocranial volume, mass of fixed brain tissue, and fresh mass provide equivalent estimations of brain size for 48 bird families, in 19 orders. We found, however, that the various methods yield significantly different brain size estimates for hummingbirds (Trochilidae). For hummingbirds, fixed brain mass tends to underestimate brain size due to reduced tissue density, whereas endocranial volume overestimates brain size because it includes a larger volume than that occupied by the brain.

Body size estimates: Body image or body attitude measures?

1990 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
David I. Ben-Tovim ◽  
M. K. Walker ◽  
H. Murray ◽  
G. Chin
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Body Attitude ◽  
Attitude Measures ◽  
Size Estimates

The Threshold for Sudden Changes in the Velocity of a Seen Object

1950 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Hick
Keyword(s):  
Initial Velocity ◽  
Moving Objects ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Difference Threshold ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Velocity Change ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Velocity Changes ◽  
Method Of Constant Stimuli

The difference threshold for the velocity of a seen object was measured by the method of constant stimuli, using two categories. An approximate correspondence with Weber's law was found, the divergence from it appearing, in general, as an increase of the threshold at both ends of the range of initial velocities. The Mean Threshold (0·5 probability of perception, corrected for guessing) was, in favourable conditions, about 12 per cent, of the initial velocity. Whether the stimulus was an increase or a decrease of velocity made no marked difference. With two moving objects, which converged, crossed, and then diverged, both suffering the same change of velocity, the threshold was higher. Velocity changes as low as 2 · 5 per cent, elicited a significant proportion of correct responses. Some theoretical points in connection with this are discussed. Responses to blank stimuli showed a strong tendency to guess “slower,” which tendency differed significantly in degree between most of the experimental conditions. Tests with reduced exposure times showed that exposures could be as short as 0 · 5 second (the velocity change occurring in the middle of the exposure) without appreciable detriment.

scholarly journals Implications for IV posaconazole dosing in the era of obesity

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 1006-1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roeland E Wasmann ◽  
Cornelis Smit ◽  
Marieke H van Donselaar ◽  
Eric P A van Dongen ◽  
René M J Wiezer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Oral Treatment ◽  
Total Body Weight ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Morbidly Obese ◽  
Population Pharmacokinetic ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
Starting Point

Abstract Background The prevalence of obesity has shown a dramatic increase over recent decades. Obesity is associated with underdosing of antimicrobial drugs for prophylaxis and treatment. Posaconazole is a broad-spectrum triazole antifungal drug licensed for prophylaxis and treatment of invasive fungal infections. It is unclear how posaconazole should be dosed in obese patients. Methods We performed a prospective study investigating the pharmacokinetics of posaconazole in morbidly obese (n = 16) and normal-weight (n = 8) subjects, with a weight ranging between 61.4 and 190 kg, after a 300 or 400 mg IV dose. Population pharmacokinetic modelling was used to assess the effect of body size on posaconazole pharmacokinetics. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03246386. Results Total body weight best predicted changes in CL and V. Model-based simulations demonstrated that, for treatment of fungal infections, a daily IV dose of 300 mg will result in a PTA of ≥90% in individuals up to 140 kg, after which both twice daily loading and the daily maintenance dose should be increased to 400 mg. For prophylaxis, a 300 mg IV dose is adequate in patients up to 190 kg. Conclusions Body size has a significant impact on posaconazole CL and V, resulting in a lower exposure in obese subjects compared with normal-weight subjects. For therapeutic use of posaconazole, a dose increase is required in patients above 140 kg. For prophylaxis, a 300 mg IV dose is adequate. For oral treatment, these recommendations can act as a starting point followed by therapeutic drug monitoring.

scholarly journals Crocodylian Head Width Allometry and Phylogenetic Prediction of Body Size in Extinct Crocodyliforms

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haley D O’Brien ◽  
Leigha M Lynch ◽  
Kent A Vliet ◽  
John Brueggen ◽  
Gregory M Erickson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Mature Male ◽  
Head Width ◽  
Hard Tissue ◽  
Broad Array ◽  
Phylogenetic Model ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Sexually Mature ◽  
Size Estimates

Synopsis Body size and body-size shifts broadly impact life-history parameters of all animals, which has made accurate body-size estimates for extinct taxa an important component of understanding their paleobiology. Among extinct crocodylians and their precursors (e.g., suchians), several methods have been developed to predict body size from suites of hard-tissue proxies. Nevertheless, many have limited applications due to the disparity of some major suchian groups and biases in the fossil record. Here, we test the utility of head width (HW) as a broadly applicable body-size estimator in living and fossil suchians. We use a dataset of sexually mature male and female individuals (n = 76) from a comprehensive sample of extant suchian species encompassing nearly all known taxa (n = 22) to develop a Bayesian phylogenetic model for predicting three conventional metrics for size: body mass, snout–vent length, and total length. We then use the model to estimate size parameters for a select series of extinct suchians with known phylogenetic affinity (Montsechosuchus, Diplocynodon, and Sarcosuchus). We then compare our results to sizes reported in the literature to exemplify the utility of our approach for a broad array of fossil suchians. Our results show that HW is highly correlated with all other metrics (all R2≥0.85) and is commensurate with femoral dimensions for its reliably as a body-size predictor. We provide the R code in order to enable other researchers to employ the model in their own research.

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