COVID 19 Pandemic: Changes in the emotions, body weights and nutrition habits of individuals during social intervention measures

BACKGROUND: During the Covid 19 pandemic, the increase in the anxiety levels of individuals is associated with the increase in body weight. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of changes in individuals’ experiences and mood on eating habits and body weights in during social restrictions due to COVID-19. METHODS: The study included 623 adults in Turkey. Demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, information about nutritional habits during the pandemic period were questioned via an online survey. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to evaluate individuals’ negative perspectives. RESULTS: The rate of patients who experienced body weight changes during the pandemic period was 61.4% (40.2% experienced increase), the mean BDI value was found to be higher in individuals whose body weight increased/decreased compared to those who experienced no change in body weight (p = 0.008, p = 0.02, respectively). Variables that positively affected the BDI scores, which was performed in individuals with increased body weight, main meal numbers (p < 0.03), and change in dried fruit consumption (p = 0.05). The variables that negatively affected the BDI scores were body weight increase (p = 0.05) and changes in cheese consumption. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the changes in the emotional state during COVID-19 had an effect on dietary habits and body weight. There is a need for more comprehensive randomized studies on the interaction between lifestyle changes during the social intervention period due to the Covid 19 epidemic, quality of life, emotional state and eating habits.

Changes in Eating Habits and Lifestyles in a Peruvian Population during Social Isolation for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background. Peru has one of the highest infection and death rates in the world for the COVID-19 pandemic. The government implemented house confinement measures with probable consequences on lifestyle, particularly affecting eating habits, physical activity, sleep quality, and mental health. Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess the lifestyles, physical activity, and sleep characteristics, as well as changes in eating habits in a Peruvian population during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. We analyzed Peruvian adults based on an online self-administered questionnaire divided into sociodemographic, anthropometrics, COVID-19 diagnosis reported, lifestyle habits, and frequency of consumption of foods. Results. During confinement for COVID-19, 1176 participants were studied. Of these, most reported weight gain (1 to 3 kg) and 35.7% were overweight. The lifestyles habits showed that 54.8% reported doing physical activity and 37.2% sleep less. The Peruvian sample presented a main meal pattern of breakfast (95.7%), lunch (97.5%), and dinner (89.1%). Likewise, eating habits before and during COVID-19 pandemic showed that vegetables (OR:1.56, CI95% 1.21–200), fruit (OR: 1.42, CI95% 1.10–1.81), legumes (OR:1.67, CI95% 1.23–2.28), and eggs (OR: 2.00, CI95% 1.52–2.65) presented significant consumption increase during social isolation, while bakery products (OR: 0.74, CI95% 0.56–0.97), meat, snack, refreshment, and fast food decreased in consumption. Other foods showed no significant differences. Conclusion. This study showed an important frequency of overweight and sleep changes. There was a slight increase in physical activity despite the social isolation measures and an increase in healthy eating habits; nevertheless, the majority reported gaining weight.

The effect of dietary phosphorus load and food matrix on postprandial serum phosphate in hemodialysis patients: a pilot study

Background: Potential dietary strategies for controlling hyperphosphataemia include the use of protein sources with lower phosphorus bioavailability such as pulses and nuts, focus on phosphorus to protein ratios and the avoidance of all phosphate additives. Methods: We conducted a controlled crossover feeding study in 8 haemodialysis (HD) patients to investigate the acute postprandial effect of a modified versus standard low phosphorus diet for one day on serum phosphate, potassium and intact parathyroid levels in prevalent HD patients. Each participant consumed the modified diet on one day and the standard diet on a second day one week apart. The modified diet included beef and less dairy, with a lower phosphorus to protein ratio, as well as plant-based protein, whole grains, pulses and nuts containing phytates which reduces phosphorus bioavailability. Both diets were tailored for each participant to provide 1.1g protein/kg ideal body weight. Participants provided fasting bloods before breakfast, a pre-prandial sample before the lunch time main meal and samples at one-hour intervals for the four hours after the lunch time main meal, for analysis of phosphate, potassium and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH). Results: At four hours post the lunch time main meal on each study day, individuals on the modified diet had serum phosphate readings 0.30 mmol/l lower than when on the standard diet (p-value = 0.015, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.57, -0.04). The corresponding change in serum potassium at four hours was a decrease of 0.675 mmol/l (p-value = 0.011, CI -1.25, -0.10). Conclusions: Decreases in both serum phosphate and serum potassium readings on a modified low phosphorus diet encourage further larger studies to explore the possibility of greater food choice and healthier plant-based diets in HD patients. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT04845724 (15/04/2021)

Development of an energy-dense biscuit suitable for primary school learners for the South African National School Nutrition Programme

South Africa has a well established National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP). Despite rescheduling the mealtime to two hours after the start of the school day to accommodate learners who come to school on an empty stomach, a gap still exists as many children start their learning day with low energy and concentration levels. A cost-effective, energy-dense snack served at the start of the school day can be a solution to sustain learners until the main meal is served. Cross-sectional surveys were used to determine the snack preferences of children and the product development process was used to develop a suitable snack. An energy-dense peanut butter biscuit was developed based on those surveys as well as a scoping review of previous snack studies. The energy-dense developed product provided 1388kJ (61.0%) of energy from fat, 688kJ (30.2%) of energy from carbohydrates and 201kJ (8.8%) of energy from protein per 100g. The biscuit conformed to microbial testing standards. Shelf-life analysis projected a shelf-life of five weeks fresh and five months in food grade packaging. Sensory results showed that there was no significant difference in sensory scores across gender (p=0.691) and age (p=0.706). More of the learners (n=56, 69.1%) found the biscuit to be ‘Super good’ than the other ratings (p<.0005). When compared with similar biscuit products currently on the market, it was found that the developed biscuit was the most reasonably priced. The developed biscuit has the potential to serve as a solution to hidden hunger for children that come to school on an empty stomach. This versatile snack solution has potential for continuity of use even during periods of national crisis as with COVID-19, when learners’ nutritional needs may be most vulnerable.

Eating Behaviors Are Associated with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness among female adolescents

BackgroundExcessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common sleep abnormality among adolescents, and it’s associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. We aimed to explore the relationships between eating behaviors and EDS among female adolscents.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study 988 Iranian adolescent girls aged between 12-18 years old were recruited. Presence of EDS was determined by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and eating behaviors was assessed by a pre-validated questionnaire. To investigate the association between dietary behaviors and the prevalence of EDS, we applied logistic regression analysis in crude and adjusted models (adjustments for age, physical activity, menstruation and second hand smoke and general obesity).ResultsThe prevalence of esccesive daytime sleepiness was obtained 24.3. The participants who consumed a major meal three times daily had a 0.56 lower odds for EDS compared to those who consumed a single major meal (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.21- 0.91). Individuals with a ‘high-rate of food chewing’ were less likely to have EDS (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.29 -1.04) compared with low and moderate rate of food chewing. Compared with those who consumed fried or spicy foods daily, individuals who never consumed fried (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 0.55- 5.86) or spicy foods (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 0.55- 5.29) had a greater risk for EDS. In addition, there were direct associations between lower meal regularity (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29- 0.95) and intra-meal fluid intake (OR: 3.00, 95% CI: 1.2- 7.3) with EDS in adjusted models. Neither in the crude nor in the adjusted models, were there significant associations between breakfast intake and frequency of snack consumption with EDS.ConclusionThe lowest frequency of main meal frequency, irregular meal consumption, breakfast skipping, low rate of food chewing, intra-meal fluid intake, and consumption of spicy and fried foods were associated with increased odds of EDS. Further prospective studies are required to confirm this finding.

The Effect of Resistance Training with Green Tea on Liver Enzymes in Athletic Female

Background: Exercise and nutrition help improve body health through several mechanisms, including progress liver function. Objectives: Present study aimed to investigate the effect of resistance training (RT) with green tea (GT) on liver enzymes in athletic female. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 40 female volleyball players aged 16 - 25 years based on body mass index (BMI) were divided into four groups of 10 persons including (1) placebo (P), (2) GT, (3) RT, and RT + GT. During eight weeks, groups 3 and 4 performed RT for three sessions per week, and groups 2 and 4 consumed 3 capsules of 500 mg GT daily after each main meal. Kolmogorov-Smirnov and factorial ANOVA tests were used to analyze the findings (P ≤ 0.05). Results: Eight weeks of RT, GT and RT + GT had no significant effect on AST (P = 0.78), ALT (P = 0.83) and ALP (P = 0.91) serum levels. Conclusions: It seems that eight weeks of RT, GT and RT + GT are not effective on changes of liver enzyme levels in athletic female.

Eating Behaviors Are Associated with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

BackgroundExcessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common sleep abnormality among adolescents, and it’s associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. We aimed to explore the relationships between eating behaviors and EDS among female adolscents.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study 988 Iranian adolescent girls aged between 12-18 years old were recruited. Presence of EDS was determined by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and eating behaviors was assessed by a pre-validated questionnaire. To investigate the association between dietary behaviors and the prevalence of EDS, we applied logistic regression analysis in crude and adjusted models (adjustments for age, physical activity, menstruation and second hand smoke and general obesity).ResultsThe prevalence of esccesive daytime sleepiness was obtained 24.3. The participants who consumed a major meal three times daily had a 0.56 lower odds for EDS compared to those who consumed a single major meal (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.21- 0.91). Individuals with a ‘high-rate of food chewing’ were less likely to have EDS (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.29 -1.04) compared with low and moderate rate of food chewing. Compared with those who consumed fried or spicy foods daily, individuals who never consumed fried (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 0.55- 5.86) or spicy foods (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 0.55- 5.29) had a greater risk for EDS. In addition, there were direct associations between lower meal regularity (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.29- 0.95) and intra-meal fluid intake (OR: 3.00, 95% CI: 1.2- 7.3) with EDS in adjusted models. Neither in the crude nor in the adjusted models, were there significant associations between breakfast intake and frequency of snack consumption with EDS.ConclusionThe lowest frequency of main meal frequency, irregular meal consumption, breakfast skipping, low rate of food chewing, intra-meal fluid intake, and consumption of spicy and fried foods were associated with increased odds of EDS. Further prospective studies are required to confirm this finding.

The Effect of Exercise Timing on Elevated Postprandial Glucose in Women With Obesity

Background and Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effect of exercise timing on elevated postprandial glucose and after brief interval exercises in women with obesity. Methods & Materials: Ten women with obesity (Mean±SD age = 40.41±3.97 years; weight = 86.66±7.26 kg; and BMI = 33.22±2.20 kg/m2) participated in a crossover design exercise intervention: 1) postprandial aerobic exercise, 2) pre-prandial aerobic exercise, 3) brief periodic exercise, and 4) control. Pre- and postprandial exercise included 30 min of moderate-intensity walking on the treadmill before and after each main meal (1 minute of exercise -30 seconds rest). The brief periodic exercise had three one-minute reps of activity every 30 min for 20 times during the day. Twelve-hour continuous glucose monitoring and two-hour postprandial glucose levels were calculated to examine changes in blood glucose levels. Ethical Considerations: This study was approved by the institutional review board of the University of Isfahan (Ethics Code: IR.UI.REC.1397.119) and conducted in agreement with the ethical principles for biomedical research involving human subjects outlined in the declaration of Helsinki. Results: The findings of this study suggested that brief periodic exercise resulted in a significant decrease in continuous glucose monitoring levels and postprandial glucose compared to the control group as well as pre-prandial exercise (P˂0.05). However, pre- and postprandial exercise did not result in significant changes in continuous glucose monitoring (P˃0.05). In addition, postprandial exercise led to a significant decrease in postprandial glucose compared to the control group (P˂0.05). Conclusion: It seems that brief periodic exercise can have more beneficial effects on postprandial glucose levels, probably due to improved glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle.

The Image of BREAD in Lithuanian Dictionaries

The bread in one form or another has been known to people all over the world. Linguistic data and rites show that the Lithuanians have been eating bread since ancient times. Bread is mentioned in the small-form verbal folklore, songs, sagas, fairy tales, beliefs and various rites. In ancient times the bread was personalised and deified. The examples from the dialect dictionaries were also included into the research because every dialectal saying is an example of cultural message, manifestation of tradition nurturance and preservation, a part of cultural heritage, which links the past with the present. The dialectal examples show, what is deep-rooted in the tradition, what is passed down from generation to generation, what lies in the traditional value system and what makes the essence of an ethnic group. Due to these reasons the dialectal texts have a huge public or cultural value as they denote a content that is significant to a certain community. Having completed the analysis of dialectal discourse, it can be stated that various dictionaries construct the following picture of the concept bread: bread is the main meal of people, it is baked from different kinds of cereal flours, it is respected and saved, it has healing powers; the bread baked at home is the most delicious; if there is no bread, a person starves; to have bread all the time one has to work hard because baking bread is labour-intensive work, which has to be performed with knowledge and love, to make bread delicious and fragrant, calamus, cabbage or maple leaves are put under a loaf of bread, it is decorated or marked with sacred signs; an individual equals bread with human activity and appearance; bread is a measure of life, a reference point for evaluating certain actions. The place of bread in the human life is reflected by derivates as well: special things, capacities for mixing, souring, baking, slicing or keeping bread; other meals prepared from bread.

Prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among higher secondary students in a district in Kerala

Background: Overweight and obesity among adolescents and children are associated with early onset of non-communicable diseases and greater risk of complications in adulthood. The study was conceived in the background of the high burden on adult non-communicable diseases in the state, to assess the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among higher secondary students in one of its fourteen districts, with a view to explore the areas to be focused in preventive activities.Methods: Anthropometric, blood pressure, and physical examination of 1846 class plus one students were conducted in Thiruvananthapuram. Lifestyle assessment of the children was also conducted using a self-administered prevalidated questionnaire. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was calculated based on Indian academy of pediatrics body mass index cut-offs. Logistic regression analysis was done to discover factors associated with overweight conditions.Results: Among the students, 14.19% were overweight; 6.45% were obese. Boys, rural residents, and those from low socioeconomic background had lower odds of being overweight. Students who had main meal (s) from outside on three or more days a week (adjusted odds ratio 1.99; CI: 1.17-3.386), and with history of hypercholesterolemia (adjusted odds ratios (aOR) 1.8; CI: 1.19-2.63), obesity (aOR 1.6; CI: 1.11-2.23), or diabetes (aOR 1.5; CI: 1.17-1.95) in the immediate-family had higher odds of being overweight. Hypertension and acanthosis were significantly higher among overweight students (p=0.001).Conclusions: The results warrant the adoption of screening and timely intervention for non-communicable disease risk factors from school level itself to reduce future morbidity and the risk of complications.