Eating Disorders: Neighborhood Food Environment Role in Modifying Psychosocial Stress-Diet Relationships.

Neighborhood food environment role in modifying psychosocial stress-diet relationships.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Appetite. 2013 Feb 13;
Zenk SN, Schulz AJ, Izumi BT, Mentz G, Israel BA, Lockett M

Exposure to highly palatable foods may increase eating in response to stress, but this behavioral response has not been examined in relation to the neighborhood food environment. This study examined whether the neighborhood food environment modified relationships between psychosocial stress and dietary behaviors. Probability-sample survey (n=460) and in-person food environment audit data were used. Dietary behaviors were measured using 17 snack food items and a single eating-out-of-home item. Chronic stress was derived from five subscales; major life events was a count of 9 items. The neighborhood food environment was measured as availability of large grocery stores, small grocery stores, and convenience stores, as well as proportion of restaurants that were fast food. Two-level hierarchical regression models were estimated. Snack food intake was positively associated with convenience store availability and negatively associated with large grocery store availability. The measures of chronic stress and major life events were generally not associated with either dietary behavior overall, although Latinos were less likely to eat out at high levels of major life events than African Americans. Stress-neighborhood food environment interactions were not statistically significant. Important questions remain regarding the role of the neighborhood food environment in the stress-diet relationship that warrant further investigation.
HubMed – eating

Exploring the Use of Storybooks to Reach Mothers of Preschoolers with Nutrition and Physical Activity Messages.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

J Nutr Educ Behav. 2013 Feb 14;
Bellows L, Spaeth A, Lee V, Anderson J

OBJECTIVE: To assess perceptions stay-at-home mothers have about their preschoolers’ eating and physical activity behaviors and to explore the feasibility of using storybooks in home-based nutrition and activity programming. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted with 24 mothers, intercept interviews were conducted with 30 parents, and a storybook prototype was developed and pretested in 8 preschool classrooms. RESULTS: Mothers acknowledged picky eating as an issue and were less likely to identify issues with physical activity, but they were interested in information on gross motor development. Mothers strongly supported storybooks as a modality to convey and reinforce health messages at home. The storybook prototype was well liked by parents, teachers, and preschoolers. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Storybooks are a practical method to reach mothers and preschoolers and have the potential to elicit changes in eating and activity behaviors. Understanding mothers’ perceptions of healthy eating and physical activity is essential to ensure that storybook messages resonate with this audience.
HubMed – eating

Update of the Healthy Eating Index: HEI-2010.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013 Feb 13;
Guenther PM, Casavale KO, Reedy J, Kirkpatrick SI, Hiza HA, Kuczynski KJ, Kahle LL, Krebs-Smith SM

The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a measure of diet quality in terms of conformance with federal dietary guidance. Publication of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans prompted an interagency working group to update the HEI. The HEI-2010 retains several features of the 2005 version: (a) it has 12 components, many unchanged, including nine adequacy and three moderation components; (b) it uses a density approach to set standards, eg, per 1,000 calories or as a percentage of calories; and (c) it employs least-restrictive standards; ie, those that are easiest to achieve among recommendations that vary by energy level, sex, and/or age. Changes to the index include: (a) the Greens and Beans component replaces Dark Green and Orange Vegetables and Legumes; (b) Seafood and Plant Proteins has been added to capture specific choices from the protein group; (c) Fatty Acids, a ratio of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated to saturated fatty acids, replaces Oils and Saturated Fat to acknowledge the recommendation to replace saturated fat with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids; and (d) a moderation component, Refined Grains, replaces the adequacy component, Total Grains, to assess overconsumption. The HEI-2010 captures the key recommendations of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines and, like earlier versions, will be used to assess the diet quality of the US population and subpopulations, evaluate interventions, research dietary patterns, and evaluate various aspects of the food environment.
HubMed – eating

The Influence of Food Intake on Liver Stiffness Values Assessed by Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Elastography-Preliminary Results.

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Ultrasound Med Biol. 2013 Feb 13;
Popescu A, Bota S, Sporea I, Sirli R, Danila M, Racean S, Suseanu D, Gradinaru O, Ivascu Siegfried C

The present study assessed the influence of food intake on acoustic radiation force impulse elastography (ARFI) measurements. Seventy-three healthy volunteers were included: 57 subjects in the study group (on whom ARFI measurements were performed first in fasting condition, followed by measurements made 1h and 3h after food intake); and 16 subjects in the control group (on whom ARFI measurements were performed 3 times during a 3-h interval without eating). All subjects included in the study group received the same standard solid meal. In the study group, the mean liver stiffness (LS) values by ARFI increased significantly 1 h after food intake (1.51 ± 0.40 m/s vs. 1.27 ± 0.23, p = 0.003), but 3 h after the meal the differences were no longer significant (1.46 ± 0.51 vs. 1.27 ± 0.23, p = 0.06). In the control group, the mean LS values were similar in all 3 measurements. In conclusion, food intake significantly increased the LS values, thus ARFI measurements should be performed in fasting conditions.
HubMed – eating

More Eating Disorders Information…