Parent Conversations About Healthful Eating and Weight: Associations With Adolescent Disordered Eating Behaviors.

Parent Conversations About Healthful Eating and Weight: Associations With Adolescent Disordered Eating Behaviors.

JAMA Pediatr. 2013 Jun 24; 1-7
Berge JM, Maclehose R, Loth KA, Eisenberg M, Bucchianeri MM, Neumark-Sztainer D

IMPORTANCE The prevalence of weight-related problems in adolescents is high. Parents of adolescents may wonder whether talking about eating habits and weight is useful or detrimental. OBJECTIVE To examine the associations between parent conversations about healthful eating and weight and adolescent disordered eating behaviors. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis using data from 2 linked multilevel population-based studies. SETTING Anthropometric assessments and surveys completed at school by adolescents and surveys completed at home by parents in 2009-2010. PARTICIPANTS Socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse sample (81% ethnic minority; 60% low income) of adolescents from Eating and Activity in Teens 2010 (EAT 2010) (n = 2793; mean age, 14.4 years) and parents from Project Families and Eating and Activity in Teens (Project F-EAT) (n = 3709; mean age, 42.3 years). EXPOSURE Parent conversations about healthful eating and weight/size. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Adolescent dieting, unhealthy weight-control behaviors, and binge eating. RESULTS Mothers and fathers who engaged in weight-related conversations had adolescents who were more likely to diet, use unhealthy weight-control behaviors, and engage in binge eating. Overweight or obese adolescents whose mothers engaged in conversations that were focused only on healthful eating behaviors were less likely to diet and use unhealthy weight-control behaviors. Additionally, subanalyses with adolescents with data from 2 parents showed that when both parents engaged in healthful eating conversations, their overweight or obese adolescent children were less likely to diet and use unhealthy weight-control behaviors. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Parent conversations focused on weight/size are associated with increased risk for adolescent disordered eating behaviors, whereas conversations focused on healthful eating are protective against disordered eating behaviors. HubMed – eating

Anaphylaxis caused by ingestion of jellyfish.

Eur J Dermatol. 2013 Jun 24;
Imamura K, Tsuruta D, Tsuchisaka A, Mori T, Ohata C, Furumura M, Hashimoto T

Although anaphylaxis caused by foods is well known, an immediate allergic reaction due to jellyfish ingestion has never been reported. We report a 32-year-old Japanese female, who developed anaphylaxis after eating salt-preserved jellyfish. The patient was a surfer and had frequently been stung by jellyfish. Thirty minutes after eating salted jellyfish, she showed wheals and oral stinging sensation and 60 minutes later when she was dancing the hula, she showed an asthma-like attack, hypotension, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Prick-to-prick test for the salted jellyfish produced a positive reaction as strong as that induced by histamine. Immunoblot analysis revealed that IgE antibodies in the patient serum reacted with an approximately 200 kDa protein in extracts from tentacle and umbrella of living jellyfish and in extract from the salted jellyfish, as well as a 25 kDa protein only in extracts from living jellyfish. This patient is considered to be the first reported case of anaphylaxis caused by intake of jellyfish. It is speculated that the patient was first sensitized through the skin by jellyfish stings and then jellyfish intake induced generalized attack of anaphylaxis. The 200 kDa unknown jellyfish protein may be the causative allergen. HubMed – eating

Diet Pills, Powders, and Liquids: Predictors of Use by Healthy Weight Females.

J Sch Nurs. 2013 Jun 24;
Thorlton J, Park C, Hughes T

About 35% of healthy weight adolescent females describe themselves as overweight, and 66% report planning to lose weight. Body weight dissatisfaction is associated with unhealthy weight loss practices including diet pill/powder/liquid (PPL) use. Few studies have examined diet PPL use in healthy weight adolescent females; therefore, Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (n = 247) were analyzed to identify predictors of use. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Complex Samples software. Social cognitive theory served as the framework guiding the analysis. Approximately 8% of healthy weight females reported using diet PPL for weight loss. Describing self as overweight, planning to lose weight, being offered drugs at school, fasting to lose weight, cigarette/alcohol use, vomiting, and laxative use were significantly associated (p < .05) with diet PPL use. Health professionals, including school nurses, must assess for unhealthy weight loss practices in healthy weight females, in order to adequately address related issues. HubMed – eating

Behaviors Related to Physical Activity and Nutrition Among U.S. High School Students.

J Adolesc Health. 2013 Jun 21;
Brener ND, Eaton DK, Kann LK, McManus TS, Lee SM, Scanlon KS, Fulton JE, O’Toole TP

National data related to physical activity (PA) and nutrition among adolescents are needed to help develop effective obesity prevention programs. The 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (NYPANS) was conducted to provide nationally representative data on behaviors and behavioral correlates related to healthy eating and PA.NYPANS used a three-stage cluster sample design to obtain data representative of public- and private-school students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States (n = 11,429). Students completed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire in their classrooms during a regular class period. Trained data collectors directly measured the students’ height and weight at school using a standard protocol.Analyses revealed that 19.0% of students were obese and 17.8% were overweight. Students participated in a range of physical activities during the 12 months before the survey; prevalence ranged from 5.0% for ice hockey to 83.9% for walking. In addition, 52.5% of students enjoyed the physical education classes they took at school. During the 7 days before the survey, 74.8% of students ate at least one meal or snack from a fast food restaurant, with black students more likely than white and Hispanic students to have done so. Forty-one percent of students always or most of the time have a TV on while eating dinner at home.These and other NYPANS results can be used to develop obesity prevention programs that address specific behaviors and behavioral correlates, and target subgroups in which behaviors and behavioral correlates related to obesity are most prevalent. HubMed – eating

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