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The present study investigated whether exposing children to a television advertisement for a sugar-laden cereal that depicts physical activities influences their perceptions of the promoted food as healthy and appealing differently than exposure to an advertisement for the same product without the depiction of physical activities. Differences in the impact each advertisement had on children's attitudes toward and intentions to exercise were also examined. In addition to testing the straightforward effect of advertising exposure, this study explored the potential for age differences to lead to differing interpretations of advertising messages. A 2 (advertising condition) X 2 (age group) experimental design was employed. Participants were randomly assigned to view an advertisement for Frosted Flakes cereal that either did or did not depict physical activities. They were then offered three snack options, including Frosted Flakes, and asked a series of questions pertaining to their perceptions of the advertised cereal, the depicted physical activities, and more general forms of exercise. Exposure to advertising promoting an unhealthy food alongside portrayals of physical activity had an immediate strengthening effect on children's perceptions of the food's healthfulness. Likewise, younger children held more positive attitudes toward the promoted food when they viewed an advertisement associating it with physical activities. However, children's attitudes toward and intentions to engage in any form of exercise did not differ as a result of the advertisement they had viewed, regardless of the child's age. These findings help to explain prior research showing that children's exposure to food advertising is related to nutritional misperceptions. They are consistent with a growing body of research revealing that children respond favorably to food advertisements that associate a product with healthfulness. These findings contrast with food companies' assertions that promoting physical activity in their marketing is encouraging children to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Background: The prevalence of adult overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide. Innovative weight reduction interventions are needed to decrease the physical, psychological, and financial costs associated with this condition. Individually-adapted physical activity interventions delivered by Health Educators in a primary care setting have shown promise in addressing adult overweight and obesity. Process evaluations are needed to clarify results obtained from randomized controlled trials and to provide insight regarding optimal programming strategies for obesity reduction interventions. Purpose: To investigate the process evaluation components dose, fidelity, and quality of implementation of the PROACTIVE intervention to increase physical activity among overweight and obese adults in a primary care setting. Methods: One hundred ninety-four overweight or obese adults (135 women, mean age = 51.3 years, SD = 10.8; 59 men, mean age = 54.3 years, SD = 10.6) were randomized to attend 22 individualized behavioural counselling sessions over 12 months. The Physical Activity Recall questionnaire, Session Summary Forms, and Health Care Climate Questionnaire were utilized to measure physical activity and intervention dose, fidelity, and quality. Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted. Results: Overall physical activity and total active hours did not significantly change after 6 and 12 months of participation in PROACTIVE; however, physical activity intensity did significantly change. Light intensity physical activity decreased while moderate intensity physical activity increased from baseline to 6 months; this shift was maintained from 6 to 12 months. Dose and fidelity of implementation did not predict physical activity involvement at 6 and 12 months. Three-quarters of the intervention was implemented as planned and women received a significantly greater percentage of intervention content then men. Quality of the Health Educator-client relationship significantly predicted total number of hours spent being physically active at 12 months, but should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size. Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that dose and fidelity do not predict physical activity involvement and that additional research is warranted to investigate quality. It is recommended that future studies examine the critical intervention content that correlates to an increase in physical activity among overweight and obese adults. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-26 23:21:43.09

Childhood and youth obesity is a global public health issue. International studies can provide research findings and training opportunities to expand knowledge and initiate action on this issue. This manuscript-based thesis is composed of three studies that aim to better address cross-national differences in the determinants of childhood and youth obesity and the effectiveness of an obesity research capacity building initiative. The first manuscript examined cross-national differences in the chain food retail environment surrounding schools, student lunchtime eating behaviours, and the relations between these variables in 13-15 year old youth from Canada, Scotland, and the US. More chain food retailers were located within 1 km from schools in the US than in the other countries, yet fewer American students ate their lunch at a food retailer. An increase in the number of food retailers located close to schools was related to eating behaviours in Canadian students only. The second manuscript examined differences in the relationship between physical fitness and obesity measures within 10-13 year old children from three countries that sit at the early (Kenya), mid (Mexico), and end (Canada) stages of the nutrition and physical activity transitions. Negative relationships between aerobic fitness and obesity were observed in children from all three countries. Mexican children with low aerobic fitness levels had higher obesity values than did Canadian and Kenyan children. The third manuscript evaluated an obesity research capacity building initiative. This initiative consisted of a short course on obesity research developed by Canadians for early career researchers from Mexico. Student attendance and feedback demonstrated excellent reach. Dose delivered was high with all 21 course sections taught as planned. In the year following the course, students used a diversity of skills learned in the course suggesting that dose received was good. Barriers to research identified by participants included a lack of devoted research time and money to conduct research. The findings from this thesis contribute to an improved understanding of the determinants of obesity in children and how these determinants vary across countries. These findings also provide evidence that researchers from developed countries can help develop obesity research capacity in developing countries. / Thesis (Ph.D, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-04-17 16:13:28.129

This study examined the effect of varying levels of competence and warmth portrayed by an obese woman, on the evaluation of obese individuals in general. The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) provided a theoretical basis for the four interventions and one control group tested in this study. The interventions involved presenting, either online or in-person, a vignette of an obese woman with varying levels (high versus low) of competence and warmth to 400 first year university students. Several measures were used to evaluate feelings, attitudes, stereotypes, and levels of perceived competence and warmth both prior to receiving the intervention and at three follow-up times. Results revealed significant effects of the warmth intervention on measures of competence and warmth at the post-test 1 time, and of the warmth intervention on measures of competence in examining changes over a two-week time period. Results also showed significant effects of presentation condition, the most interesting finding being that those in the online condition reported the greatest decrease in negative stereotypes and evaluations. Limitations of this study including design flaws are identified, as are suggestions for future research, and implications of these findings.

The prevalence of obesity and associated medical conditions amongst Indian patients attending an urban Indian general practice in Phoenix was investigated. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires and checklists. All obese patients, 18 years of age and older, who attended the Researcher's general practice were interviewed and examined, personally, by the Researcher. The study was conducted over a period of three months. In respect of identifying medical conditions associated with obesity, information from patients' records in the Researcher's general practice was utilized and where this was not available, a questionnaire to identify the aforementioned medical conditions, was administered to the patient. Data were collected, entered onto a collation sheet and analysed manually. The prevalence rate of obesity for males and females was found to be 4% and 13% respectively. The majority (88%) of obese subjects were married and were housewives. A large number (81%) had received a low level of education. The majority (91%) did not smoke. Most (95%) did not consume any alcohol. The majority of obese subjects (70%) came from families consisting of between four and seven persons. Most were in the third and fourth decades of their lives (65%), and engaged in very little physical activity. The majority (70%) had a diet consisting mainly of carbohydrates, especially refined carbohydrates. Dyspnoea was the most commonly occurring medical condition in these subjects (32%). Next ranked osteoarthrosis (23%); then varicose veins (10%); depression (10%); hypertension (9%); anxiety (6%); diabetes niellitus (4%); flat feet (2%); hernia (2%) and ischaemic heart disease (2%). Obesity is associated with much morbidity. Efforts should be directed towards preventive measures as well as identifying and treating those obese persons who are at risk of developing obesity - associated diseases. / Thesis (M.Med.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1986.

The failure to maintain a healthy lifestyle (particularly consuming a healthy diet and engaging in regular physical activity) is a significant contributor to overweight and obesity and the resulting detrimental effects on individual and public health. Using Social Cognitive Theory and the Health Action Process Approach to inform the theoretical framework, this research examined whether maintaining a healthy lifestyle is influenced by different factors in overweight or obese and normal weight groups. Participants were 374 University students, categorized as overweight or obese and normal weight based on BMI determined by self-reported height and weight. They were assessed on measures of healthy eating and physical activity (at three-month intervals, to determine the maintenance of those behaviours over time) and variables predicted to influence those behaviours including: action self-efficacy, outcome expectations, intentions, planning, recovery self-efficacy, facilitators (i.e., consideration of future consequences, perceived social support and perceptions of general health) and impediments (i.e., depression, perceived stress and shame). Structural Equation Modeling was used to determine the fit of the predicted model for the total sample and for the overweight and obese and normal weight subgroups. The results demonstrated that a revised model predicting exercise behaviour (but not healthy diet) was able to adequately explain the data for the overall sample and for the normal weight subsample, but not for the overweight and obese subsample. Outcome expectations about exercise, self-efficacy and planning made important contributions to the prediction of exercise behaviour, but not diet. Implications of these findings will be discussed.

Übergewicht und Adipositas nehmen in unsere Gesellschaft einen zunehmend höheren Stellenwert ein. Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit den 1-Jahresergebnissen des multimodalen Adipositasprogramms des Klinikums St. Georg. Mit der vorübergehenden Implantation eines Magenballons, einer „Very low caloried Diet“ und einer intensiven Langzeitbetreuung sollen für Patienten mit morbider Adipositas Grad III (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m²) vor einer eventuellen chirurgischen Intervention die konservativen Möglichkeiten ausgeschöpft werden. Dazu wurden folgende Fragestellungen bearbeitet: 1. Welche BMI-Reduktion und welcher EWL sind in einem Jahr möglich? 2. Gibt es abhängige Faktoren auf den Gewichtsverlust? 3. Zu welchen Veränderungen der Körperzusammensetzung kommt es im Rahmen des Gewichtsverlustes? 95 Insgesamt wurden die Ergebnisse von 65 Patienten ausgewertet, die das Programm zwischen März 2009 und Juni 2011 absolviert hatten. Mit dem Fragebogen zum Essverhalten von Pudel und Westenhöfer wurden die Störbarkeiten beim Essverhalten, sowie bereits stattgefundene Diätversuche erfasst. Außerdem konnten so Daten über den Schulabschluss und die Lebenssituation gewonnen werden. Mit der Bioelektrischen Impedanzanalyse, die in dreimonatigen Abstand durchgeführt wurde, konnte die Veränderung der Körperzusammensetzung der Patienten während der Gewichtsreduktion verfolgt werden. Nach einem Jahr zeigte sich eine hochsignifikante BMI-Reduktion von 11,2 kg/m² und ein EWL von im Mittel 35 %. Desweiteren konnte eine hochsignifikante Reduktion des Körperfetts von 26,1 kg verzeichnet werden. Patientenbezogende Faktoren, wie Geschlecht, Alter oder Bildung hatten zu keiner Zeit einen signifikanten Einfluss auf den Abnehmerfolg. So ist es Jedem möglich, in diesem konservativen Programm mit Motivation und Selbstdisziplin einen adäquaten Gewichtsverlust zu erreichen. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass im Rahmen eines multimodalen Adipositasprogramms eine signifikante Gewichtsreduktion erreicht werden kann, die mit den Ergebnissen der bariatrischen Operationen vergleichbar ist. So können in multimodalen Programmen konservative Optionen maximal ausgeschöpft und die Operationsindikation selektiver gestellt werden.

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Obese females face a number of health challenges, including infertility. Obese females are three times more likely to present with infertility compared to normal weight females. Exercise improves infertility by interacting with hormones specific to reproduction. The hormones leptin and kisspeptin (KiSS) are crucial for reproduction. Research suggests leptin may increase production and secretion of KiSS. KiSS subsequently increases gonadotropin-releasing hormone, activating the menstrual cycle and reproduction. Interestingly, circulating levels of leptin and KiSS are altered in the obese state. Leptin levels significantly increase, whereas KiSS levels decrease. Studies demonstrate increases in leptin cause leptin resistances, which is followed by a decrease in KiSS mRNA concentrations. Exercise is associated with decreases in circulating leptin and infertility, however there is no research examining the changes in KiSS after an exercise intervention. Therefore the purpose of this research was to examine the effects of an exercise intervention on circulating KiSS and leptin levels in obese females. Ten obese females were randomized to an exercise intervention (n=5) or a non-exercise control group (n=5). The exercise intervention group completed a 12-week supervised, progressive, aerobic exercise program that involved walking a treadmill between 65 – 75% of their predicated maximum heart rate. The non-exercise control group maintained their current lifestyle habits. All participants had blood drawn at three different time points; baseline, mid-point and end-point; and KiSS and leptin levels were analyzed. The exercise group had a significant decrease in %BF (p<0.01) compared to the control group from baseline to end-point testing, whereas there was a significant increase in weight (p<0.01) and BMI (p<0.01) in the control group from baseline to mid-point testing. A group main effect for circulating leptin levels was found (p<0.01), however a pairwise comparison between the exercise and control group was not significant (p=0.81). For KiSS there was a main effect of time (p<0.05). Test of Within-Subjects Contrasts indicated that there was a significant decrease in KiSS between baseline and end-point testing (p=0.05). Individual participant data was also graphically represented for weight, leptin and KiSS level. Trends in the data suggest leptin levels in the exercise group corresponded with changes in weight; as weight decreased from baseline to mid-point testing, so did leptin levels. When individual participant KiSS levels were looked at in conjunction with leptin changes over the intervention potential trends did appear. All exercise participants experienced decreases in leptin from baseline to mid-point testing and all but one exercise participant saw increases in KiSS levels during the same time frame. Overall, results support a decrease in %BF in the exercise group compared to the control group. However, there was no evidence to support that an exercise intervention for obese females statistically significantly decreased circulating leptin levels and increases KiSS levels. Although there was a trend for hormone levels to be associated with body fat levels, the small sample size was problematic. A definitive study with increased numbers is now required to elucidate whether the trends become significant.