The purpose of this study was to determine how a soy-based diet modifies tissue-specific adipogenesis and the impact on the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese male lean and obese Zucker rats. Animals were randomly assigned to three diet groups for 17 weeks: casein control, whey control and soy protein. Physiological data were collected throughout the study and at week 14 animals were subjected to an OGTT. As previously demonstrated, obese soy-fed animals had greater final body weights and adiposity, and exhibited an increased food intake. Despite hypertrophic adipocytes in all obese animals, those fed soy protein presented with a benign obesity phenotype. Soy diets attenuated obesity-induced hepatic lipid accumulation and markers of inflammation. The obese soy-fed rats had greater adipocyte hypertrophy without an increase in adipocyte density (number per area), suggesting adipocyte hyperplasia in this group. This corresponded with maintenance of glucose tolerance and serum lipid profiles in the obese soy-fed group despite the greater adiposity. Transcript abundance of adipogenic regulatory genes revealed no significant diet effect at 17 weeks in adipose tissue, but did show greater modification of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the liver. These results demonstrate benefits of a soy protein diet in amelioration of obesity-related pathologies such as non-alcoholic fatty liver and impaired insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, these outcomes may be mediated through an interaction of soy with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

The current study examined the relation of impulsivity and obesity in three neuroimaging studies using MRI techniques to test the hypothesis that deficits in brain regions responsible for inhibitory control are associated with obesity. The first study used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to explore volumetric differences in lean, overweight, and obese women (N=83) and found that BMI was negatively correlated with grey matter (GM) in the insula, frontal operculum, and inferior frontal gyrus. BMI was positively correlated with white matter (WM) in the fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, Rolandic operculum, and dorsal striatum. Genetic alleles for dopamine expression moderated these relations. Additionally, less GM in the superior frontal gyrus predicted future increases in BMI. The second study used VBM to examine differences between lean adolescents at risk versus not at risk for obesity (N=54). There were no regional GM or WM differences based on risk status. There were also no regional differences that predicted weight gain over 1-year follow-up. Additionally, genetic alleles for dopamine expression did not moderate any of these regions. These findings suggest that volumetric differences may emerge after excessive weight gain. Finally, the third study used a psychophysiological interaction analysis to test functional connectivity between prefrontal and limbic regions as a function of BMI in lean, overweight, and obese women (N=37) during a go/no-go task. There was no functional connectivity found in seed regions in relation to BMI. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.

This study takes the form of exploratory and descriptive research in which children in middle childhoods’ experience of their obesity was explored and described. A case study research design was used in a qualitative approach and data was gathered through semi-structured interviews. The data analysis spiral of Cresswell was implemented in order to facilitate the research process. Empirical findings present the experiences obese children in middle childhood undergo with regard to different areas of their development. The researcher drew upon literature relating to obesity and middle childhood development in order to analyse and verify collected data in pursuit of describing children’s experience of their obesity. Emotional hideaway amongst obese children, the role of the family in an obese child’s life and the reason why obese children make the wrong food choices are some of the topics not addressed in the limited scope of this project. The possibility of exploring these final thoughts provides opportunity for future research. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Play Therapy)

Overweight and obesity have significant health and economic consequences for people living in the UK. The psychological factors involved in the development of overweight and obesity are very important and can make a significant contribution to the development of interventions that inform public health policy and services. The current thesis employed three studies to examine the psychological factors that may predict overweight and obesity and contribute to the development of interventions that help to promote long-term weight loss maintenance, which have implications for improving health outcomes and reducing the economic burden. Study One (N=60) employed a 5-day diary to examine overweight and obese individuals' perceived reasons for eating (particularly in relation to unhealthy snacking). Study Two (N=30) was a follow-up to Study One and examined the factors that may predict long-term weight change. Finally, Study Three (N=60) employed an exploratory randomised controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a combined mindfulness plus implementation intentions intervention for promoting physical activity. The results of Study One provided evidence for the existence of reasons for eating unhealthy snacks other than hunger and highlighted the importance of addressing these factors within weight management interventions. Study Two did not conclusively demonstrate that psychological reasons for eating were long-term predictors of weight change, suggesting future research is needed to obtain further information on this complicated issue. This will help to determine whether reasons for eating can indeed predict weight change. The combined intervention in Study Three failed to promote physical activity, but highlighted a number of interesting factors such as task difficulty, unsupportive environments and insufficient motivation that need to be addressed in future research. Ensuring the population maintain a healthy weight and improving long-term health outcomes is very important, and therefore needs to be addressed at multiple levels in order to inform effective public health policy and services.

The prevalence of obesity is increasing and due to its associated co-morbidities (WHO, 2011) obese people are at greater risk of being hospitalised. While it is evident that student nurses will increasingly be caring for obese patients, there has been a scarcity of studies exploring student nurses' conceptualisation of obesity and participation in obese patients' care. The aims of this study were to explore student nurses' care of obese patients and the meaning they assigned to obesity. I utilised an ethnographic approach that included 305 hours of participant observation of student nurses (n=11), qualified nurses (n=11), nurse managers (n=3) and health care assistants (n=10) in three hospital settings in Wales (orthopaedic, gynaecological-surgical, and respiratory). Data also included semi-structured interviews with student nurses (n=7), documentary analysis and the technique of drawing pictures. The thematic analysis generated three themes: 'student nurses' encounters with obese patients', 'constructing the meaning of obesity: the culture and context of care', and 'the consequences of student nurses' involvement with obese patients' care'. Student nurses found the intensity and frequency of their involvement with obese patients' care challenging, particularly in the areas of interaction, food and nutrition, physical care and moving and handling. Integral to their conceptualisation of obesity were student nurses' cultural norms and values, their limited knowledge regarding obese patients' care, professional socialisation, organisational constraints, and patients' contribution to their care. Student nurses felt disempowered because of the emotional and physical labour they experienced when caring for obese patients. In turn, they participated in the exercise of power over obese patients with both intended and unintended consequences. Equally important was the 'covert liking' (Johnson, 1997) that some students felt towards obese patients who engaged in empowering acts of care to compensate for others' controlling behaviours. The findings provided insights into the student experience of caring for obese patients and raised issues related to the role of culture and context of care in student nurses' conceptualisation of obesity. Drawing on Foucault's (1976) notion of power facilitated understanding of the significance of obesity-related discourses and associated power inequalities in clinical practice. Changes in nurse education and practice are proposed to ensure that nurses are adequately prepared to care for obese patients.

The problem of this study was to compare the number of trials required for obese and normal subjects to master the first new concept in a set of cards and the degree of negative transfer exhibited by the two groups on a second new concept in that same set once the first concept had been acquired.

M.Cur / Critical overweight is currently regarded as an epidemic by the World Health Organization (Hodgson, accessed 18 March 2007). It is one of the direct causes of illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, as well as certain types of cancer. Socio-cultural influences play a role in the life of a critically overweight person. The role models that especially young girls and women see in the media are unrealistic (Fairburn en Brownell, 2002:103). Although there is a lot of information available regarding the intake of nutrients in order to address the physical dimension of a person, Villapiana and Goodman (2001:1) believe that the critically overweight person must change his/her behaviour. The following goals were kept in mind continually throughout the research: 􀂃 to explore and describe the experiences of the critically overweight person; and 􀂃 to create guidelines for the advanced psychiatric nurse in order for him/her to facilitate the mental health of the critically overweight person. The paradigmatic point of departure of the Department of Nursing at the University of Johannesburg (2006:2-7), as worded in the Theory for the Promotion of Health in Nursing, directs the study. A functional approach to nursing, according to Botes’ model (University of Johannesburg, School of Nursing Paradigm, 2006:9-12), was followed. The researcher conducted semi-structured phenomenological interviews (Holloway and Wheeler, 1996:2) with the critically overweight persons who met the criteria of the sample. Permission for the research was obtained from the University of Johannesburg, as well as the informed permission of the eight individuals who took part in the research. Trustworthiness was maintained by following strategies of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability (Lincoln en Guba, 1985:298-331). After the data had been analysed and a consensus conversation taken place, literature control was done in order to compare the results with that of other research. The researcher has come to the conclusion that the critically overweight person experiences a paradoxical process that is characterised by a dividedness relationship vii with the self, which then spreads to relationships with other people, as well as the environment. The inner struggle is experienced as anti-poles in which participants yearn for balance. Discord develops between thoughts, feelings and behaviour, with accompanying effects on mental health. The paradoxical process is maintained by factors that strengthen the dividedness and has certain effects that cause further discomfort for the critically overweight person. Guidelines were developed for the advanced psychiatric nurse to facilitate the mental health of the critically overweight person. Conclusions were made, limitations of the research pointed out and recommendations for nursing practice, nursing education and nursing research made.

Ageing and obesogenic diets are two prominent problems in the developed world, as both lead to an increase in body mass and insulin resistance, which can then result in further pathophysiologies, such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) contributes to development of body weight gain and insulin resistance through negatively regulating leptin and insulin signalling, respectively. Liver-specific ptp1b deletion from birth improves insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism and decreases endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, as a therapy in humans, PTP1B inhibition would target pre-diabetic and diabetic adults; therefore, we investigated the effects of liver-specific inhibition of PTP1B in adult, insulin resistant, obese mice. Restricting the amount of the essential amino acid, methionine, five-fold in the diet, decreases body weight, adiposity and improves insulin sensitivity in young mice. In order to delineate if this would be a feasible treatment in adulthood, we administered the diet to 12-month-old mice with age-induced obesity and insulin resistance and compared its effects to those in 2-month-old mice. As hepatic ptp1b deletion and methionine restriction (MR) both improve hepatic insulin signalling, we investigated if the combined treatment could have additive effects compared to MR alone on whole-body glucose homeostasis. To examine if the effects of MR are methionine-specific or if they would occur with restriction of other EAAs, we compared leucine restriction (LR) to MR in adult mice. Overall, hepatic PTP1B inhibition in adult mice reversed high-fat diet (HFD) -induced glucose intolerance, hepatic lipid accumulation and ER stress. MR administered to 12-month-old adult mice reversed the metabolic effects of ageing back to levels measured in healthy, young, 2-month-old mice. The combination of MR and hepatic ptp1b deletion from birth had no further beneficial effect in male mice, but possibly an additional effect in female mice. MR produced stronger beneficial metabolic effects than LR in mice, suggesting methionine-specific mechanisms may play a role.

Class of 2005 Abstract / Objectives: To describe the physical activity and nutrition status of pharmacy students and determine the level of knowledge that these students have related to prevention of obesity. Methods: This was a descriptive study of the physical activity and nutrition status of pharmacy students and their knowledge related to the prevention of obesity. Data were collected from all the students using a paper and pencil questionnaire (a copy is provided in the Appendix). Students were asked to answer questions related to causes of obesity, definition of obesity using BMI, and physical activity relating to BMI. They were also asked to compare physical activity to drug therapy and define the recommended exercise guidelines by the Institute of Medicine. Students were asked to match physical activities with the intensity of the activity from light to vigorous. Students were also asked to list the fruits, vegetables, unsaturated fats, sweetened drinks, fried foods, and whole-grain foods consumed the day prior. Students listed the frequency of moderate and vigorous activities they participated in the week prior. Students chose the benefits of physical activity most important to them and were asked to rank the importance of physical activity, diet and obesity prevention to their health. Demographic data were collected on age, gender, ethnicity, height and weight. Results: Scores were derived for all questions and mean scores for the three classes were compared using student’s t-test for all groups. Mean scores and student’s t-test were also used to compare responses between genders. Implications: Overall, pharmacy students are lacking education in preventing obesity. By educating pharmacists about healthy eating and physical activity they, in turn, can educate the public on preventing obesity.

No description available.