Browsing by Subject "Sugar sweetened beverages"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Nutritional and economic outcomes of fast food meal plans designed for weight loss and health
(2023-01-04) Pham, Kristi Nhu Quynh; Bray, Molly S.
Background: Between 2013-2016, approximately 1/3 of Americans reported consuming fast food each day.¹ Despite the goals of many fast food establishments to increase the perceived healthiness of restaurant items, the potential nutritional and economic effects of eating fast food as part of a weight-loss are unknown. Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize and compare the nutrient composition, caloric content, HEI (Healthy Eating Index), and cost for three fast food meal plans. Methods: Fast food data collection was limited to items available from June 6, 2020 to April 5, 2021. Items were classified by seven types: breakfast, breakfast sides, entrees, sides, sauces, drinks, and treats. Three 28-day meal plans (randomly-selected control, reduced calorie, and healthy meal plan) were randomly generated using set parameters. Average daily calories, nutrient composition, HEI scores, and cost were calculated using STATA/SE 17.0. Results: The healthy meal plan had significantly lower average daily kcals and trans-fat compared to the randomly-selected control and reduced calorie meal plan (p < 0.05). There was significantly less sugar in the reduced calorie and healthy meal plan compared to the randomly-selected control meal plan (p<0.001). None of the meal plans met the recommendations for fiber, saturated fat, sodium, or the AMDR for all macronutrients. There were no significant differences in HEI score between the healthy and randomly- selected control meal plans. However, when reducing calories, the HEI score significantly decreases (p<0.001) The randomly-selected control and healthy meal plans were approximately 2.5 times the average monthly grocery expense for a single individual living in Texas. When adjusting for cost for total kcals, the healthy meal plan was the most expensive. Conclusion: Despite being more expensive, the healthy meal plan had the lowest average daily kcals and trans fats, met the AMDR for fat and protein, and was 2% below the AMDR for carbohydrates. However, recommendations for other nutrients were not met. Even when focusing on the healthiest foods, if eaten long-term, fast food meal plans may not provide the adequate amount of nutrients and can potentially increase risk for chronic diseases related to ultra-processed foods.
The association of early life infant feeding with obesity prevalence and metabolic changes among offspring of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus
(2019-09-23) Vandyousefi, Sarvenaz; Davis, Jaimie Nicole; Bray, Molly S; Gunderson , Erica P; Widen, Elizabeth M
Childhood obesity has become a serious health concern in the U.S., especially among Hispanic children. Offspring born to mothers with gestational diabetes (GDM) are more likely to develop obesity, type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and other metabolic diseases later in life. Many studies have shown that increased breastfeeding (BF) duration is linked to a lower prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, diabetes, and the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). In addition, early exposure to sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) is linked to increased obesity in youth. However, few studies have examined how infant feeding impacts growth and obesity prevalence in offspring of mothers with GDM. Preliminary findings from the SWIFT cohort by Gunderson et al. showed that greater BF intensity and duration throughout the first 12 months of life was protective against ponderal growth and weight gain among children of mothers with GDM. To date, no study has examined how early life feeding in an exclusive GDM population impacts overweight and obesity, prediabetes, and MetS prevalence in children 1 to 19 years of age. Therefore, the overall goal of this analyses was to examine how early life feeding (i.e., BF duration and introduction to SSBs) impacts obesity, prediabetes, and MetS prevalence in offspring (1-19 years of age) of mothers with GDM. The current research aims were from three different datasets all conducted in California: 1) Using a longitudinal study with over 300 Hispanic children (8-19 y) with overweight or obesity, where early life feeding was collected retrospectively, the effects of BF duration on MetS and prediabetes in offspring from mothers with and without GDM was assessed. 2) Using the LAC WIC 2014 survey with over 4,000 mothers with children (1-5 y), where early life infant feeding was collected retrospectively, the effects of exclusive BF and early introduction to SSBs on obesity prevalence in children born to mothers with and without GDM was assessed. 3) Using an ongoing prospective cohort of 1,035 postpartum women diagnosed with GDM during pregnancy, where the association of BF duration and intensity and early introduction to SSBs and fruit juice during the first year of life with subsequent overweight and obesity in children (2-5 y) was assessed.
The associations between sugar sweetened beverage intake, satiety, and metabolic health in minority youth
(2016-12) Shearrer, Grace Elisabeth; Davis, Jaimie Nicole; Bray, Molly; Briley, Margaret; Daniels, Michael; Poldrack, Russell
Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Hispanic children are at an increased risk of obesity and metabolic disease in the United States. Increasingly obesity is viewed as a multifaceted phenotype, beyond simply excess body weight. Research indicates that homeostatic mechanisms as well as hedonic systems are altered in obese individuals. The objective of this study was to examine how sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) intake, a highly modifiable dietary behavior, impacts both metabolic health and hedonic perceptions. This study is made up of three cross sectional analyses: the first two are secondary analyses of data from the University of Southern California, and the third was preformed at the University of Texas at Austin. The first examined the relationship between SSB intake, perceived hunger and satiety, and endocrine biomarkers in overweight and obese NHB and Hispanic adolescents (14-17 y). SSB intake of two servings or more per day was associated with decreased satiety and suppressed ghrelin compared to subjects that consumed one or less servings of SSB. The second examined the association between SSB intake, visceral fat accumulation (VAT), and cortisol awakening response (CAR) in a similar sample of 60 overweight and obese NHB and Hispanic adolescents (14-17y). SSB intake of two servings or more was associated with increased VAT and increased CAR compared to subjects that consumed one or less servings of SSB. The third examined the effect of SSB intake on reward pathways in the brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), as well as how free-living dietary and dietary intake at an ad libitum meal impacts hunger and metabolic biomarkers in 41 overweight and obese Hispanic children (7-10 y). Although analysis of the fMRI data was uninterruptable, increased hunger and decreased satiety at an ad libitum meal was related to added sugar intake greater than 10% of the subject’s daily calories. In adolescents, SSB intake is associated with decreased feelings of fullness and an unfavorable metabolic profile. In young children, added sugar intake is associated with appetite independent of homeostatic factors.