The relative validity of a 104-item food-frequency method to assess intakes of fats and cholesterol was tested against the dietary history of 191 men and women. Pearson correlation coefficients ...ranged from 0.38 for linoleic acid (% of energy) to 0.83 for energy intake, with 0.78 and 0.75 for the intakes of total fat and saturated fatty acids, respectively. Mean intakes were overestimated by the food-frequency questionnaire relative to the dietary history by 5% for energy and monounsaturated fatty acids (% of energy) and up to 30% for linoleic acid intake. Linoleic acid concentrations in erythrocytes and adipose tissue were used as biomarkers of intake. The correlation of the linoleic acid intake according to the food-frequency questionnaire with linoleic acid in erythrocytes and adipose tissue was 0.44 and 0.28, respectively, and the dietary history gave similar values. The food-frequency questionnaire gives results similar to those from the dietary history and is thus considered appropriate for classifying subjects according to their fat intake
Basal metabolic rate (BMR), thermic effect of a meal (TEM), anthropometry, and dietary intakes were measured in 18 control subjects; 18 pregnant women at 12, 24, and 34 wk gestation; and in 17 of ...these women at 12 and 24 wk postpartum, to uncover any metabolic economy associated with either pregnancy or lactation. Results indicated that the BMR and TEM were not associated with any energy saving either during pregnancy or lactation. Mean weight gain from 12 wk gestation to term was 11.4 +/- 3.7 kg; mean birth weight of the infants was 3.06 +/- 0.41 kg. Estimated gain in adipose tissue and fat mass were 3.1 +/- 3.6 and 2.5 +/- 2.9 kg, respectively. Energy cost of pregnancy was estimated to be 303 +/- 171 MJ. The cumulative increase in energy intake over the last two trimesters of pregnancy was 290 +/- 280 MJ, meeting a large part of the total estimated cost of pregnancy. Weight gained by infants who were exclusively breast-fed from birth to 12 wk of age was used as a proxy indicator of adequate lactational performance. The extra energy required during lactation appeared to have been met largely by increases in energy intake, rather than by any metabolic economy or increase in fat mobilization.
Magnetic resonance imaging was used to study the effect of a single weight cycle on three fat depots: the visceral and subcutaneous abdominal depots and the subcutaneous depot at the trochanter ...level. Obese subjects (17 men, 15 women) were examined before and after weight-loss intervention and 67 wk after intervention. They lost 12.9 +/- 3.3 (mean +/- SD) kg body wt during intervention and regained 11.9 +/- 5.1 kg during follow-up. Weight regain did not result in greater body fatness than before weight loss (initial fat mass: 34.3 +/- 6.1 kg, final fat mass: 32.8 +/- 7.7 kg; P = 0.047). There was no indication of a preferential deposition of visceral fat after weight regain (initial visceral fat area: 120 +/- 41 cm(2), final visceral fat area: 110 +/- 48 cm(2); P = 0.087). On the contrary, there was a slight tendency to accumulate subcutaneous fat at the expense of visceral fat. It is concluded that weight loss followed by weight regain neither leads to a greater body fatness nor to a larger amount of visceral fat compared with before weight loss
The resting metabolic rate (RMR) and thermic effect of a standard test meal (TEM) were measured twice each during the follicular and luteal phases (confirmed by plasma concentrations of progesterone ...and estradiol) of a single menstrual cycle, and once during the follicular phase of the following menstrual cycle, by using indirect calorimetry, in 13 well-nourished Indian women. There was a significant increase in the TEM (P < 0.05) (6.72 ± 1.57% vs 7.96 ± 1.48% of the energy content of the test meal for follicular and luteal phases, respectively) of 18.5% during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle but no significant difference in the RMR or postmeal total energy output (PMTEO). Dietary energy and macronutrient intakes in all subjects in both phases of the menstrual cycle were also similar. The RMR and the PMTEO were also similar when measured in the follicular phase of consecutive menstrual cycles.
Iodine status can be evaluated by goiter assessment and measurement of urinary iodine concentration in either 24-h urine collections or in casual samples. It is often impossible to make 24-h ...collections. Therefore, iodine concentration in casual samples is often expressed in terms of urinary creatinine, assuming creatinine excretion to be constant between and within individuals. In this study large inter- and intraindividual variations were observed in the creatinine content of casual samples ranging from 0.6 to 9.87 mmol/L. Further, the urinary iodine-creatinine ratio correlated significantly with the creatinine concentration; Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient, r(s) = 0.39 (P 0.001). If creatinine is a suitable index to correct for variations in iodine excretion, no correlation would be expected. We conclude that the iodine-creatinine ratio in casual urine samples is an unsuitable indicator for evaluating iodine status in areas where large inter- and intraindividual variations in urinary creatinine excretion exist
To clarify the role of the primary care physician (PCP) in providing nutrition information to the public, we investigated in a random sample of Dutch consumers their referral to 11 nutrition ...information sources including the PCP, their perceived expertise of these sources, their interest in nutrition information, and their nutritional attitudes and beliefs. Factor analysis over these 11 sources of nutrition information resulted in two factors: noncommercial sources (alpha = 0.70) and commercial sources (alpha = 0.78). Respondents’ referral to and perceived expertise on a five-point scale of noncommercial sources was higher than for commercial sources respectively, 54% compared with 21%, P < 0.0001, and 3.9 +/- 0.6 compared with 2.7 +/- 0.6 (mean +/- SD), P < 0.01. The individual Spearman correlation coefficient between referral scores and perceived expertise was p = 0.35 +/- 0.36 (mean +/- SD). For most sources, referral to that source was dependent on a higher interest in information about a healthy diet and on perceived expertise of the source. There were three leading noncommercial sources: the PCP, the dietitian, and the Netherlands Food and Nutrition Education Bureau (FNEB). Careful analysis revealed that because of their high referral scores, high perceived expertise, and reach to nearly all segments of the population, PCPs are in a unique position compared with dietitians and the FNEB.
The vitamin D status of 53 Caucasian infants aged 10–20 mo on a macrobiotic diet and 57 matched control infants on omnivorous diets was studied. In late summer (August-November) physical symptoms of ...rickets were present in 28% of the macrobiotic group; these infants had lower average plasma 25(OH)D concentrations (34.0 ± 15.3 nmol/L) (mean ± SD) than did the macrobiotic infants without such symptoms (49.7 ± 21.9 nmol/L, p < 0.02). Follow-up of a subsample of 25 macrobiotic infants in March-April revealed physical symptoms of rickets in 55% of the macrobiotic infants. All concentrations in blood were considerably below those in the preceding summer; the average 25(OH)D concentration was 12.3 ± 4.3 nmol/L. Further analysis indicated that the low availability of calcium in the macrobiotic diet was an independent factor in causing the high prevalence of rickets in summer. Avoidance of milk products in combination with a high fiber intake may damage bone development in young children.
Eighty iron-deficient, nonpregnant female workers were randomly assigned to ferrous sulphate (60 or 120 mg Fe/d) or placebo treatment for 12 wk. Energy expenditure was estimated during 3 d by heart ...rate (HR) recording. Production efficiency (PE) was calculated as the ratio of productivity to energy expenditure. In the iron-treated group mean hemoglobin (Hb) increased from 114 to 127 g/L (P < 0.001), mean serum ferritin increased from 9.7 to 30.0 microgram/L (P < 0.001), and mean free erythrocyte protoporphyrin decreased from 1.01 to 0.49 micromole/L (P < 0.001). Mean HR at work decreased from 95.5 to 91.1 beats/min (P < 0.001), which was inversely correlated with the change in Hb (r = -0.60, P < 0.001). PE increased significantly in the iron-treated group (P < 0.001) and its change paralleled the change in Hb (r = 0.58, P < 0.001). The results show that iron supplementation enabled these women to do the same work at a lower energy cost.
To investigate the relationship between age and energy expenditure, resting metabolic rate (RMR) and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT; for 180 min after a 1.3-MJ meal) were measured by indirect ...calorimetry in 56 young and 103 elderly subjects. In addition, the influence of body composition, body-fat distribution, and physical activity level on this relationship was studied. RMR was significantly lower in elderly (3.98 +/- 0.46 and 3.33 +/- 0.39 kJ/min for men and women, respectively) than in young (5.29 +/- 0.53 and 4.08 +/- 0.33 kJ/min for men and women, respectively) subjects, which persisted after adjustment for body composition. DIT was significantly lower in older than in younger men (126 +/- 27 vs 154 +/- 34 kJ/180 min) but not in women (111 +/- 26 vs 115 +/- 25 kJ/180 min). The difference in men disappeared after adjustment for body composition. No clear relation between physical activity level and RMR or DIT was observed. These results demonstrate a relationship of age per se with RMR but not with DIT.
The equations for estimating fat mass from body density or total body water are not appropriate for application in pregnancy, because the underlying assumptions with respect to density and ...composition of fat-free mass do not hold for pregnancy. Representative values have been derived from literature data for density and water content of maternal fat-free mass throughout pregnancy. Using these values we developed a method that provides new equations for estimating fat mass from body density or total body water for any desired stage of pregnancy. The validity of the new equations based on body density is discussed using data on body weight and body density obtained from a longitudinal study on well-nourished Dutch pregnant women. Because the new equations result in more valid estimates of maternal body fat mass, we suggest that they be used in studies on energy balance in pregnancy.
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