Nutrition, Exercise and Health Risks Associated with Obesity
Research Team Area:
Human Nutrition
Project Locations:
Lincoln University; Foster Hall, Small Animal Research Facility, and Jefferson City Boys and Girls Club
Objectives:
The long-term goal of this project is to produce information for healthful dietary recommendations and modifications of life-style to improve cardiovascular health and maintain better cardiovascular health for the general public of the United States as well as under-served populations in the State of Missouri. We designed three objectives to accomplish this goal.
The first objective of this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of nutrition education and physical exercise on improvement of eating habits and body mass index in children.
The second objective is to study the effects of race and obesity on risk factors of cardiovascular disease.
The third objective of this project is to study the effects of diet energy levels and exercise on energy balance and biomarkers of cardiovascular health in diet-induced obese rats.
Summary of Work:
To meet the first objective, children 8 to 12 years of age are being recruited through the Jefferson City Boys and Girls Club to participate in an after school nutrition education / physical activity program. Program leaders will provide information about healthy eating habits and samples of healthy foods with an emphasis on including more fruits, juices and vegetables in each child’s diet. Children will also participate in games and activities designed to increase individual physical activity levels. Weight and height data will be collected and a questionnaire will be used to assess eating habits, food preferences and physical activity patterns at the beginning and end of the study.
To meet the second objective, overweight (BMI > 28 kg/m2) adult women (40 to 60 years) will be recruited to participate in a 6-month study. Women in the control group will be asked to maintain their usual dietary and physical activity habits. Women in the intervention group will receive group education and individual counseling to increase physical activity, adjust dietary energy and saturated fat intake, and increase fruit and vegetable consumption for weight reduction. Blood samples, health history, dietary intake, physical activity level, and anthropometric data will be collected at the beginning and end of the study.
To meet the third objective, an animal model for obesity will be developed by feeding male Sprague-Dawley rats a high-fat diet for a period of 12 weeks. Based on weight gain, rats will be divided into diet-induced obese and diet-resistant rats. Rats will be fed either low-fat or high-fat diet and assigned to a treadmill exercise or sedentary treatment. Following 10 weeks of diet and exercise treatment, blood samples will be analyzed for lipid profiles, C-reactive protein, and leptin levels. Carcasses will be analyzed for total lipid and energy content.
Impact:
The Human Nutrition Research Team’s project aims to produce information for life style modification to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Nutrition is essential for sustenance, health and well-being. Dietary factors are associated with 5 of 10 leading causes of deaths: coronary heart disease, some types of cancer, stroke, type II diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Preventive interventions will improve health of the population and reduce the Nation’s economic burdens for medical treatments. Considering the loss of economic productivity attendant to illness, death and morbidity other than medical costs, preventive intervention of cardiovascular diseases by life style modification has great economic impact. Cardiovascular diseases cost the Nation well over $135 billion. The nutrition information that will be produced from the current project of the Human Nutrition Research Team will be useful for preventive dietary intervention programs for residents of Missouri as well as general public of the Nation to reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases. The information also will be useful for nutrition education for the general public to change eating habits and increase physical activity for better health.
For More Information, Contact:
Jerry G. Vander Tuig, Professor / Principle Investigator
Lincoln University Cooperative Research
107 Foster Hall
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0029
Phone: (573) 681-5382
E-mail: Dr. Jerry G. Vander Tuig vandertj@lincolnu.edu |
