From a cohort of 5107 children, 1607 (796 female, 811 male; representing 31%) demonstrated a relationship between polygenic risk and disadvantage, both contributing to overweight or obesity; the disadvantage effect grew stronger as the polygenic risk increased. From a cohort of children with a polygenic risk score exceeding the median (n=805), 37% of those who experienced disadvantage between the ages of two and three years had an overweight or obese BMI by adolescence, in comparison to 26% who faced less disadvantage. For children predisposed to genetic vulnerabilities, analyses of cause-and-effect relationships suggested that early interventions in their neighborhood environments, designed to alleviate disadvantages (placing them in the lowest two quintiles), could decrease the likelihood of adolescent overweight or obesity by 23% (risk ratio 0.77; 95% confidence interval 0.57-1.04). Similar reductions in risk were estimated for improvements in family environments (risk ratio 0.59; 95% confidence interval 0.43-0.80).
Interventions aimed at alleviating socioeconomic disparities might help reduce the likelihood of obesity arising from genetic predispositions. While the longitudinal data used in this study is representative of the population, a limiting factor is the smaller sample size.
The Health and Medical Research Council of the Nation of Australia.
Australia's Health and Medical Research Council, a national institute.
The diverse biological variations exhibited during the growth periods of children and adolescents pose a challenge to understanding the precise role of non-nutritive sweeteners on weight-related outcomes. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize evidence regarding experimental and habitual consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners and their prospective association with BMI changes in pediatric populations.
Eligible randomized controlled trials, lasting at least four weeks, evaluating non-nutritive sweeteners against non-caloric or caloric alternatives for their effects on BMI change, and prospective cohort studies calculating multivariable-adjusted coefficients for the association between non-nutritive sweetener consumption and BMI in children (2–9 years) and adolescents (10–24 years) were sought. Pooled estimates were determined using a random-effects meta-analysis, and further secondary stratified analyses were carried out to investigate heterogeneity based on the features of the studies and subgroups. AL39324 In addition, we examined the quality of the evidence presented and categorized studies sponsored by the industry, or those authored by individuals associated with the food industry, as possibly harboring conflicts of interest.
From the 2789 results, we included five randomized controlled trials with 1498 participants. The median follow-up period was 190 weeks, with an interquartile range of 130-375, and 3 (60%) of these trials had possible conflicts of interest. Eight prospective cohort studies (35,340 participants; median follow-up: 25 years [IQR 17-63]) were also reviewed; two (25%) of these studies had potential conflicts of interest. Non-nutritive sweetener intake, randomly assigned (25-2400 mg/day, sourced from food and drinks), was associated with a lower increase in BMI, as indicated by a standardized mean difference of -0.42 kg/m^2.
The 95% confidence interval, situated between -0.79 and -0.06, strongly supports the observed trend.
89% less sugar is consumed from added sources as opposed to the sugar consumed from food and beverages. Trials without potential conflicts of interest, those of longer duration, adolescents, participants with baseline obesity, and consumers of a mixture of non-nutritive sweeteners were the only groups yielding significant stratified estimates. Water was not compared to beverages containing non-nutritive sweeteners in any randomized controlled trial. Further prospective cohort research did not demonstrate any statistically significant impact of non-nutritive sweetener-containing beverages on BMI increase, with a reported gain of 0.05 kg/m^2.
We are 95% confident that the interval from -0.002 to 0.012 encloses the true value.
Adolescents, male participants, and those with longer observation periods presented a stronger correlation with the 355 mL daily serving, comprising 67% of the daily recommended amount. By eliminating studies potentially influenced by conflicts of interest, the estimates were reduced. The bulk of the evidence was assessed as having a quality ranging from low to moderate.
Randomized controlled trials comparing non-nutritive sweeteners to sugar in adolescents and obese participants demonstrated a lower BMI increase with the use of non-nutritive sweeteners. Studies focusing on beverages with non-nutritive sweeteners, in direct comparison with water, should be better designed. AL39324 Clarifying the influence of non-nutritive sweetener consumption on BMI shifts in children and adolescents might be possible through the use of long-term prospective repeated measures analysis.
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Childhood obesity's escalating rate has played a critical role in the global proliferation of chronic diseases over a lifetime, a phenomenon significantly influenced by obesogenic environments. In a bid to transform existing obesogenic environmental studies into actionable policies for the prevention of childhood obesity and the promotion of life-course health, this large-scale review was carried out.
Using a standardized approach for literature searches and inclusion, all obesogenic environmental studies published from the inception of electronic databases were systematically reviewed. The goal was to identify evidence linking childhood obesity to 16 specific environmental factors, comprising 10 built environment factors (land-use mix, street connectivity, residential density, speed limit, urban sprawl, access to green space, public transport, bike lanes, sidewalks, neighbourhood aesthetics), and 6 food environment factors (convenience stores, supermarkets, grocery stores, full-service restaurants, fast-food restaurants, and fruit and vegetable markets). A meta-analysis, incorporating sufficient studies on childhood obesity, was undertaken to determine the effect of each influencing factor.
In the course of the study, a total of 457 studies were selected and included in the analysis, stemming from a database of 24155 search results. Factors within the built environment, with the exception of speed restrictions and urban sprawl, negatively impacted childhood obesity levels by promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviors. The availability of various food vendors, excluding convenience stores and fast-food outlets, was inversely linked to childhood obesity through encouragement of healthy eating. A global trend identified consistent associations: more easily accessible fast-food restaurants were associated with higher consumption; better bike lane infrastructure correlated with greater physical activity; more convenient sidewalk access was linked to less sedentary time; and increased green space availability was linked to increased physical activity and reduced screen time.
The establishment of the future research agenda and policy decisions surrounding the obesogenic environment have been remarkably informed by the findings, which are unusually inclusive.
Research funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Chengdu Technological Innovation R&D Project, the Sichuan Provincial Key R&D Program, and Wuhan University's Specific Fund for Major School-level Internationalization Initiatives converge to advance academic excellence and global collaboration.
The Sichuan Provincial Key R&D Program, along with the National Natural Science Foundation of China's Chengdu Technological Innovation R&D Project, and Wuhan University's Specific Fund for Major School-level Internationalization Initiatives, are all important projects.
Mothers who follow a healthy lifestyle have been observed to have children who are at a lower risk of developing obesity. Nevertheless, the effect of a generally healthy parental lifestyle on the development of obesity in children is poorly understood. An investigation was undertaken to determine the possible connection between parental commitment to a compilation of healthy lifestyle habits and the probability of their children becoming obese.
From April to September of 2010, and then again during the timeframe from July 2012 to March 2013 and July 2014 to June 2015, participants, not previously diagnosed with obesity, took part in the China Family Panel Studies. The observations continued to the end of the year 2020. Parental healthy lifestyle, graded on a scale from 0 to 5, was dictated by five modifiable lifestyle elements: smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, diet, and BMI. Offspring obesity, as documented during the study's follow-up, was identified using age- and sex-specific BMI thresholds. AL39324 Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were applied to investigate the relationship between parental healthy lifestyle scores and the risk of obesity in children.
The study included 5881 participants aged 6 to 15; the median duration of follow-up was 6 years, with a range of 4 to 8 years. Subsequent observation showed that 597 (102%) participants developed obesity during the follow-up period. A 42% lower risk of obesity was observed in participants scoring in the top tertile of parental healthy lifestyle, compared to those in the lowest tertile, based on a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of 0.58 (95% confidence interval: 0.45-0.74). Sensitivity analyses consistently revealed the association, which remained consistent across major subgroups. Both maternal (HR 075 [95% CI 061-092]) and paternal (073 [060-089]) healthy lifestyle scores were found to be independently associated with reduced offspring obesity. Paternal healthy lifestyle choices, particularly in terms of diverse diets and healthy BMIs, were substantially influential.
A healthier lifestyle, fostered by parents, was significantly linked to a decreased risk of childhood and adolescent obesity. This research highlights the potential of parental lifestyle promotion to prevent obesity in their children.
The research program benefited significantly from grants awarded by the Special Foundation for National Science and Technology Basic Research Program of China (grant reference 2019FY101002) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant reference 42271433).