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Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition Methodology & Assessment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 26443

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Juan José Hernández Morante

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Guest Editor

Eating Disorders Research Unit, Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), 30107 Murcia, Spain
Interests: cell culture; insulin resistance; nutrition; clinical nutrition; diabetes; cell biology; molecular biology; human physiology; physiology

Dr. Juana María Morillas Ruiz

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Guest Editor

Department of Food and Nutrition Technology, Catholic University of Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain
Interests: antioxidants; antioxidant activity; food chemistry; phytochemicals; bioactivity; food analysis; food & nutrition; food biochemistry; food composition; oxidative stress biomarkers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today, regardless of the wide availability of information, the main health problems continue to be those related to inadequate eating habits, like obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and certain types of cancer, among others.

To improve the eating habits of the population and to implement adequate health-related policies, it is necessary to carry out an adequate dietary assessment. Despite great technological advances, dietary assessment still has some limitations, like inaccurate or inaccessible food composition databases, inadequate software to manage these databases, and evidently, the own food composition variability.

Moreover, new challenges related to dietary assessment are ahead. Food quality markers, like Nutri-score, Food Compass Score, etc. have been developed to provide people with clearer nutritional information, but its usefulness for improving eating habits is not yet clear. New statistical and informatics procedures like machine learning or big data analyses can provide new insights into the relationship between nutrient intake and health. Furthermore, the development of smartphone applications and wearable devices can open a world of possibilities regarding dietary and health assessment. Therefore, dietary assessment is a study area of great interest for those researchers focused on nutrition and health.

The aim of this Special Issue is to summarize the latest advances in dietary assessment, specifically those that refer to the use of new data analysis techniques, tools and other indicators that allow evaluating eating habits and their influence on diseases such as obesity.

Dr. Juan José Hernández Morante
Dr. Juana María Morillas Ruiz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

dietary assessment
dietary record
food frequency questionnaire
index of nutritional quality
healthy eating index
obesity
nutrition-related diseases

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 226 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintenance

by Cristina Reche-García, Juan José Hernández Morante and Juana M. Morillas-Ruiz

Nutrients 2023, 15(21), 4610; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15214610 - 30 Oct 2023

Viewed by 854

Abstract

An adequate dietary assessment is essential for improving the eating habits of the population and preventing health problems such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

Research

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12 pages, 968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modification of Breakfast Fat Composition Can Modulate Cytokine and Other Inflammatory Mediators in Women: A Randomized Crossover Trial

by Jessica M. Delgado-Alarcón, Juan José Hernández Morante and Juana M. Morillas-Ruiz

Nutrients 2023, 15(17), 3711; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15173711 - 24 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2269

Abstract

Previous trials have demonstrated that modifying dietary fat composition can influence the production of inflammation-related factors. Additionally, it has been suggested that not only the type of fat, but also the timing of fat intake can impact these factors. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of altering breakfast fat composition on inflammatory parameters. A 3-month crossover randomized trial was designed, involving 60 institutionalized women who alternately consumed a breakfast rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (margarine), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (virgin olive oil), or saturated fatty acids (SFA) (butter), based on randomization. The following inflammatory markers were evaluated: epidermal growth factor (EGF), interferon (IFN)-α, interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, C-reactive protein (CRP), and vascular/endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The results showed that the most significant effects were observed with the high-MUFA breakfast, as there was a statistically significant decrease in plasma IL-6 (p = 0.016) and VEGF values (p = 0.035). Other factors, such as IL-1α and CRP, also decreased substantially, but did not reach the statistically significant level. On the other hand, the high-PUFA breakfast induced a significant decrease in EGF levels (p < 0.001), whereas the high-SFA breakfast had no apparent effect on these factors. In conclusion, modifying breakfast fat, particularly by increasing MUFA or PUFA intake, appears to be sufficient for promoting a lower inflammatory marker synthesis profile and may be beneficial in improving cardiovascular complications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

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13 pages, 889 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relative Validity of a Short Food Frequency Questionnaire for Disadvantaged Families in Hong Kong

by Vicky Wai-Ki Chan, Crystal Ying Chan, Becky Pek-Kei Hoi, Joyce Ho-Yi Chan, Liz Li, Maggie Ying-Yee Li, Edwin Shun-Kit Chung, Henry Ho-Fai Sin, Eliza Lai-Yi Wong and Kenneth Ka-Hei Lo

Nutrients 2023, 15(12), 2668; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15122668 - 8 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1393

Abstract

Individuals with lower socioeconomic status are more vulnerable in securing good nutritional quality. It was also found that people who had received a lower education level had greater difficulty in completing the conventional dietary assessment such as a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Previous studies have demonstrated the validity of a short FFQ in Hong Kong’s pregnant women, but its validity among a wider community was still unknown. For the present study, we aimed to validate a short FFQ among disadvantaged communities in Hong Kong. Amongst 103 individuals participating in a dietary intervention programme, their dietary data were collected by FFQs and three-day dietary records. Relative validity was assessed by correlation analysis, cross-tabulation, one-sample t-test, and linear regression. In general, water and total energy intake had significant correlations (0.77 for crude water intake and 0.87 for crude total energy intake) between values reported by FFQ and dietary records, good agreement (both with over 50% of observations falling into the same quartile), and insignificant differences between assessment methods reported by one-sample t-test and linear regression. Meanwhile, several nutrients had good agreement in terms of the values reported by FFQ and dietary records, such as energy from total fat, carbohydrates, total fat, cholesterol, phosphorus, and potassium. The results of this study demonstrated that the short version FFQ could be a convenient assessment tool of multiple dietary behaviors, especially in total energy and water intakes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

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27 pages, 5746 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Omega-3-Supplemented Fat Diet Drives Immune Metabolic Response in Visceral Adipose Tissue by Modulating Gut Microbiota in a Mouse Model of Obesity

by Néstor D. Portela, Cristian Galván, Liliana M. Sanmarco, Gastón Bergero, Maria P. Aoki, Roxana C. Cano and Susana A. Pesoa

Nutrients 2023, 15(6), 1404; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15061404 - 15 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2935

Abstract

Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, and multifactorial disease characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue (AT), and is associated with inflammation mainly in white adipose tissue (WAT) and an increase in pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages and other immune cells. This milieu favors the secretion of cytokines and adipokines, contributing to AT dysfunction (ATD) and metabolic dysregulation. Numerous articles link specific changes in the gut microbiota (GM) to the development of obesity and its associated disorders, highlighting the role of diet, particularly fatty acid composition, in modulating the taxonomic profile. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of a medium-fat-content diet (11%) supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids (D2) on the development of obesity, and on the composition of the GM compared with a control diet with a low fat content (4%) (D1) over a 6-month period. The effect of omega-3 supplementation on metabolic parameters and the modulation of the immunological microenvironment in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was also evaluated. Six-weeks-old mice were adapted for two weeks and then divided into two groups of eight mice each: a control group D1 and the experimental group D2. Their body weight was recorded at 0, 4, 12, and 24 weeks post-differential feeding and stool samples were simultaneously collected to determine the GM composition. Four mice per group were sacrificed on week 24 and their VAT was taken to determine the immune cells phenotypes (M1 or M2 macrophages) and inflammatory biomarkers. Blood samples were used to determine the glucose, total LDL and HDL cholesterol LDL, HDL and total cholesterol, triglycerides, liver enzymes, leptin, and adiponectin. Body weight measurement showed significant differences at 4 (D1 = 32.0 ± 2.0 g vs. D2 = 36.2 ± 4.5 g, p-value = 0.0339), 12 (D1 = 35.7 ± 4.1 g vs. D2 = 45.3 ± 4.9 g, p-value = 0.0009), and 24 weeks (D1 = 37.5 ± 4.7 g vs. D2 = 47.9 ± 4.7, p-value = 0.0009). The effects of diet on the GM composition changed over time: in the first 12 weeks, α and β diversity differed considerably according to diet and weight increase. In contrast, at 24 weeks, the composition, although still different between groups D1 and D2, showed changes compared with previous samples, suggesting the beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids in D2. With regard to metabolic analysis, the results did not reveal relevant changes in biomarkers in accordance with AT studies showing an anti-inflammatory environment and conserved structure and function, which is in contrast to reported findings for pathogenic obesity. In conclusion, the results suggest that the constant and sustained administration of omega-3 fatty acids induced specific changes in GM composition, mainly with increases in Lactobacillus and Ligilactobacillus species, which, in turn, modulated the immune metabolic response of AT in this mouse model of obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

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13 pages, 1468 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sonographic Markers Are Useful for Detection of Early Vascular Deterioration in Children with Overweight/Obesity: Effect of a 1-Year Combined Nutritional Education and Physical Exercise Program

by María Abellaneda Millán, Juan María Morillas-Ruiz, Raúl Ballester Sajardo, Daniel Guillén Martínez, Isabel Morales Moreno and Juan José Hernández Morante

Nutrients 2023, 15(4), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15040894 - 10 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1658

Abstract

As in adults, childhood obesity is associated with several metabolic disorders; however, there is little information regarding complex obesity-derived complications such as hepatic steatosis or endothelial dysfunction at early ages. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to analyze the effect of a nutritional and physical exercise program on obesity comorbidities in the form of subclinical atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver in young children. A total of 148 children completed the study. For nine months (one academic year), children carried out a nutritional and physical activity program of 3 h/week. Anthropometric, clinical, liver ultrasound and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) parameters were evaluated. Our results showed that the program significantly improved anthropometrical parameters, especially regarding BMI and body fat (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively). The effect on metabolic parameters was limited, although a significant reduction on triglycerides was observed (p = 0.009). The education program had a great influence on the echogenic parameters, since the percentage of children with light steatosis decreased from 35% to 4% at the end of the study. In addition, cIMT also decreased significantly in both groups, although there was no statistically significant differences between groups. In conclusion, detection of early complications of obesity through sonographic parameters may allow early intervention, as in the present study, to prevent obesity co-morbidities in children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

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11 pages, 416 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reliability and Validity of the Emotional Eater Questionnaire in Romanian Adults

by Salomeia Putnoky, Denis Mihai Serban, Ancuta Mioara Banu, Sorin Ursoniu and Costela Lacrimioara Serban

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010026 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2443

Abstract

Negative emotions and chronic stress trigger abnormal compensatory behaviors known as emotional eating (EE). EE is a well-known mediator for increased body mass index and weight gain. Our aim was to analyze the factor structure and validity and reliability of the Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) in a sample of 200 Romanian adults with excess weight. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to assess the construct validity. The mindful eating questionnaire (MEQ) was used to test concurrent validity. Cronbach’s alpha and Spearman correlations were used to analyze internal and external reliability. The socio-demographic characteristics were used as factors for convergent validity. PCA revealed the existence of three major factors, disinhibition, type of food, and guilt, which accounted for 64.9% of the variance. Concurrent validity showed medium to large associations with MEQ (r = 0.650; p < 0.001) and a large association with the emotional subscale of MEQ (r = 0.732; p < 0.001). Reliability was adequate with Cronbach’s alfa = 0.841 and ICC = 0.775. In a multivariate model, the highest contribution to the EE score was the age (beta = −0.327), followed by feminine gender (beta = 0.321), high levels of perceived stress (beta = 0.215), BMI (beta = 0.184) and lower perceived health status (beta = 0.184). The Romanian version of the EEQ is a reliable and valid tool for measuring emotional eating in adults with excess weight. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

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13 pages, 6192 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Translation and Modification of a Mindful Eating Questionnaire for Children Assisted by Item Response Theory in Chinese Children and Adolescents

by Dan Wang, Yuzheng Hu, Hui Zhou, Zhihong Ye and Junfen Fu

Nutrients 2022, 14(14), 2854; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14142854 - 12 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1640

Abstract

Mindful eating has gained attention in studies on healthy eating. However, measurement of it is scarce, particularly in pediatrics. This study aimed to translate and modify the 12-item Mindful Eating Questionnaire for Children (MEQ-C) using techniques based on both classical test theory (ICC) and item response theory (IRT) in Chinese children and adolescents. Of the 426 participants enrolled and randomly grouped, the test (n = 223) and validation (n = 203) subsamples were well-matched in age, gender, body mass index z score (BMIz), and waist to height ratio (WHtR) (p > 0.556). Three items were eliminated due to deviating from the mindful eating concept (content validity index < 0.71) and presenting as an independent dimension in parallel analysis, or yielding a poor distribution (−4.331 < b < −0.111). The final 5-item Mindless Eating and 4-item Awareness subscales were identified with sound Cronbach’s α of 0.802 and 0.779, respectively. The remaining items functioned well (a > 1, −3 < b < 3), and the Mindless Eating subscale was accurate for the low-to-medium range (−2 to 0) of the mindful eating measure. The Awareness one was reliable for the relatively high range (0 to 2). Participants’ mindful eating characteristics should be taken into consideration in practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

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16 pages, 322 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Evidence-Based Diet Score to Capture Associations of Food Consumption and Chronic Disease Risk

by Franziska Jannasch, Daniela V. Nickel, Manuela M. Bergmann and Matthias B. Schulze

Nutrients 2022, 14(11), 2359; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14112359 - 6 Jun 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2661

Abstract

Previously, the attempt to compile German dietary guidelines into a diet score was predominantly not successful with regards to preventing chronic diseases in the EPIC-Potsdam study. Current guidelines were supplemented by the latest evidence from systematic reviews and expert papers published between 2010 and 2020 on the prevention potential of food groups on chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. A diet score was developed by scoring the food groups according to a recommended low, moderate or high intake. The relative validity and reliability of the diet score, assessed by a food frequency questionnaire, was investigated. The consideration of current evidence resulted in 10 key food groups being preventive of the chronic diseases of interest. They served as components in the diet score and were scored from 0 to 1 point, depending on their recommended intake, resulting in a maximum of 10 points. Both the reliability (r = 0.53) and relative validity (r = 0.43) were deemed sufficient to consider the diet score as a stable construct in future investigations. This new diet score can be a promising tool to investigate dietary intake in etiological research by concentrating on 10 key dietary determinants with evidence-based prevention potential for chronic diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

19 pages, 3852 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differences between Four Skinfold Calipers in the Assessment of Adipose Tissue in Young Adult Healthy Population

by Francisco Esparza-Ros, Ana Catarina Moreira, Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal, Carlos Barrigas, Mario Albaladejo-Saura and Filomena Vieira

Nutrients 2022, 14(10), 2085; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14102085 - 16 May 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3230

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the validity of four different skinfold calipers, as well as to establish the differences between them in a healthy young adult population. Methods: The present study followed a cross-sectional design, including 138 participants, with 69 males (21.46 ± 2.52 years) and 69 females (22.19 ± 2.85 years). The measurement protocol included basic measurements of body mass and stretch stature and eight skinfolds with a Harpenden, Holtain, Slim Guide, and Lipowise. The ∑6 and ∑8 skinfolds and fat mass were calculated. The order in which the skinfold calipers were used was randomized. Results: No significant differences were found in either the Σ6 and Σ8 skinfolds or masses and fat percentages calculated with the skinfolds obtained with the different calipers (p > 0.05), and the inclusion of the covariates of sex, BMI, and hydration status of the participants showed no effect on the differences. The Bland–Altman test showed significant differences between the calipers (p < 0.001). Conclusion: It has been observed that the analyzed calipers have shown validity for the assessment of adiposity-related variables in a male and female sample of non-overweight, young healthy adults, but they are not interchangeable with each other when the assessment is meant to be compared over time or with other samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

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13 pages, 1024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Validation of a Food Knowledge Questionnaire on Tanzanian Women of Childbearing Age

by Maria Vittoria Conti, Marco Gnesi, Rachele De Giuseppe, Francesca Giampieri, Maria Cristina Monti, Naelijwa Mshanga, Joyce Kinabo, John Msuya and Hellas Cena

Nutrients 2022, 14(3), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030691 - 7 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2485

Abstract

The present manuscript describes the validation of a food knowledge questionnaire (FKQ) for Tanzanian childbearing age women. The FKQ was derived from the Ugandan version and was adapted according to Tanzanian culture and food habits, including 114 closed-ended questions, divided into five different sections. The FKQ was administered to 671 Tanzanian childbearing-age women who were eligible if they: (i) were aged between 14 and 49 years old, (ii) had not been diagnosed with any disease and (iii) lived in the urban or peri-urban area of the Arusha and Morogoro region. The validation process of the FKQ was conducted in Tanzania and the recruitment occurred between August and October 2020. The final version of the validated questionnaire was characterized by a total of 88 questions, divided into ten different sections; each section aimed to investigate a different aspect of food knowledge, except for section A, which collected information related to the social and demographic characteristics of the respondent. The food knowledge questionnaire showed good construct validity and content validity to assess knowledge and food practices in Tanzanian women of childbearing age and could be used in future studies to identify women at higher risk of unhealthy eating habits and food choices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

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25 pages, 8671 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

The Effect of Laminaria japonica on Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Its Efficacy and Mechanism of Action

by In-Seon Lee, Seok-Jae Ko, Yu Na Lee, Gahyun Lee, Md. Hasanur Rahman and Bonglee Kim

Nutrients 2022, 14(15), 3046; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14153046 - 25 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3748

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a medical condition characterized by abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia. An increase in the incidence of MetS provokes an escalation in health care costs and a downturn in quality of life. However, there is currently no cure for MetS, and the absence of immediate treatment for MetS has prompted the development of novel therapies. In accordance with recent studies, the brown seaweed Laminaria japonica (LJP) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and so forth. LJP contains bioactive compounds used as food globally, and it has been used as a medicine in East Asian countries. We conducted a systematic review to examine whether LJP could potentially be a useful therapeutic drug for MetS. The following databases were searched from initiation to September 2021: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials Library. Clinical trials and in vivo studies evaluating the effects of LJP on MetS were included. LJP reduces the oxidative stress-related lipid mechanisms, inflammatory cytokines and macrophage-related chemokines, muscle cell proliferation, and migration. Bioactive-glucosidase inhibitors reduce diabetic complications, a therapeutic target in obesity and type 2 diabetes. In obesity, LJP increases AMP-activated protein kinase and decreases acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Based on our findings, we suggest that LJP could treat MetS, as it has pharmacological effects on MetS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Assessment for Weight Management and Health Maintaining)

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