Sex difference in the association of obesity with personal or social background among urban residents in Japan

Exploring the multifaceted factors influencing overweight and obesity: a scoping review

Introduction

Obesity and overweight problems in public health have substantial impacts which affect the health status of individuals and community well-being and healthcare service provision worldwide. This scoping review aims to identify and classify factors from social, technological, environmental, economic and political domains which influence obesity and overweight conditions. The systematic analysis of determinants in this study generates usable information to guide public health intervention design and obesity epidemic management strategies.

Methods

The study utilized the ProQuest, ISI Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases, and it also included grey literature in its analysis. The research objectives focused on identifying factors that contribute to overweight or obesity issues. The researchers used framework analysis to examine the qualitative data collected from these studies.

Results

The synthesis incorporated 121 research studies which satisfied the established criteria. This comprised 98 studies from 46 different countries, 17 studies conducted at the international level, and 6 studies involving multiple countries. Eighty-two factors influencing overweight and obesity were identified as determinants and categorized into five main categories: sociocultural, economic, technological, environmental, and political. Most of the identified determinants belong to the socio-cultural category, which demonstrates their substantial impact on lifestyle and health behaviors.

Conclusion

The implementation of public health prevention and intervention programs depends on complete knowledge of all factors that affect overweight and obesity rates. This issue needs a comprehensive approach which analyzes sociocultural aspects together with economic, technological, environmental, and political factors, as well as other policy goals within defined societal challenges. Effective solutions to resolve this situation depend on multi-sectoral collaboration to tackle obesity and promote health-enhancing factors for the entire community.

Obesity-associated factors in psychiatric outpatients: A multicenter questionnaire survey

The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, resulting in various health issues such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and a lower life expectancy. Importantly, several psychiatric disorders and the use of psychotropic medications have been linked to obesity, and the possible risk factors need further investigation. This study examined the prevalence of obesity and its associated factors using a self-administered questionnaire. Participants were recruited from three outpatient clinics and individuals who met one or more of the ICD-10 F0-F9, G4 diagnoses were included. In total, 1384 participants completed the questionnaire about their lifestyle. Statistical analysis compared the demographic and clinical characteristics of the individuals who were obese (Body Mass Index: BMI ≥25) and those who were non-obese (BMI <25). The results revealed that the factors associated with obesity in psychiatric outpatients were being male, prolonged treatment duration, eating out frequently, and use of both second- and first-generation antipsychotics. The study emphasized the importance of closely monitoring BMI in individuals with multiple obesity-related factors.

Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Anti-Obesity Medications Among Adult East Asian People with Obesity: A Systematic Literature Review and Indirect Treatment Comparison

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of obesity has increased worldwide over the past decades. Regional variations exist in the relationship between body mass index (BMI), body fat, and health risks: Asians typically have a lower BMI than people of European descent, but a higher risk of obesity-related comorbidities. However, there is a paucity of evidence for anti-obesity medications (AOMs) in East Asian populations. In this study, we aimed to systematically review evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of AOMs among adults with obesity disease in East Asia, and to assess the feasibility of conducting an indirect treatment comparison (ITC) between the semaglutide and mazindol trials.

METHODS

The Embase, MEDLINE, and ICHUSHI databases were searched via the Ovid SP platform for randomized controlled trials, in English or Japanese, reporting data on semaglutide or mazindol therapy with placebo or diet and exercise as comparators. The potential risks of bias in conducting a population-adjusted ITC were determined based on the heterogeneity of potential effect modifiers and variations in study design.

RESULTS

Of 21 publications, 2 were included in this study based on the eligibility criteria. The STEP 6 study established the clinical efficacy of subcutaneous semaglutide compared with placebo in the reduction of body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors [glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure] among Japanese and South Korean people with obesity disease. Mazindol also proved beneficial in reducing body weight and total cholesterol compared with placebo in Japan. Both semaglutide and mazindol were associated with higher rates of adverse events and treatment discontinuation than placebo. An ITC between the two studies was not deemed feasible based on the potential risks of bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Semaglutide and mazindol are associated with significant body weight reduction among people with obesity in East Asia. Further research based on label indications and up-to-date real-world data among East Asian people with obesity would help determine additional clinical benefits.

The Association between Marital Status and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Obesity was included in the International Classification of Diseases in 1990 as a chronic disease characterized by the excessive accumulation of body fat and a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2.

AIM

This systematic review was aimed to examine the role of marital status in determining body mass index and the risk of obesity.

METHODS

We performed a systematic literature search using three databases (PubMed (Medline), Embase, and Google Scholar) with the search query.

RESULTS

Of the 105 studies included in the systematic review, 76 studies (72%) reported a greater risk of obesity in married individuals compared to unmarried individuals. A meta-analysis of 24 studies included a total population of 369,499 participants: 257,257 married individuals (40,896 of whom had obesity) and 112,242 comparison subjects (single, divorced, or widowed individuals, 15,084 of whom had obesity). Odds ratios for obesity found a significant pooled odds ratio for obesity in married individuals compared with controls (OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.38-2.10). The socioeconomic environment was not the same throughout the period of studies analyzed. The odds of obesity in married individuals during economic crises was greater than during the period between crises: OR 2.56 (95% CI 2.09-3.13) during crises vs. OR 1.55 (95% CI 1.24-1.95) between crises.

CONCLUSION

The results of this review confirm the importance of considering marital status in determining the risk of obesity.

Optimization of Naringenin-loaded nanoparticles for targeting of Vanin-1, iNOS, and MCP-1 signaling pathway in HFD-induced obesity

Naringenin, a natural dihydrochalcone flavonoid, exhibits diverse pharmacological properties. This study investigates the hypolipidemic effects of Nar-NPs on obese mice. The characteristics of Nar-NPs, including morphology, particle size, zeta potential, UV-vis, and FT-IR spectra, were examined. The anti-obesity properties of Nar-NPs were evaluated in obese rats, considering LD50, 1/20 LD50, and 1/50 LD50 for treatment preparation. Results indicated that synthesized Nar-NPs were uniform, spherical, and well-dispersed, with a size of 130.06 ± 1.98 nm and with a zeta potential of -25.6 ± 0.8 mV. Nar-NPs exhibited enhancement in the cumulative release of naringenin (56.87 ± 2.45 %) as compared to pure naringenin suspension 87.83 ± 1.84 % in 24 h of the study. The LD50 of Nar-NPs was determined as 412.5 mg/kg.b.w. HFD induced elevated glycemic, oxidative stress, and inflammatory biomarkers while reducing HDL-C, GSH, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels. Administration of Nar-NPs significantly mitigated body weight, glucose, insulin, leptin, TC, TG, SREBP1c, pAMPK, PPAR-α, as well as vanin-1, MCP-1, and iNOS mRNA gene expression. Histological investigations supported the biochemical and PCR findings. In a nutshell, the study suggests that the Nar-NPs could serve as a promising and viable pharmacological strategy for the treatment of obesity-related disorders.

The Related Metabolic Diseases and Treatments of Obesity

Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by the abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat, affecting more than 1 billion people worldwide. Obesity is commonly associated with other metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and cancers. Factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, overnutrition, socioeconomic status, and other environmental and genetic conditions can cause obesity. Many molecules and signaling pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of obesity, such as nuclear factor (NF)-κB, Toll-like receptors (TLRs), adhesion molecules, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). Commonly used strategies of obesity management and treatment include exercise and dietary change or restriction for the early stage of obesity, bariatric surgery for server obesity, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medicines such as semaglutide and liraglutide that can be used as monotherapy or as a synergistic treatment. In addition, psychological management, especially for patients with obesity and distress, is a good option. Gut microbiota plays an important role in obesity and its comorbidities, and gut microbial reprogramming by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics shows promising potential in obesity and metabolic syndrome. Many clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the therapeutic effects of different treatments. Currently, prevention and early treatment of obesity are the best options to prevent its progression to many comorbidities.

Differences in Rates of Low Birth Weight among Prefectures in Japan: An Ecological Study Using Government Statistics Data

The differences in the rates and trends of the overall low birth weight and term low birth weight in recent years are unknown for the Japanese prefectures. In this ecological study, we revealed the rates for each prefecture and investigated the factors affecting the regional differences in these outcomes. Aggregated vital statistics data from 2007 to 2019 were obtained from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare in Japan. The association between the outcomes and the variables, including the infants’ birth characteristics, medical characteristics, and socioeconomic characteristics of the prefectures, were analyzed. An analysis of repeated-measures data was conducted using the data from 2013 and 2018 for each prefecture. The trend for the rates of overall low birth weight and term low birth weight over the years differed among the prefectures. Moreover, the proportions of multiple births and lean (body mass index <18.5 kg/m2) and obese (body mass index ≥25.0 kg/m2) women had a statistically significant positive association with both the overall low birth weight rate and the term low birth weight rate among the prefectures. It was suggested that to resolve the difference in these outcomes among the prefectures, being obese or underweight needs to be addressed in mothers.

Regulation of Pancreatic β-Cell Mass by Gene-Environment Interaction

The main pathogenic mechanism of diabetes consists of an increase in insulin resistance and a decrease in insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. The number of diabetic patients has been increasing dramatically worldwide, especially in Asian people whose capacity for insulin secretion is inherently lower than that of other ethnic populations. Causally, changes of environmental factors in addition to intrinsic genetic factors have been considered to have an influence on the increased prevalence of diabetes. Particular focus has been placed on "gene-environment interactions" in the development of a reduced pancreatic β-cell mass, as well as type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Changes in the intrauterine environment, such as intrauterine growth restriction, contribute to alterations of gene expression in pancreatic β-cells, ultimately resulting in the development of pancreatic β-cell failure and diabetes. As a molecular mechanism underlying the effect of the intrauterine environment, epigenetic modifications have been widely investigated. The association of diabetes susceptibility genes or dietary habits with gene-environment interactions has been reported. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of gene-environment interactions in pancreatic β-cell failure as revealed by previous reports and data from experiments.

Do associations between education and obesity vary depending on the measure of obesity used? A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Background

Consistent evidence suggests a relationship between lower educational attainment and total obesity defined using body mass index (BMI); however, a comparison of the relationships between educational attainment and total obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) and central obesity (waist circumference (WC) > 102 cm for men and WC > 88 cm for women) has yet to be carried out. This systematic literature review (SLR) and meta-analyses aimed to understand whether i) the associations between education and obesity are different depending on the measures of obesity used (BMI and WC), and ii) to explore whether these relationships differ by gender and region.

Methods

Medline, Embase and Web of Science were searched to identify studies investigating the associations between education and total and central obesity among adults in the general population of countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Meta-analyses and meta-regression were performed in a subset of comparable studies (n=36 studies; 724,992 participants).

Results

86 eligible studies (78 cross-sectional and eight longitudinal) were identified. Among women, most studies reported an association between a lower education and total and central obesity. Among men, there was a weaker association between lower education and central than total obesity (OR central vs total obesity in men 0.79 (95% CI 0.60, 1.03)). The association between lower education and obesity was stronger in women compared with men (OR women vs men 1.66 (95% CI 1.32, 2.08)). The relationship between lower education and obesity was less strong in women from Northern than Southern Europe (OR Northern vs Southern Europe in women 0.37 (95% CI 0.27, 0.51)), but not among men.

Conclusions

Associations between education and obesity differ depending on whether total or central obesity is used among men, but not in women. These associations are stronger among women than men, particularly in Southern European countries.