The Healthy Start project: a randomized, controlled intervention to prevent overweight among normal weight, preschool children at high risk of future overweight.

Background: Research shows that obesity prevention has to start early. Targeting interventions towards subgroups of individuals who are predisposed, but yet normal weight, may prove more effective in preventing overweight than interventions towards unselected normal weight subsets. Finally, interventions focused on other factors than diet and activity are lacking.

The Gold Standard Programme: smoking cessation interventions for disadvantaged smokers are effective in a real-life setting.

Objectives: To evaluate the real-life effect of an evidence-based Gold Standard Programme (GSP) for smoking cessation interventions in disadvantaged patients and to identify modifiable factors that consistently produce the highest abstinence rates.

Design: Observational prospective cohort study.

Setting: GSPs in pharmacies, hospitals and communities in Denmark, reporting to the national Smoking Cessation Database.

Season of birth and the risk of hip fracture in danish men and women aged 65+.

Vitamin D status in pregnant women has been linked to childhood bone mineral density in their offspring but it is unclear if effects extend to fracture risk in adulthood or even old age. As vitamin D levels in the population show pronounced seasonal variation in Denmark, we performed an epidemiological analysis of hip fracture rates as a function of season of birth, age, and sex. We retrieved information on all hip fractures in the 9-year period between 1997 and 2005 in all men and women aged 65-95, excluded hip fractures that occurred in current and recent prednisolone users, and subsequently calculated fracture rates and relative risks.

Obesity: lessons from evolution and the environment.

The 9th Stock Conference acknowledged the complex background of genetic, cultural, environmental and evolutionary factors of obesity. Gene-environment interactions underlie the flexibility in body-weight and body-fat regulation, illustrated by the hunter-gatherers' feast and famine lifestyle, the variation in physical activity over the lifespan being highest at reproductive age, the variation in energy intake through 'eating in the absence of hunger', while running the risk of exceeding the capacity of triacylglyceride storage, leading to lipotoxicity and metabolic problems. Perinatal metabolic programming for obesity via epigenetic changes in response to a 'Western diet' results in production of lipid-poor milk and metabolically efficient pups, contributing to the perpetuation of obesity throughout generations.

Intake of dairy calcium and tooth loss among adult Danish men and women.

Objective: To investigate whether gender differences in tooth loss are influenced by caries risk and sources of dietary calcium intake.

Methods: This was a cohort study that included 432 Danish adults (30-60 y old) with information on dietary calcium intake in 1982 and 1983 and tooth loss from 1987 and 1988 through 1993 and 1994. Total calcium intake, estimated by a 7-d food record or a a diet history interview, was divided into dairy and non-dairy forms of calcium.

Predisposition to Obesity: Should We Target Those Most Susceptible?

Obesity prevention should remain a priority, even if there is some suggestion that the epidemic may presently have reached a stable level. However, previous interventions have not been effective in preventing overweight and obesity, and at the same time studies suggest that some subgroups are more predisposed to future obesity. The purpose of this paper is to review interventions on obesity prevention published during the past year, and to examine if interventions targeting predisposed groups or individuals seem more efficient in preventing obesity than studies targeting general populations.

Tracking of leptin, soluble leptin receptor, and the free leptin index during weight loss and regain in children.

Objective: To investigate changes in leptin and soluble leptin receptor (SLR) concentrations, and in the free leptin index (FLI) during weight loss and subsequent weight regain; and to ascertain whether these indices remain stable in the rank of the distribution in repeated measures (tracking) during perturbations of weight in obese children.

Design And Measurements: In a longitudinal study, 115 obese children were examined during a 12- week weight loss programme and 28 months of follow-up. Height, weight, body composition, Tanner stages, testicular size, time of menarche, and concentrations of leptin and SLR were measured at baseline, on days 14, 33, and 82, and from months 10, 16, and 28.

Longitudinal changes in blood pressure during weight loss and regain of weight in obese boys and girls.

Objective: To investigate blood pressure (BP) in relation to changes in body mass index (BMI) in obese children during weight loss and subsequent weight regain.

Design: A longitudinal study of obese boys and girls investigated through a 12-week weight loss intervention with follow-up investigations spanning 28 months. Results shown are from baseline; day 14, 33, and 82 during weight loss; and at months 10, 16 and 28 during follow-up.

Systematic review of clinical trials on dietary interventions to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy among normal weight, overweight and obese women.

Background: Excessive weight gain during pregnancy and subsequent postpartum weight retention may contribute to the epidemic of obesity among women of childbearing age. Preventing excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) to optimize maternal, fetal and infant wellbeing is therefore of great importance. A number of dietary interventions in this area has been conducted with inconsistent results, which has made it difficult to identify effective strategies to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy among normal weight, overweight and obese women.

Dietary α-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, and n-3 long-chain PUFA and risk of ischemic heart disease.

Background: n-3 (omega-3) PUFA has been proposed as having health-promoting effects, primarily in relation to ischemic heart disease (IHD). Whether these benefits can be achieved by both α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) and n-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA) is debatable.

Objective: The objective was to examine the association between ALA intake and risk of IHD in healthy subjects and to see if this was modified by intake of n-3 LC-PUFA or linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 n-6).

Television viewing, food preferences, and food habits among children: a prospective epidemiological study.

Background: Obesity has increased since the early 1980s, and despite numerous attempts, effective strategies to counter this worldwide epidemic are lacking. Food preferences are established early in life and are difficult to change later. There is therefore a need to identify factors that influence the development of food preferences.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and obesity development in humans: a review.

This study reviewed the literature on the relations between exposure to chemicals with endocrine-disrupting abilities and obesity in humans. The studies generally indicated that exposure to some of the endocrine-disrupting chemicals was associated with an increase in body size in humans. The results depended on the type of chemical, exposure level, timing of exposure and gender.

Adult food intake patterns are related to adult and childhood socioeconomic status.

Our objective was to examine the influence of adult and childhood socioeconomic status (SES) on attained adult food intake patterns. We used data from a 20- to 22-y follow-up study of 1904 Danish teenagers. The baseline survey was conducted partly in 1983 and partly in 1985 and the follow-up survey was conducted in 2005.

Parental care in childhood and obesity in adulthood: a study among twins.

The purpose of the study was to examine if parental antipathy and neglect during childhood were associated with obesity in adulthood. From the Danish Twin Registry (DTR) 146 adult same-sexed twin pairs discordant for BMI were identified. Criteria for being discordant were that one of the twins should have a BMI between 20 and 25 kg/m(2) (normal weight) and the co-twin a BMI ≥30 kg/m² (obesity).

Change in the prevalence of obesity and use of health care in Denmark: an observational study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the increasing prevalence of obesity on the development of health care utilization in Denmark in the period 1987-2005.

Patients And Methods: From a random sample of adult Danes (19,142 women and 18,335 men) who participated in the Danish Health Interview Surveys in 1987, 1994, 2000, and 2005, self-reported data on type of health care utilization within the previous 3 months and on height and weight were obtained.

Results: Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) showed that an increased use of health care among obese men compared with those of normal weight was pronounced and significant for those aged 45-64 years, whereas it was weaker and borderline significant for those aged 25-44 and 65+ years.

Low calcium intake is related to increased risk of tooth loss in men.

Our aim was to investigate the association between calcium (Ca) intake and number of teeth and tooth loss. The Danish Monica (Monitoring Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) study is a prospective observational study from 1982-83 to 1993-94. The study population included 1602 adults (30-60 y) with information on dietary Ca intake and number of teeth and a subset of 511 participants with information on tooth loss from 1987-88 to 1993-94.

Influence of psychosocial factors on postpartum weight retention.

For some women, pregnancy may increase the risk of future obesity with consequences for health and well-being. Psychosocial factors may be partly responsible for this. The aim of this study was to examine the association between psychosocial factors during pregnancy and postpartum weight retention (PPWR) at 6 and 18 months.

Hip Hip Hurrah! Hip size inversely related to heart disease and total mortality.

During the past decade a series of published reports have examined the value of studying the relation between hip circumferences and cardiovascular end points. Specifically, in a series of recent studies the independent effects of hip circumference have been studied after adjustment for general obesity and/or waist circumference. These studies have been remarkable in terms of their consistency, and in the unexpected finding of an adverse effect of small hip size, after statistically correcting for differences in general and abdominal size.

Recommended aerobic fitness level for metabolic health in children and adolescents: a study of diagnostic accuracy.

Objective: To define the optimal cut-off for low aerobic fitness and to evaluate its accuracy to predict clustering of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in children and adolescents.

Design: Study of diagnostic accuracy using a cross-sectional database.

Setting: European Youth Heart Study including Denmark, Portugal, Estonia and Norway.

Nocturnal eating predicts tooth loss among adults: results from the Danish MONICA study.

The relationship between nocturnal eating, such as that associated with night eating syndrome (NES), and oral health is unknown. This study sought to determine if nocturnal eating is related to tooth loss in a large, epidemiologic sample. Danes (N=2217; age range 30-60 years, M BMI [kg/m(2)]=25.

Twin study of heritability of eating bread in Danish and Finnish men and women.

Bread is an elementary part of the western diet, and especially rye bread is regarded as an important source of fibre. We investigated the heritability of eating bread in terms of choice of white and rye bread and use-frequency of bread in female and male twins in Denmark and Finland. The study cohorts included 575 Danish (age range 18-67 years) and 2009 Finnish (age range 22-27 years) adult twin pairs.

Alcohol intake and risk of coronary heart disease in younger, middle-aged, and older adults.

Background: Light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. This protective effect of alcohol, however, may be confined to middle-aged or older individuals. Coronary heart disease incidence is low in men <40 years of age and in women <50 years of age; for this reason, study cohorts rarely have the power to investigate the effects of alcohol on coronary heart disease risk in younger adults.

Intake of total dietary sugar and fibre is associated with insulin resistance among Danish 8-10- and 14-16-year-old girls but not boys. European Youth Heart Studies I and II.

Objective: To examine the dietary intake of total sugar, added sugar, non-added sugar and starch as well as dietary fibre and glycaemic index (GI) and their respective associations with insulin resistance.

Design: Mixed linear models were used to study both cross-sectional and prospective associations between carbohydrate components and insulin resistance separately in girls and boys. Diet was assessed by a single 24 h recall interview and insulin resistance was calculated using the homoestasis model assessment (HOMA).

A variant in the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) and variants near the melanocortin-4 receptor gene (MC4R) do not influence dietary intake.

We investigated the role of the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) and variants near the melanocortin-4 receptor gene (MC4R) in modulating habitual intake of total energy and macronutrients, glycemic index, glycemic load, dietary energy density, and energy from 20 food groups in adults. In a population-based sample of 756 healthy adult twin pairs, we studied associations between FTO rs9939609, near-MC4R rs12970134, rs17700633, and rs17782313 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and habitual dietary intake. Habitual dietary intake was assessed by a 247-question FFQ.

Associations between dietary intake and body fat independent of genetic and familial environmental background.

Objective: To determine whether habitual dietary intake was associated with body fat mass and body fat distribution, independently of possible confounding by the genetic and shared environmental background.

Design And Subjects: We examined correlations between intrapair differences in specific dietary composition and intake of foods and macronutrients in relation to differences in anthropometric phenotypes in a population-based sample of monozygotic twins. Data originated from a cross-sectional study, conducted in 1997-2000, of healthy twin pairs with measured anthropometry and information from food frequency questionnaire supplemented by self-reported weight from 1994 to 2002 and self-reported waist circumference from 2002.