Active clinical trials for "Obesity"

The primary purpose of the BOUNCE study is to assess the effectiveness of a four-week family-based healthy lifestyle summer program in reducing adiposity indicators in Hispanic and African American girls and boys (ages 9-14 years old).

Obesity is one of the most concerning health issues in the modern world, especially due to its association with greater risk of developing a wide range of chronic diseases. Pre-gestational obesity may increase the chances of maternal and fetal morbimortality, such as gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, macrosomia and, even, fetal death. It may also lead to long term disorders, enhancing the risk of excessive adiposity and metabolic syndrome in later life and, thus, contributing to the maintenance of the obesity cycle and its health effects through the subsequent generations. Alterations in placental function are thought to be deeply involved in this scenario, however further research on its molecular and biological mechanisms is needed. During pregnancy, there is a physiological enhancement of the inflammatory state, marked by higher circulating cytokines and macrophage placental infiltration, which favors fetal nutrient supply and adequate growth; however, this response is exacerbated in women with pre-pregnancy obesity, leading to adverse outcomes. In this context, interventions aiming to reduce excessive inflammation may prevent or minimize the negative impact of pre-pregnancy obesity on both maternal and offspring's health. There is strong evidence suggesting an important role of n-3 LC-PUFA (EPA and DHA) on the attenuation and resolution of inflammatory states, besides influencing maternal lipid profile, fetal and infant adipogenesis and neurodevelopment. Additionally, the consumption of probiotic supplements during gestation seams to promote adequate maternal weight gain and improve the profile of inflammatory molecules secreted in the milk. Therefore, the nutritional interventions with fish oil, as a source of EPA and DHA, or probiotics, in women with pre-pregnancy obesity, may change the intrauterine environment and reduce the risk of both short and long term metabolic disorders. This study aims to investigate the metabolic and molecular changes promoted by gestational obesity and evaluate the effectiveness of different dietary interventions (fish oil or probiotic) on preventing or minimizing such alterations. We expect to contribute to the understanding of the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying maternal obesity and its association with adverse pregnancy outcomes, associated with increased risk of chronic diseases in adulthood.

Women with pre-pregnancy obesity, women who exceed recommended weight gain during pregnancy, and children who experience rapid and excess growth during the first year of life are all at risk for subsequent obesity. The purpose of this study is to examine creative cognitive strategies to promote healthy weight gain during pregnancy, creating a sound substrate of metabolic programming for the critical first six months of life. A trans-disciplinary approach utilizing a patient- and family-centered intervention and active patient engagement with counseling for positive gain will work with women to shape lifestyle during pregnancy and postpartum, and when feeding their infants in the first 6 months of life. It is hypothesized patient engagement with counseling for positive gains will successfully mitigate excess weight gain in both pregnancy and infancy compared to usual care. Moreover, data will be examined to assess whether psychological variables, work and school climate, and social support factors influence body weight gain trajectories and/or weight loss during and after pregnancy.

A reduction in peak heart rate (HR) and suppressed HR response during exercise is highly prevalent in obese populations. This phenomenon is also known as chronotropic incompetence (CI). In adult obese individuals, CI is independently related to elevated risk for major adverse cardiovascular events and premature death. Despite the established association between CI and prognosis in adult populations, the prognostic relevance of CI in adolescents with obesity has however deserved no attention, but is important. CI during exercise testing may indicate various, yet undetected anomalies, such as altered blood catecholamine and/or potassium concentrations during exercise, structural myocardial abnormalities or ventricular stiffness, impaired baroreflex sensitivity and cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction, atherosclerosis, or cardiac electrophysiological anomalies, which all have been detected in obese children and adolescents. However, whether CI during exercise testing may be a sensitive and specific indicator for these anomalies in obese adolescents has not been studied yet. In addition, the exact physiology behind obesity and development of heart disease remains to be studied in greater detail in obese adolescents. In this project, we examine the prevalence of CI (during maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing, CPET) in 60 obese adolescents (aged 12-16 years) vs. 60 lean adolescents, and study the association between CI and changes in CPET parameters, lactate, catecholamine and potassium concentrations during CPET, biochemical variables, and cardiac electrophysiology (by ECG recording). In addition, the relation between CI and cardiac function (echocardiography) will be examined in a subgroup (29 lean and 29 obese) of these adolescents. In this regard, the diagnostic value of HR (responses) during maximal exercise testing will be clarified in obese adolescents, and the physiology behind the elevated risk for heart disease in obese adolescents can be explored.

Obesity is significantly higher in specific ethnic groups and, in particular, Hispanics. There is an urgent need to implement culturally-sensitive lifestyle interventions and educational programs to decrease the burden of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases in Hispanic populations. Accordingly, our overreaching goal is to tailor an existing and successful community-based program, Abriendo Caminos, to leverage effectiveness in promoting healthy nutrition and life-style behaviors among low income, low literacy Hispanic-heritage families. Our multi-function integrated project proposes to (a) adapt Abriendo Caminos for 6-18 year-old children from Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage in five different locations (California, Illinois, Iowa, Puerto Rico, and Texas) and (b) Train existing professionals (in Extension and community agencies) and future professionals (Hispanic university students) to meet the specific needs of this population. Our central hypothesis is that participation in a 6-week community-based program will prevent childhood obesity/maintain healthy weight by significantly increasing: (a) healthy dietary behavior patterns and basic knowledge of nutrition; (b) physical activity levels; and (c) the organization of collective/shared family mealtimes. The implementation of this culturally sensitive, workshop-based curriculum in different regions across the country will help to train the next generation of professionals in Extension and communities to deliver programs that meet the needs of Hispanic families. The integration of Hispanic college students in program implementation via an experiential learning course will further strengthen the program, as well as increase recruitment and retention of Hispanic students, increasing the capacity of Hispanic communities to meet their own needs in the future.

This pilot study will look at whether infusion of nutrients into the duodenum or into the stomach will result in: decrease in hunger and food intake greater weight loss due to loss of body fat with reductions in waist and hip circumferences improvements in other weight-related health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood triglycerides. Inclusion criteria: 25-60 years old with a BMI of ≥ 30≤55 kg/m2. Subjects (16 individuals) will be in the study for 12 days and have a dobhoff tube placed at the start of the study. Subjects will visit MCRU daily for 12 days where meals will be provided, and where anthropometric measures, blood work during an oral mixed meal tolerance test (study start and study end), and surveys will be completed. The dobhoff tube will remain in place until the end of the study.

Active video games are presented as an exercise option for children with little interest in traditional sports. The main objectives of this study are: To evaluate the effects of an active video game program on cardiometabolic risk in overweight/obese children to identify the effect of this intervention on physical fitness to study possible changes in the sedentary lifestyles of children after the exercise program. This is a randomized crossover study, with 2 intervention periods of 9 months each, and a 3-month period of washing. Ninetytwo children between 9 and 11 years old who are overweight or obese will be included and randomly assigned to one of the 2 homogeneous groups (control-intervention). Both groups will receive education in healthy lifestyles, and the intervention group will also follow a physical exercise program with active video games (3-4 days/week). The sessions will last between 30 and 45 minutes and will include different moderate-vigorous aerobic activities and muscular strength exercises. Body composition, physical fitness, levels of leptin, adiponectin and visfatin, lipid and ferric profiles, and markers of inflammation and metabolic risk such as insulin resistance, TNF-α, CRP, ALT, AST, gamma-GT and IL-6will be measured before and after the intervention. In addition, dietary habits (24h recalls), physical activity (accelerometers), blood pressure, waist and neck circumference, and pubertal development will be also assessed.

The correlations between gastric and urinary bladder pressures with Intra-abdominal pewssure have not been addressed

Obesity is currently one of the most substantial health burdens. Due to the production of marked and sustained weight loss, bariatric surgery is an increasingly used therapeutic modality to combat obesity and its comorbidities. Surgical rearrangement of the gastrointestinal tract remarkably alters metabolism and hormones acting on neurological and hypothalamic signalling involved in food decision-making and eating behaviour. In this context, many patients who underwent bariatric surgery self-report changes in appetite, satiety and food preferences. Furthermore, new gut hormone-based (e.g. GLP1-receptor agonist or GLP-1-RA) pharmacotherapies which mimic the effect of bariatric surgery show impressive efficacy on weight reduction by modulation of food behaviour. However, the mechanisms of such functional changes, and how they relate to food decision-making remain unknown. In this project, the investigators propose a novel approach to unravel the effect of obesity treatments (surgical and non-surgical) on the neural coding of nutritional attributes and its impact on dietary choices using a combination of brain imaging, computational modelling of food behaviour and assessment of eating and food purchase behaviour in daily life.

Obesity can be defined as' a disease that occurs as a result of the energy (calorie) taken with food being more than the energy consumed and the excess energy being stored as fat in the body, negatively affecting the quality and duration of life. BMI is calculated by dividing the weight (kg) by the square of the height (m2) (1,2). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, BMI between 25-29.9 kg / m2 is overweight, 30-34.9 kg / m2 is light, 35-39.9 kg / m2 is medium, 40 kg / m2 and above is considered as severe obesity. Obesity has important effects on respiratory function. These mechanical and biochemical effects are not easily measured by pulmonary function test and BMI measurement.Changes caused by mediators produced by adipose tissue likely cause changes in lung function, but this effect is not fully understood at the moment. The aim of our study is to make these effects more understandable and to compare them with different obesity classes and people with normal weight who are considered healthy. Hypothesis 0: The effects of obesity on respiratory functions and multidimensional health-related parameters do not show a statistically significant difference compared to individuals with different levels of the disease and normal weight individuals classified as healthy. Hypothesis 1: The effects of obesity on respiratory functions and multidimensional health-related parameters show a statistically significant difference compared to people with different levels of the disease and normal weight individuals classified as healthy. The study will be carried out by face-to-face evaluations in a clinical setting with obese patients between the ages of 18-65 who have applied to the clinic with a diagnosis of obesity and agree to participate in the study, and healthy volunteers who are considered to be healthy without a diagnosis of obesity. Looking at the evaluations to be made; Measurement of respiratory function parameters, measurement of respiratory muscle strength, anthropometric measurements, evaluation of body composition, quality of life, upper extremity muscle strength and grip strength, lower extremity muscle strength, fatigue evaluation, vital signs, evaluation of exercise perception, presence of dyspnea and its level will be evaluated. A detailed description of these evaluations and the parameters to be used will be explained in detail in the next step.