Chick F. Tam

A comparison of dietary atherogenicities, energy balance, and physical activity levels of male and female college students

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in selected nutrient intakes, dietary atherogenicities, energy balance, and specific physical activity (SPA) as defined between 1.4 and 7.5 Kcal/kg/hr levels between male and female college students. A total of 122 (50 males and 72 females) completed their three-day dietary records. In addition, 89 (36 males and 53 females) of the 122 collected one-day physical activity journals along with one-day dietary records. The mean gram fiber intake was slightly higher for males than those of females, but females had higher values than males when expressed as fiber g/1000Kcal and % dietary goal for fiber. The male had higher fat and cholesterol intakes than did the female, this was probably due to higher intakes of meat for males. Our findings of higher consumption of fat, cholesterol and sugar, lower fiber intakes, and higher atherogenic scores of diets such as Hegsted score and cholesterol index in males than in females, would place our male students at a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. Most students participated in SPA at a light or moderate level (1.4–3.0 or 3.1–5.3 Kcal/kg/hr, respectively). Few students spent time at severe activity (5.4–7.4 Kcal/kg/hr) or very severe activity (7.5 or over Kcal/kg/hr). The male expended on the average more energy (612 Kcal/day) than did the female (348 Kcal/day). We found that 25% of the 89 students were in positive energy balance, whereas 75% were in negative energy balance. Between genders, males had higher energy needs for daily basal metabolic rate (BMR), all physical activities, specific dynamic action (SDA) of food, total energy expenditure (TEE), and total energy intakes than females in both positive and negative energy balance categories. This may reflect gender differences, since males generally have more lean body mass, higher energy needs for all activities, and greater caloric intakes than females. Both genders with positive energy balance had decreased energy needs for BMR, all physical activities, SDA, and TEE, whereas they had increased energy, cholesterol and saturated fat intakes, and higher Hegsted score and cholesterol index than those of their counterparts with negative energy balance. These may lead students with positive energy balance to a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases than students with negative energy balance.

A comparison of atherogenic potential of diets between Asian and Hispanic college students and their parents

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in energy intake, body mass index (BMI), and atherogenic potential of the diets between male and female Asian and Hispanic college students and between their respective parents. By doing this, we hope to unveil the dietary patterns that can lead to diet-related diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular problems, while there is still time for intervention. We assessed the three-day dietary records and heights and weights of 71 Asian and 81 Hispanic American students and their genetic parents (71 Asian parents and 81 Hispanic parents) living in the same household. Diets were analyzed for mean differences in calories, cholesterol, fiber, total fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, percent total fat, percent saturated fat, percent polyunsaturated fat, body mass indices (BMI) and atherogenic potential of the diets, namely, Keys score (KS), Hegsted score (HS), polyunsaturated fat-to-saturated fat ratio (PS), cholesterol index (CI) and cholesterol-saturated fat index (CSI) by the computer program Nutritionist III (V7) and statistically analyzed by SPSS. Asians consumed more calories and Kcal/kg than Hispanics, however, they possessed lower BMI than Hispanics. In both Asian and Hispanic groups, BMI increased with advancing age. The diets of the young and old Asian males possessed less atherogenic potential and saturated fat than the diets of the young and old Hispanic males. Between older females, however, no differences were found in dietary nutrients and atherogenic potential. Young female Asians had higher intakes of cholesterol and atherogenic potential than did the young female Hispanics. No differences in neither dietary nutrients nor atherogenic potential were found between the young male groups. These findings suggest that Asians and Hispanics are abandoning their traditional diets and are consuming a more Western diet. Using BMI and atherogenic potential of the diets, we found that older Hispanic males and young Asian females are at increased risk for diet-related diseases, such as obesity, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and coronary heart disease. It is important and necessary to provide dietary counseling to both young Hispanic and young Asian students to decrease any potential risk of disease.