Cristen Harris

Baby-led weaning and the family diet. A pilot study

Baby-led weaning (BLW) is a style of solid food introduction that emphasizes self-feeding rather than spoon-feeding. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether parents using BLW change their dietary intake during weaning, and if their babies are offered family foods. Participants kept diet diaries at baseline and three months later, post-BLW implementation. Wilcoxon tests revealed no significant changes in dietary intake during the first three months of weaning, however, parents offered their children 57% of the same foods they were consuming. Results suggest that BLW does not lead to dietary changes among parents during the weaning process.

A pilot study to evaluate nutritional influences on gastrointestinal symptoms and behavior patterns in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

BACKGROUND One in 110 children in the US have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a debilitating and life-long disorder that affects the health, relationships, and learning of affected children. Existing research on the etiology, contributing factors, and treatment for ASD is limited and controversial. Studies suggest that GI symptoms are related to behavior issues in children with ASD, which may be improved by a gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the relationship between a GFCF diet and gastrointestinal symptoms and behavior patterns in children with ASD. DESIGN AND SETTING Cross-sectional design in which parents completed an online survey regarding general health, diet (adapted food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ)), gastrointestinal symptoms, and behavior patterns of their children with ASD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Scores on the Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale (GSRS) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). RESULTS Seven of thirteen children (median age 9years) were on a GFCF diet, consuming significantly fewer gluten- and casein-containing foods than those not on a GFCF diet. GSRS and CARS scores did not differ significantly according to diet. Parents of all the children on a GFCF diet reported improved GI symptoms and behavior patterns. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that the adapted FFQ is an effective tool for evaluating adherence to a GFCF diet. Continued well-controlled research is necessary to elucidate the gut-brain relationship in ASD.

The impact of dietary restraint and moderate-intensity exercise on post-exercise energy intake in sedentary males.

Exercise is often used for successful weight management, particularly by males. However, exercise may have the potential to promote counter-regulatory eating, because of certain cognitive and psychological factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the unknown role of dietary restraint, BMI, and dieting status on acute and 12-hour post-exercise energy intake (PE-EI) in sedentary males following moderate-intensity exercise. The study consisted of two experimental conditions, exercise and rest, in a counterbalanced-crossover design on two days. Exercise consisted of walking on a treadmill for 60 min. Acute and 12-hour PE-EI were compared on exercise and rest days. Eighty males, mean age 30+/-8 years, participated in the study and were categorized by dietary restraint level, BMI, and dieting status. The main effects of condition and group, and the interaction were not significant for acute or 12-hour PE-EI, suggesting that a single bout of moderate-intensity exercise did not influence PE-EI in sedentary males in reference to dietary restraint, BMI, and dieting status. Therefore, moderate-intensity exercise as a prescription for weight loss does not appear to promote counter-regulatory eating in sedentary males.

Dietary restraint influences accuracies in estimating energy expenditure and energy intake among physically inactive males.

Inaccurate estimations of energy intake (EI) and energy expenditure (EE) may ultimately affect body weight. The purpose of this study was to evaluate accuracy of estimated EI and EE among males in reference to exercise and rest using a counterbalanced, crossover, repeated-measures design. Participants (N = 80) were recruited from a large, urban university in South Florida. Exercise consisted of walking on a treadmill for 60 min at 65% age-predicted maximum heart rate. Food intake was evaluated immediately following exercise and rest. Participants underestimated EI (kcal) on both the exercise (M = 435, SEM = 69) and rest days (M = 439, SEM = 54), overestimated EE (kcal) for exercise (M = 129, SEM = 44), and underestimated EE for rest (M = 54, SEM = 10). Greater accuracy in estimating EE for exercise was significantly (p < .05) associated with higher dietary restraint. The findings suggest that among sedentary males, there is an inability to accurately estimate calories, which has the potential to influence behaviors that affect weight management.

Assessment of Student Experience in a Problem-Based Learning Course Using the Course Experience Questionnaire

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been described as ‘‘the learning that results from the process of working towards the understanding of a resolution of a problem.’’ This pedagogical approach, based in the theoretical framework of constructivism, is both a method and a philosophy that aims to build knowledge by working through (in an active, iterative, and self-directed way) a progressive framework of problems via facilitated smallgroup work and independent study. The PBL approach uses open-ended problems or case scenarios that are considered ill-structured in that they may havemultiple solutions or require more information for understanding the problem than is initially available. This compels students to build on prior knowledge, integration, and critical thinking and to practice acting as professionals in seeking solutions. Because the problems in these case scenarios often pose no single correct solution, an atmosphere of cooperative learning can be facilitated. Because nutrition professionals take on a wide variety of occupations, students require the development of a global skill set that may not be specific to nutrition. A PBL approachmay facilitate the development of self-directed learning, reflective thinking, leadership, teamwork, cooperation, selfconfidence, critical thinking, resource identification, and knowledge retention. These skills may help nutrition graduates enter the job market.

Differences in eating and body-related attitudes, beliefs and behaviors among female graduate students in nutrition and dietetics and naturopathic medicine: a pilot study

level. Orthorexia traits have been observed among medical students [6], and body weight dissatisfaction has been observed among pharmacy students [7]. Although prior investigations in this area have included undergraduate nutrition/dietetic students [1–4] and traditional medical students [6], a paucity of literature exists for graduate level nutrition/dietetics students and naturopathic medical students. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to examine differences in levels of eating and body-related attitudes and practices among female graduate students according to academic program, nutrition/dietetics (ND) vs. naturopathic medicine (NM), and time of data collection, prevs. post-year-one of graduate school. Curricular similarities exist between these two graduate programs of study. The ND program includes basic science pre-requisites, advanced nutrient biochemistry and metabolism, clinical nutrition, dietary supplements, community/ public health, food service management, psychology, counseling, statistics, and research methods. The NM program also includes basic science pre-requisites and a standard medical school curriculum, in addition to clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology and counseling. Thus, NM students were considered to comprise a suitable comparison group to ND students.

Perception and Accuracy of Hispanics in South Florida in Estimating Energy Expenditure for Physical Activity

Abstract Background: In 2004, in an attempt to address the current obesity epidemic, the United States Department of Health and Human Services announced a strategy to focus on educating the public on the concept of energy balance. The premise of “Calories Count” was that energy balance is primarily a function of calories in (energy in food) versus calories out (energy for physical activity). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain further insight into the accuracy of perceived energy expenditure for various intensities of physical activity. Methods: Over 600 individuals (21-64 years of age), identifying themselves as Hispanic, were recruited from sites of the Department of Motor Vehicles in Miami, Florida. Participants were surveyed in English by a Hispanic interviewer and asked to provide information on their age, education, leisure time physical activity, height and weight. Participants were also asked to report how many calories they used/expended for ten standard physical activities. Results: Overall, only 30% of the participants accurately assessed their energy expenditure. The range in estimated calories for sedentary and vigorous physical activity for one hour was 0 to 4,000, and 0 to 20,000 calories, respectively. A majority of the participants underestimated energy expenditure for most activities. There was a significant (p<0.001) relationship between education and accuracy. Discussion: These findings suggest that further efforts are needed to educate at-risk populations about the “Calories Count” approach and energy balance. Translation to Health Education Practice: Future efforts should be made in collaboration with community gatekeepers to determine culturally sensitive methods to teach the public about: (1) the caloric value of various daily physical activities based on the duration and intensity of the activity in reference to body weight; and (2) the concept of energy balance and the component of physical activity.