Lifestyle News and Research

The prevalence of mechanisms of dietary change in a community sample.

Appetite. 2010 Aug 20;

Authors: Chapman K, Ogden J

Evidence relating to dietary change is contradictory, as some studies document a lack of dietary change while other studies report a degree of success in the implementation and maintenance of long-term dietary change. The present cross-sectional survey aimed to establish the prevalence of dietary change in a community sample, with a focus on four mechanisms of dietary change: two mechanisms within an active path (accumulation of evidence and trigger to action) and two mechanisms within a passive path (imposed change and seamless change) across participants' lifespan (N=404). The results indicated that minor dietary change occurred frequently in the lives of 99% of participants. Those described as involving the active path illustrated a reliance on different, self-regulatory styles. In contrast, passive path changes reflected participants' flexible adaptation to the external environment and evolving personal health needs. Both, the changes within active and passive paths, occurred with almost equal frequency across participants' lifespan. Further, whilst weight loss in the past year tended to be attributed to conscious effort, weight gains were blamed on the obesogenic environment.

PMID: 20732360 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Prices Changes Alone Are Not Adequate to Produce Long-Term Dietary Change.

J Nutr. 2010 Aug 19;

Authors: Dellava JE, Bulik CM, Popkin BM

Taxation has been proposed as a means to reduce consumption of unhealthy food items. However, it is unknown if taxation without regulations or other activities known to shift eating behaviors lead to long-term dietary change. This unexplored issue is examined using data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. Data were from adults aged 25-55 y who participated in the nationally representative Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls, detailed food expenditure data, and community-level food prices collected over 1994-2005 were used for these analyses. Longitudinal random effects models were used to test the relation of time on the structure of diet while controlling for total household expenditures. The proportion of total energy consumed from fat was higher in all other years combined compared with 1998 (P < 0.001). The proportion of dietary fat from high-fat meat and high-fat dairy items were lowest in 1998 and increased over subsequent years despite increasing costs. Percent fat from fats and oils continued to decline with rising costs. Price changes led to substantial shifts in the structure of food consumption. However, except for the most expensive items, consumption of items returned to levels consumed in the former Soviet Union following price stabilization.

PMID: 20724493 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Effectiveness of a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in patients with panic disorder.

J Anxiety Disord. 2010 Aug;24(6):590-5

Authors: Kim B, Lee SH, Kim YW, Choi TK, Yook K, Suh SY, Cho SJ, Yook KH

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has been studied to treat patients with depressive or anxiety disorders. The aim of this study was to examine whether MBCT is effective as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in the treatment of patients with panic disorder. Twenty-three patients with panic disorder were included in a MBCT program for a period of 8 weeks. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised (ASI-R), Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire (APPQ), and Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) were used to assess the patients during the MBCT program. Both HAM-A and PDSS scores were significantly decreased at the 2nd, 4th and 8th weeks compared to baseline in the patients with panic disorder (HAM-A, p<0.01; PDSS, p<0.01). Also, BAI, APPQ and ASI-R were improved significantly after MBCT program (BAI, p<0.01; APPQ, p<0.01; ASI-R, p<0.01). In addition, all subscale scores of ASI-R decreased significantly. MBCT could be effective as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in patients with panic disorder. However, randomized controlled trials are needed.

PMID: 20427148 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]