Metabolic Health and Heterogenous Outcomes of Prenatal Interventions: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Prenatal intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) interventions that promote adequate gestational weight gain (GWG) have had variable and mostly modest effects on clinically relevant maternal and infant outcomes. It is unknown whether different maternal obesity metabolic phenotypes underlie the heterogeneity in response.

Objective: To examine GWG, adverse perinatal outcomes, substrate changes, and differential changes in each in a prenatal IBT intervention conducted among pregnant individuals with 2 identified obesity phenotypes.

An eHealth Intervention in Pregnancy on Maternal Body Composition and Subsequent Perinatal Outcomes: A Randomized Trial.

Objective: To examine the effects of a pragmatic multicomponent eHealth intervention in pregnancy on body composition changes and subsequent associations with perinatal outcomes.

Methods: Pregnant individuals (n = 351) enrolled in Louisiana's Women, Infants, and Children program were randomly assigned to a multicomponent eHealth Intervention or Usual Care. Fat percentage, fat mass, and fat-free mass were assessed using bioelectrical impedance at trimester-specific study visits.

Estimating energy requirements from Dietary Reference Intakes for pregnant people with obesity using wearables.

Objective: Estimating physical activity levels (PAL) is difficult outside of the laboratory, and patient-reported PAL are often overestimated. Herein, we determine the importance of selecting the correct PAL when computing estimated energy requirements (EER) to determine gestational weight gain (GWG). Then, we examine whether data from a wearable can be used to select PAL and predict EER.

Validation of a novel approach to assess metabolic flexibility to a high-fat meal in a whole-body room calorimeter.

Objective: Metabolic inflexibility to Western high-fat diets may contribute to the obesity epidemic. However, validated methods for assessing metabolic flexibility (MetFlex) to high-fat meals are currently lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of a novel approach for determining MetFlex to a high-fat meal and to compare it with the gold standard for measuring MetFlex to high-carbohydrate loads.

Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of a weight maintenance intervention to promote fat loss in pregnant individuals with obesity.

Introduction: In pregnancy, people with obesity or excess adiposity are prone to excess gestational weight gain (GWG) and have the highest risks for multiple maternal morbidities. Epidemiological studies suggest that the lowest incidence of adverse maternal and infant outcomes occurs with GWG lower than current recommendations (<5 kg) and with gestational weight maintenance, resulting in fat mass loss, in those with obesity. Data from randomised clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy of a fat mass loss intervention on pregnancy outcomes.

Early Life Energy Balance: The Development of Infant Energy Expenditure and Intake in the Context of Obesity.

Purpose Of Review: This review aims to provide a summary of the current knowledge on measurement tools and most recent evidence for prenatal and postnatal modulators of energy balance in young infants.

Recent Findings: The prevention of pediatric obesity depends upon curating the perfect imbalance of energy intake to energy expenditure, taking into consideration the energy needs for healthy growth. We summarize the recent evidence for the programming of fetal and infant metabolism influenced by maternal preconception health, prenatal metabolic milieu, and physical activity behaviors.

Precision Interventions Targeting the Maternal Metabolic Milieu for Healthy Pregnancies in Obesity.

Purpose Of Review: Entering pregnancy with obesity increases the risk of adverse health outcomes for parent and child. As such, research interventions are largely focused on limiting excess gestational weight gain during pregnancy, especially in those with obesity. Yet, while many lifestyle interventions are successful in reducing GWG, few affect pregnancy outcomes.

Maternal 24-h movement patterns across pregnancy and postpartum: The LIFE-Moms consortium.

Objective: Time spent among the 24-h movement behaviors (physical activity [PA], sleep, sedentary behavior [SB]) in the perinatal period is important for maternal and child health. We described changes to 24-h movement behaviors and behavior guideline attainment during pregnancy and postpartum and identified correlates of behavior changes.

Methods: This secondary data analysis included the standard of care group ( = 439) from the U.

New insights in the mechanisms of weight-loss maintenance: Summary from a Pennington symposium.

Obesity is a chronic disease that affects more than 650 million adults worldwide. Obesity not only is a significant health concern on its own, but predisposes to cardiometabolic comorbidities, including coronary heart disease, dyslipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Lifestyle interventions effectively promote weight loss of 5% to 10%, and pharmacological and surgical interventions even more, with some novel approved drugs inducing up to an average of 25% weight loss.

Policy, systems, and environmental interventions addressing physical activity in early childhood education settings: A systematic review.

Policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) approaches can facilitate physical activity in priority populations (e.g., racial and ethnic minority, low wealth groups) within early childhood education (ECE) settings.

Policy, system, and environmental interventions addressing obesity and diet-related outcomes in early childhood education settings: A systematic review.

Early childhood education (ECE) settings play an important role in child dietary intake and excess weight gain. Policy, systems, and environment (PSE) approaches have potential to reduce disparities in children at higher risk for obesity. The purpose of this review was to (1) characterize the inclusion of populations at higher risk for obesity in ECE interventions and (2) identify effective ECE interventions in these populations.

Assessment of Eating Behaviors and Perceptions of Time-Restricted Eating During Pregnancy.

Background: The maternal metabolic milieu is challenged during pregnancy and may result in unwarranted metabolic complications. A time-restricted eating (TRE) pattern may optimize the metabolic response to pregnancy by improving glucose metabolism and reducing circulating glucose concentrations, as it does in nonpregnant individuals.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to 1) assess eating timing in pregnant women; 2) understand the perceptions of adopting a TRE pattern; 3) determine the barriers and support mechanisms for incorporating a TRE pattern; and 4) identify those most willing to adopt a TRE pattern during pregnancy.

A role for the early pregnancy maternal milieu in the intergenerational transmission of obesity.

Objective: Maternal obesity increases the risks for adverse pregnancy and offspring outcomes but with large heterogeneity. This study examined changes to the maternal metabolic milieu across pregnancy in women with obesity. It identified differences between a metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) phenotype and a metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) phenotype, as well as the differences in offspring adiposity between the two metabolic phenotypes.

Eating Behaviors and Dietary Patterns of Women during Pregnancy: Optimizing the Universal 'Teachable Moment'.

Understanding women's perceptions of eating behaviors and dietary patterns can inform the 'teachable moment' model of pregnancy. Our objectives were to describe eating behaviors and dietary patterns in pregnancy. This was a cross-sectional, national electronic survey.

Practical application of in vivo MRI-based brown adipose tissue measurements in infants.

Objective: The role of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in infant metabolism remains poorly understood, primarily because of the inherent limitation of positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging to measure BAT, which is not suitable for infants. The aims of this method development study were to assess the feasibility, intra-rater reliability, interscan repeatability, and physiological relevance of measuring BAT in infants using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: A total of 10 nonsedated infants (mean age, 22.

Impact of COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders on Health Behaviors and Anxiety in Black and White Americans.

Background: In the United States (US), the incidence and severity of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are higher in Black compared to White residents. Systemic inequities and differences in health behaviors may contribute to disparities in COVID-19 health outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders on changes in health behaviors and anxiety in Black and White adults residing in the US.

The Effects of a Science-Based Community Intervention on Health Outcomes in Minority Children: The Translational Health in Nutrition and Kinesiology Program.

Background: This study evaluated the effects of a novel nutrition and movement science after-school program integrating laboratory experiences for minority children. Laboratory experiences demonstrated how the body moves, functions, and performs in response to exercise and healthy nutrition.

Methods: A total of 76 children from 4 after-school programs that were primarily Latino and black were randomly assigned to either an experimental translational health in nutrition and kinesiology (THINK; n = 46) or standard curriculum that served as the control group (CON; n = 30).

Beyond weight loss: current perspectives on the impact of calorie restriction on healthspan and lifespan.

: Changes to mental, physical, and physiological functions drive the complex processes underlying the variable progression of human aging. Nutritional interventions are one of the most promising non-pharmacological therapeutics to attenuate aging in humans. This narrative review aims to describe the implications of moderate and prolonged calorie restriction (CR) in healthy adults without obesity that occur beyond weight loss.

Factors Protecting against a Decline in Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: The spread of COVID-19 and the associated stay-at-home orders and shutdowns of gyms and fitness centers have drastically influenced health behaviors leading to widespread reductions in physical activity (PA). The recent Call to Action from the American College of Sports Medicine has promoted "innovative strategies to promote PA during the COVID-19 pandemic." We aimed to identify individual-level factors that protected against declines in PA levels amid the COVID-19 restrictions.

Identification of changes in sleep across pregnancy and the impact on cardiometabolic health and energy intake in women with obesity.

This prospective, observational study investigated changes in sleep and the effect on energy intake, gestational weight gain, and cardiometabolic health across pregnancy in 52 healthy pregnant women with obesity. Habitual sleep was assessed by wrist-worn actigraphy (time spent in bed; TIB, total sleep time; TST, and sleep efficiency) in early (13-15 weeks) and late (35-36) pregnancy. A change to habitual sleep was defined as change of one-half of the standard deviation of TIB and TST across six consecutive nights from early pregnancy.

The Impact of COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Orders on Health Behaviors in Adults.

Objective: Stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have forced abrupt changes to daily routines. This study assessed lifestyle changes across different BMI classifications in response to the global pandemic.

Methods: The online survey targeting adults was distributed in April 2020 and collected information on dietary behaviors, physical activity, and mental health.

The Design of a Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate a Pragmatic and Scalable eHealth Intervention for the Management of Gestational Weight Gain in Low-Income Women: Protocol for the SmartMoms in WIC Trial.

Background: Less than one-third of women gain an appropriate amount of weight during pregnancy, which can influence the long-term health of both the mother and the child. Economically disadvantaged women are the most vulnerable to maternal obesity, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, and poor birth outcomes. Effective and scalable health care strategies to promote healthy weight gain during pregnancy specifically tailored for these women are lacking.

Calorie Restriction and Aging in Humans.

Calorie restriction (CR), the reduction of dietary intake below energy requirements while maintaining optimal nutrition, is the only known nutritional intervention with the potential to attenuate aging. Evidence from observational, preclinical, and clinical trials suggests the ability to increase life span by 1-5 years with an improvement in health span and quality of life. CR moderates intrinsic processes of aging through cellular and metabolic adaptations and reducing risk for the development of many cardiometabolic diseases.

Modifications to Infant Formula Instructions Improve the Accuracy of Formula Dispensing.

Readability of infant formula preparation instructions is universally poor, which may result in inaccurate infant feeding. Given that inaccurate formula dispensing can lead to altered infant growth and increased adiposity, there is an increased need for easy to follow instructions for formula preparation. We hypothesize that altering infant formula instruction labels using feedback from iterative focus groups will improve the preparation accuracy of powdered infant formula in a randomized controlled trial.