BackgroundObesity is a worldwide epidemic with more than 600 million affected individuals. Human studies have demonstrated some alterations in brains of otherwise healthy obese individuals and elevated risk of neurodegenerative disease of old age; these studies have also pointed to slightly diminished memory and executive functions among healthy obese individuals. Similar findings were obtained in animal models of obesity induced by high fat diet. On the other hand, low carbohydrate high fat diets are currently promoted for losing weight (e.g., Atkin’s style diets). However, the long-term effects of such diets are not known. Additionally, high fat diets leading to (mild) ketonemia were shown to improve brain function in elderly humans and in some animal models.AimTo evaluate the hypothesis that long-term use of a high fat diet was associated with decreases in spatial memory, smaller hippocampi and hippocampi metabolite concentrations in Wistar rats.MethodsTwenty five male Wistar rats were put on high fat diet (HFD; 60% calories from fat, 30% from carbohydrates) on their 55th day of life, while 25 control male rats (CONs) remained on chow. Adequate levels of essential nutrients were provided. Both groups underwent memory tests in 8-arm radial maze at 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th month. 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy was employed to measure concentrations of tNAA (marker of neuronal integrity) at one month and one year, whereas MRI was used to evaluate hippocampal volumes.ResultsObese rats (OBRs) consumed similar amount of calories as CONs, but less proteins. However, their protein intake was within recommended amounts. Throughout the experiment OBRs had statistically higher concentrations of blood ketone bodies than CONs, but still within normal values. At post-mortem assessment, OBRs had 38% larger fat deposits than CONs (p<0.05), as evaluated by volume of epididymis fat, an acknowledged marker of fat deposits in rats. Contrary to our expectations, OBRs had better scores of memory behavioral tasks than CONs throughout the experiment. At one year, their hippocampi were by 2.6% larger than in CONs (p = 0.05), whereas concentration of tNAA was 9.8% higher (p = 0.014).ConclusionLong-term HFD in our study resulted in better memory, larger hippocampal volumes, as well as higher hippocampal metabolite concentrations, possibly due to increased levels of blood ketone bodies. The results should be interpreted with caution, as results from animal models do not necessarily directly translate in human condition.

Elevated brain myo-inositol (m-Ins) concentration (a putative marker of neuroinflammation) has been reported in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Obesity alone and T2DM have been found to be associated with a lower concentration of N-acetyloaspartate and N-acetylaspartylglutamate (tNAA, a marker of neuronal integrity, reflecting neuronal loss or metabolic derangement). It is not clear if these changes reverse with weight loss. The intra-gastric balloon (IGB) is an endoscopic bariatric therapy that leads to massive weight loss and improvement of glycemic control. In this study we evaluated if tNAA/tCr and m-Ins/tCr metabolite ratios are affected by weight loss, where tCr is the signal of creatine containing compounds. Twenty-three morbidly obese patients, 12 of them with T2DM (OD) and 11 without T2DM (OB), as well as 11 healthy controls of normal weight (CON), underwent single voxel spectroscopy at 3 T. Spectra were obtained within a region in the left parietal white matter one month before IGB insertion, three months after IGB insertion, and one month after IGB removal. Before IGB insertion, m-Ins/tCr was 15% higher in OD than in OB (p = 0.005) and 12% higher in OD than in CON (p = 0.03). m-Ins/tCr decreased significantly by 8% over the first three months after IGB insertion (p = 0.01) and remained normal after IGB removal. tNAA/tCr was normal in all groups throughout the study, pointing to normal brain metabolism. Normalization of m-Ins/tCr is consistent with remission of neuroinflammation in patients with T2DM. An evaluation of long-term effects of IGB treatment is necessary.

Introduction. Obesity now affects people from all walks of life, including those who work in the field of medical aid provision on a daily basis. So far, there has been no research assessing the nutrition status of Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) crews. Objectives. To evaluate the degree to which overweight and obesity prevail among Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Air Ambulances (HEMS LPR) crew members, and determine the overall excess body fat and fatty tissue distribution in the subjects. Material and methods. In order to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in HEMS crew members, the following anthropometric measurements were used: height, body mass, waist and hip circumferences. Assessment of their nutritional status was made by using some generally used indicators, i.e. calculating the subjects' BMI, WHR and WHtR. Results. Pilots were older than the paramedics in a statistically significant way. On the basis of using the BMI indicator, it was shown that only 36% of HEMS crew members had normal body weight. Analysis of the percentage of body fat determined that 61.5% of the paramedics and 39.4% of the pilots had normal weight. 26.2% paramedics and 28.8% pilots were diagnosed as overweight. Obesity characterised 12.3% of paramedics and 31.8% of pilots. The above were statistically significant differences (p= 0.0117). Waist circumference exceeded 102 cm in 25.9% of the subjects and WHR>1 characterised 20.6% of those examined. Conclusions. Analysis of the results obtained revealed that an alarmingly high percentage of crew members suffer from excessive body mass and fat, particularly in the group of pilots. Immediate action should be taken in order to reduce the body mass and introduce preventive measures among the subjects.

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The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Polish Armed Forces soldiers and to analyze risk factors impacting body mass. In total, 1096 male, Caucasian soldiers (36.31 ± 8.03 years) participated in this study. Anthropometric data were obtained, and questionnaires evaluated sociodemographic, environmental, behavioral and biological factors known to be associated with obesity. Only 33% of the total number of participants had normal body weight, and 17.3% were considered obese (according to WHO criteria). The results showed that being 40 years or older, sleeping six hours or less per day, more frequent reaching for food in stressful situations, having a mother with excessive body weight, not exercising or exercising at most two days per week, and spending two hours a day or more in front of the TV increase the risk of obesity. Taken together, the results show that factors such as family history of obesity, dietary habits, physical activity, length of sleep and ability to cope with stress could be used to identify soldiers at higher risk of developing obesity in order to provide them with personalized prevention programs.

StreszczenieWstęp: Celem pracy była ocena częstości występowania nadwagi i otyłości oraz poziomu aktywności fizycznej podchorą-żych Wyższej Szkoły Oficerskiej Sił Powietrznych w Dęblinie (WSOSP). Materiał i metody: Badania przeprowadzono w grupie 100 mężczyzn I, II, IV i V roku Wydziału Lotnictwa WSOSP. Oceny częstości występowania nadwagi i otyłości dokonano na podstawie wskaźnika masy ciała (body mass index -BMI) i procentowej zawartości tkanki tłuszczowej. Do pomiaru poziomu aktywności fizycznej użyto akcelerometru AiperMotion 500 TM . Oznaczono średnie dzienne zużycie energii, średnią odległość pokonywaną w ciągu dnia i tygodnia oraz współczynnik poziomu aktywności fizycznej PAL (physical activity level). Wyniki: Na podstawie BMI prawidłową masę ciała stwierdzono u 71,3% badanych, nadwagę -u 25,3%, natomiast otyłość -u 3,4%. Ocena stanu odżywienia wykazała istotne różnice między studentami I i II roku a studentami IV i V roku. Wśród studentów I i II roku prawidłowe wartości BMI miało 88% osób, a wśród studentów IV i V roku -jedynie 48,6% (p < 0,05). Zawartość tkanki tłuszczowej była w normie u 80% studentów I i II roku oraz u 62,2% studentów IV i V roku. Otyłość oceniana na podstawie procentowej zawartości tkanki tłuszczowej występowała jedynie u starszych roczników (16,2%). Z kolei częstość występowania nadwagi była aż 10-krotnie wyższa u podchorążych IV i V roku (21,6%) w porównaniu ze studentami wcześniejszych lat (2%). Średnie odległości pokonywane zarówno w ciągu doby, jak i całego tygodnia były istotnie wyższe u podchorążych I i II roku niż u studentów IV i V roku. Wnioski: Niezbędne jest wdrożenie działań profilaktycznych w zakresie żywienia i zwiększania aktywności fizycznej, które zapobiegną rozwojowi nadmiernej masy ciała w okresie studiów wśród podchorążych WSOSP w Dęblinie. Med. Pr. 2015;66(5):653-660 Słowa kluczowe: studenci, otyłość, aktywność fizyczna, akcelerometria, nadwaga, lotnictwo Abstract Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate overweight, obesity and the level of physical activity in the study group of 100 cadets of the Air Force Military Academy in Dęblin (WSOSP). Material and Methods: Evaluation of overweight and obesity was based on body mass index (BMI) and body fat content. An accelerometer AiperMotion 500 TM was used to measure the level of physical activity. There were marked such parameters as the average daily energy consumption, the average distance covered during the day and the whole week and the indicator of physical activity level (PAL). Results: Based on BMI indicators, 71.3% of the cadets had normal body weight, 25.3% were overweight and 3.4% were obese. Assessment of nutritional status showed significant differences between the 1st and 2nd vs. the 4th and 5th years of study. Normal BMI values showed 88% of the 1st and 2nd year students, while of the 4th and 5th years -only 48.6% (p < 0.05). Based on the body fat content, obesity was found only in

A rise in the incidence of infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has sparked the search for protective strategies against the new pathogen. It is known that individual food components can interact with different immune cells, modulating the immune response of the body. The aim of this study was to develop an index assessing the immunomodulatory potential of diet (POLA index) and to test its utility for the prediction of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a group of healthy young people following a traditional or vegetarian diet. Data on body composition, anthropometric measurements, physical activity, dietary intake, and gut microbiota were obtained from 95 adults (mean age, 34.66 ± 5.76 years). There was a strong correlation between the dietary inflammatory index and the POLA index (r = 0.90; p < 0.0001). Based on Cohen’s kappa statistic, there was a good agreement in qualitative interpretation between the two indices (kappa = 0.61; p < 0.0001). People on a diet with beneficial immunomodulatory effects had a lower risk of COVID-19 of approximately 80%, as compared with those on a diet with highly unbeneficial immunomodulatory effects. In daily practice, the POLA index might serve as a useful tool for dietitians to identify individuals whose diet is deficient in ingredients for optimal immune system function and change their dietary behavior to ensure optimal immune function that reduces the risk of infection.