To clarify the role of the intestine, kidney, and bone in maintaining calcium homeostasis during pregnancy and lactation and after the resumption of menses, a longitudinal comparison was undertaken of 14 well-nourished women consuming approximately 1200 mg Ca/d. Measurements were made before conception (prepregnancy), once during each trimester of pregnancy (T1, T2, and T3), early in lactation at 2 mo postpartum (EL), and 5 mo after resumption of menses. Intestinal calcium absorption was determined from the enrichment of the first 24-h urine sample collected after administration of stable calcium isotopes. Bone mineral of the total body and lumbar spine was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and quantitative computerized tomography, respectively. Twenty-four-hour urine and fasting serum samples were analyzed for calcium, calcitropic hormones, and biochemical markers of bone turnover. Despite an increase in calcium intake during pregnancy, true percentage absorption of calcium increased from 32.9+/-9.1% at prepregnancy to 49.9+/-10.2% at T2 and 53.8+/-11.3% at T3 (P < 0.001). Urinary calcium increased from 4.32+/-2.20 mmol/d at prepregnancy to 6.21+/-3.72 mmol/d at T3 (P < 0.001), but only minor changes in maternal bone mineral were detected. At EL, dietary calcium and calcium absorption were not significantly different from that at prepregnancy, but urinary calcium decreased to 1.87+/-1.22 mmol/d (P < 0.001) and trabecular bone mineral density of the spine decreased to 147.7+/-21.2 mg/cm3 from 162.9+/-25.0 mg/cm3 at prepregnancy (P < 0.001). Calcium absorption postmenses increased nonsignificantly to 36.0+/-8.1% whereas urinary calcium decreased to 2.72+/-1.52 mmol/d (P < 0.001). We concluded that fetal calcium demand was met by increased maternal intestinal absorption; early breast-milk calcium was provided by maternal renal calcium conservation and loss of spinal trabecular bone, a loss that was recovered postmenses.

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This study examined the relationships between food insecurity, mental health, and academic performance among college students in a California public university system ( N = 8705). Structural equation modeling was performed to examine a direct path from food insecurity to student grade point average and an indirect path through mental health, controlling for demographic characteristics. Food insecurity was related to lower student grade point average directly and indirectly through poor mental health. These findings support the need for future interventions and policy on the importance of providing students with the basic needs to succeed both academically and in the future.

Objective: A systematic literature review was conducted to determine whether sweetened beverage intake increases the risk for obesity, and the extent to which it has contributed to recent increases in energy intake and adiposity in the USA. Design: The search included studies published between 1970 and 2010 that examined secular trends, mechanisms, observational associations and intervention outcomes. Observational and intervention studies were abstracted and systematically evaluated for quality. Setting: Trends in obesity prevalence in the USA and studies from industrialized (developed) countries were included. Subjects: Studies were included for all ages, genders, ethnic and socio-economic groups for which data were available. Results: Obesity rates and sweetened beverage intake have increased in tandem in the USA. Studies consistently show that higher intake of sweetened beverages is associated with higher energy intake. Energy in liquid form is not well compensated for by reductions in the intake of other sources of energy. Well-designed observational studies consistently show a significant positive relationship between sweetened beverage intake and adiposity. More importantly, several well-conducted randomized controlled trials have shown statistically significant changes in adiposity as a result of corresponding changes in sweetened beverage intake. Conclusions: All lines of evidence consistently support the conclusion that the consumption of sweetened beverages has contributed to the obesity epidemic. It is estimated that sweetened beverages account for at least one-fifth of the weight gained between 1977 and 2007 in the US population. Actions that are successful in reducing sweetened beverage consumption are likely to have a measurable impact on obesity.

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CFI is a troublingly frequent, multidomain experience that influences children's well-being through both nutritional (dietary) and non-nutritional (e.g., PA) pathways. CFI may lead to poor-quality diet and less PA and their developmental consequences. Practitioners should consider CFI when assessing child health and well-being and can do so by asking children directly about their CFI experiences.