BackgroundObesity rates in Saudi Arabia are amongst the highest in the world. It is known that teenage girls are less active than teenage boys, but less is known about the diet and activity patterns in younger girls. Therefore this study sought to investigate dietary intake and daily physical activity in girls aged 8-11 years old in Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis was a cross- sectional observational study conducted in seven schools across the city of Makkah. A total of 266 girls had anthropometric measurements taken including height, weight, waist circumference and body fat estimations. Dietary assessment using a 4 day unweighed diet diary was undertaken in 136 of these participants, and 134 agreed to monitor their physical activity for the 4 days using an accelerometer. After exclusion for under-reporting, 109 remained in the dietary analysis and 78 in the physical activity analyses. Differences in means between BMI groups were determined using one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey test. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to look at the effect of multiple variables on body weight.ResultsA total of 30% of participants were classified obese or overweight. There was a significant difference in the mean daily energy intake between the BMI groups with the obese group having the highest energy, fat, carbohydrate and protein intake (obese group: 2677 ± 804 kcal/d; healthy weight group: 1806 ± 403 kcal/d, p < 0.001), but the percentage contribution of the macronutrients to energy intake remained the same across the BMI groups. There were no differences in number of steps taken per day or time spent in moderate to vigorous intensity exercise according to BMI category. Most of the girls did not meet daily physical activity guidelines (5969 to 6773 steps per day and 18.5 - 22.5 mins per day of moderate to vigorous activity). Multiple linear regression showed that energy intake positively predicted body weight (Beta = 0.279, p =0 .001), whereas, total energy expenditure per kg of body weight and family income had a significant negative influence on body weight (Beta = −0.661, p < 0.001; −0.131, p = 0.028 respectively).ConclusionsThe results of this cross sectional analysis suggest that obesity in girls aged 8-11 years is linked to excessive energy intake from all macronutrients and the majority of girls in all weight categories are inactive. Research should be conducted to further investigate causal relationships in longitudinal studies and develop interventions to promote dietary change and activity that is culturally acceptable for girls in Saudi Arabia.

Fruit consumption is recommended as part of a healthy diet. However, consumption of fruit in the form of juice is positively associated with type 2 diabetes risk, possibly due to resulting hyperglycemia. In a recent study, fruit juice prepared by nutrient extraction, a process that retains the fiber component, was shown to elicit a favorable glycemic index (GI), compared to eating the fruit whole, in healthy weight adults. The current study expanded on this to include individuals with obesity, and assessed whether the nutrient extraction of seeded fruits reduced GI in a higher disease risk group. Nutrient extraction was shown to significantly lower GI, compared to eating fruit whole, in subjects with obesity (raspberry/mango: 25.43 ± 18.20 vs. 44.85 ± 20.18, p = 0.034 and passion fruit/mango (26.30 ± 25.72 vs. 42.56 ± 20.64, p = 0.044). Similar results were found in those of a healthy weight. In summary, the current study indicates that the nutrient-extraction of raspberries and passionfruit mixed with mango lowers the GI, not only in healthy weight individuals, but also in those with obesity, and supports further investigation into the potential for nutrient extraction to enable increased fruit intake without causing a high glycemic response.

Background The number of children with obesity has increased in Saudi Arabia, which is a significant public health concern. Early diagnosis of childhood obesity and screening of the prevalence is needed using a simple in situ method. This study aims to generate statistical equations to predict body fat percentage (BF%) for Saudi children by employing machine learning technology and to establish gender and age-specific body fat reference range. Methods Data was combined from two cross-sectional studies conducted in Saudi Arabia for 1,292 boys and girls aged 8–12 years. Body fat was measured in both studies using bio-electrical impedance analysis devices. Height and weight were measured and body mass index was calculated and classified according to CDC 2,000 charts. A total of 603 girls and 374 boys were randomly selected for the learning phase, and 153 girls and 93 boys were employed in the validation set. Analyses of different machine learning methods showed that an accurate, sensitive model could be created. Two regression models were trained and fitted with the construction samples and validated. Gradient boosting algorithm was employed to achieve a better estimation and produce the equations, then the root means squared error (RMSE) equation was performed to decrease the error. Body fat reference ranges were derived for children aged 8–12 years. Results For the gradient boosting models, the predicted fat percentage values were more aligned with the true value than those in regression models. Gradient boosting achieved better performance than the regression equation as it combined multiple simple models into a single composite model to take advantage of that weak classifier. The developed predictive model archived RMSE of 3.12 for girls and 2.48 boys. BF% and Fat mass index charts were presented in which cut-offs for 5th, 75th and 95th centiles are used to define ‘under-fat’, ‘normal’, ‘overfat’ and ‘subject with obesity’. Conclusion Machine learning models could represent a significant advancement for investigators studying adiposity-related issues in children. These models and newly developed centile charts could be useful tools for the estimation and classification of BF%.

Since ancient times, sturgeon species have been valued for their rich nutritional qualities, which are crucial for human health today. They are linked with gastronomic delicacy and offer economic benefits, especially for the caviar industry. Today aquaculture produces more farmed and hybrid species due to rapidly declining wild sturgeon populations. Sturgeon diversification through processing can yield fingerlings, stocking material, meat or caviar. Because of its variety, sturgeon flesh includes highly digestible proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals. Consuming sturgeon provides essential fatty acids that play important oxidative and anti-inflammatory roles in human cells. The purpose of this study is to examine the sustainability and economic value of eating sturgeon worldwide, the technology applied in food processing, and the challenges that food quality and authenticity, nutritional content and health effects pose. The issue of counterfeiting high-quality sturgeon products by dishonest means has to be adequately addressed. Digital tools to guarantee authenticity and transparency in the sturgeon value chain should be considered in the future.

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