Summary Objective: This study investigated if levels of allostatic load (ALoad) differed according to race/ethnicity in children and if ALoad was associated with obesity-related measures. Methods: A multiethnic sample of 307 children aged seven to 12 was evaluated, composed of 39% European American (EA), 35% African American (AA), and 26% Hispanic American (HA) youth. Anthropometric measurements were evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and other measurements included body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Allostatic load scores were estimated based on two different calculations, including seven and eight biomarkers (ALoad1 and ALoad2), respectively. Analyses of variance, independence tests, and multiple regression models were performed. Results: From the total sample, 22.80% (n = 70) of children were characterized as “no load,” 46.58% (n = 143) “low load,” and 30.62% (n = 94) “high load.” Hispanic American children showed the highest ALoad scores (2.07 ± 1.54; 95% CI, 1.73–2.41) compared with AA children (1.71 ± 1.43; 95% CI, 1.43–1.99) and EA children (1.56 ± 1.34; 95% CI, 1.32–1.80) (P < 0.05). Higher scores of ALoad (using both ALoad1 and ALoad2 calculations) were associated with higher BMI, total body fat mass, body percent fat, and WC (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Significant differences in ALoad were observed in children according to race/ethnicity. Increased exposure to stressors captured by ALoad may result in increased risk for excessive adiposity and potential health risk in children. Further, ALoad may serve as a preventive marker for conditions known to continue throughout adulthood.

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Context Altered satiety hormones in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) may contribute to obesity. Diets with a low glycemic load (GL) may influence appetite regulating hormones including glucagon and ghrelin. Objective To test the hypothesis that following a 4-week, eucaloric low vs high GL diet habituation, a low vs high GL meal will increase glucagon and decrease ghrelin to reflect greater satiety and improve self-reported fullness. Design Secondary analysis of a randomized crossover trial. Participants Thirty women diagnosed with PCOS. Intervention Participants were provided low (41:19:40% energy from CHO:protein:fat) and high (55:18:27) GL diets for 8-weeks each. At each diet midpoint, a solid meal test was administered to examine postprandial ghrelin, glucagon, glucose, insulin, and self-reported appetite scores. Results After 4 weeks, fasting glucagon was greater with the low vs. high GL diet (p = 0.035), and higher fasting glucagon was associated with lesser feelings of hunger (p = 0.009). Significant diet effects indicate 4-hour glucagon was higher (p &lt; 0.001) and ghrelin was lower (p = 0.009) after the low vs. high GL meal. A trending time x diet interaction (p = 0.077) indicates feelings of fullness were greater in the early postprandial phase after the high GL meal, but no differences were observed the late postprandial phase. Conclusion These findings suggest after low GL diet habituation, a low GL meal reduces ghrelin and increases glucagon in women with PCOS. Further research is needed to determine the influence of diet composition on ad-libitum intake in women with PCOS.

Background:The present study assessed how the adaptation to American culture by United States (U.S.)-born and foreign-born Hispanics living in the U.S. may influence stress-related physiological aspects that may impair health.Methods: Data on 8,360 Hispanics living in the U.S. categorized as U.S.-born (n=3,347) and foreign-born (n=5,013) from NHANES 1999-2010 (ages 18-85) were used. Stress-related physiological impact was measured by the allostatic load index (ALoad). Adaptation to American culture was evaluated through three acculturation-related measures. Results:The average age was 39.39 years in a sample where 51% were males. ALoad was classified as no load (15.41%), low load (55.33%), and high load (29.24%). The U.S.-born Hispanics showed higher ALoad compared to foreign-born Hispanics (p<0.001). Among foreign born Hispanics, length of residence (LOR) and age of arrival in the U.S. (AOA) were associated with higher ALoad scores (p<0.05), and in U.S.-born Hispanics, age and sex were positively associated and education was negatively associated with ALoad scores (p<0.05).

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