The Brazilian Worker’s Food Program (WFP) is a public policy initiative that focuses on nutritional assistance for low-income formal workers (less than five minimum wages). Currently, it serves more than 25 million formal workers (around 54%). This systematic review aimed to assess the nutritional quality of meals offered and/or consumed by beneficiaries of the WFP. Observational studies conducted with workers from companies registered in the programme were eligible, with no restrictions on the period of publication. The nutritional quality was assessed according to the guidelines of the programme (Normative Ordinance No. 66/2006). Twenty cross-sectional studies and one cohort study met the inclusion criteria. Most of the participants were male, from manufacturing industries, and their average age was 35.0 years. The results of the analysis showed that fibre, sodium, calories, and proteins were the nutrients that most exceeded the recommended amounts, whereas carbohydrate was the nutrient that had the least amount. The results showed that the nutritional quality of the food offered to or consumed by workers did not fully meet the required guidelines and, in some companies, did not promote an adequate and healthy diet. The WFP has great potential and needs to be reformulated to make it a programme that contributes to strengthening the realisation of the human right to adequate food.

Dietary guidelines often combine plant and animal protein intake recommendations, yet evidence suggests they may have distinct associations with health. This study aimed to examine relationships between animal and plant protein intake, using different classification approaches, and diet quality and obesity. Plant and animal protein contents of foods reported by 7637 participants (≥ 19 years) during the 2011–2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey were estimated using Australian food composition databases. Usual animal, plant and total protein intakes were estimated using Multiple Source Methods. Diet quality was assessed using the 2013-Dietary Guidelines Index (DGI), and obesity measures included BMI and waist circumference (WC). Multiple linear and logistic regressions were performed and adjusted for potential confounders. Plant and animal protein intakes were positively associated with DGI scores (plant protein: men, β = 0·74 (95 % CI: 0·64, 0·85); women, β = 0·78 (0·67, 0·89); animal protein: men, β = 0·15 (0·12, 0·18); women, β = 0·26 (0·22, 0·29)). These associations were consistent when examining high-quality plant protein (high-protein-containing plant-based foods with comparable nutritional values to animal proteins) and non-dairy animal protein intakes. Plant protein intake was inversely associated with BMI and WC in men but not women. Animal protein intake was positively associated with BMI in both sexes and WC in men only. Men’s plant protein intake was inversely associated with obesity (OR = 0·97 (0·96, 0·99)) and central obesity (OR = 0·97 (0·95, 0·98)). Further studies are needed to examine the influence of different animal protein sources by accounting for energy intake and sex-specific associations.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent condition observed across various medical specialties, including gastroenterology, otorhinolaryngology, surgery, and primary care. Despite the routine prescription of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), some patients fail to experience adequate symptom relief. This review delves into the multifactorial mechanisms of reflux, which extend beyond hydrochloric acid to include pepsin, bile acids and trypsin. These factors significantly contribute to mucosal injury in GERD and are influenced by dietary composition. Moreover, dietary patterns with anti-inflammatory properties, such as the Mediterranean and DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diets, have shown potential in GERD managing, particularly in the context of obesity–an important risk factor.

Obesity, a global health issue, is associated with numerous diseases and has been shown to affect male reproductive health by inducing endocrine hormonal changes, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and epigenetic alterations in reproductive cells. This study investigates the impact of obesity on testicular gene expression across mice, monkeys and humans, identifying 730 conserved testis-specific genes. High-fat diet-induced obesity upregulates GNG5, INHA, MSH5, SLC30A8 and SLC7A4 in testes, suggesting their potential as regulatory targets in testicular damage associated with obesity. Single-cell analysis reveals species-conserved expression patterns of SLC7A4 in Sertoli cells and SLC30A8 in SPG cells. It also confirmed that SLC30A8 and SLC7A4 were significantly upregulated in the testes of spontaneously obese mice. The findings highlight the potential of these genes as regulatory targets in obesity-related testicular dysfunction, providing insights into male reproductive health impairments caused by obesity.

This study examined the relationship between total body fat percentage (TBFP), trunk fat percentage (TFP), and urinary flow rate (UFR) using NHANES data (2011–2018) from 10 521 participants aged 18–59. Multivariable-adjusted regression models assessed associations between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-measured fat percentages and UFR. Results showed that increased TBFP and TFP were inversely associated with UFR (TBFP: β = −0·013, 95 % CI [–0·018, −0·007]; TFP: β = –0·014, 95 % CI [–0·018, −0·009]). Stratified analyses revealed gender differences: in males, higher TBFP and TFP correlated with lower UFR (TBFP: β = –0·011, 95 % CI [−0·019, −0·004]; TFP: β = –0·016, 95 % CI [−0·022, −0·009]), but this association was absent in males aged 18–35. In females, both TBFP and TFP were consistently linked to reduced UFR across all age groups (TBFP: β = −0·016, 95 % CI [−0·023, −0·008]; TFP: β = −0·012, 95 % CI [−0·019, −0·006]). These findings suggest that body and trunk fat accumulation negatively impact UFR, with stronger effects in females and age-dependent variations in males. Further research should explore mechanisms behind these disparities to guide targeted interventions.

China has dedicated significant efforts to preventing obesity, but the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity remains a pressing public health issue. Therefore, unique solutions are required to address this challenge in China. As a research priority, the food environment plays a pivotal role in addressing overweight and obesity. However, research on this topic in China lags behind that in other developed countries, and the conflicting global evidence on the association between the food environment and obesity cannot be directly applied to policymaking and intervention in China. In addition, the rapid advancement of digital technology has introduced complexities and uncertainties in the food environment. To address these challenges, we propose an alternative research framework through (a) dissecting the challenges associated with defining and measuring the food environment, (b) reorganising the relationship chains between the food environment and human diet/health and (c) taking into consideration digital platforms as crucial monitoring tools for studying the food environment. Our framework aims to unlock the potential of food environment research in the digital age, ultimately striving to tackle the overweight and obesity issues in China.

Obesity and its comorbidities (e.g. laminitis) are identified as major welfare issues among domestic equids in the United Kingdom (UK) and abroad. Weight-management typically focuses on restricting consumption (e.g. limiting pasture grazing), often facilitated through stabling. This leads to social isolation, prompting other welfare issues. Increased exercise may be a preferable solution for equine obesity, if viable. The aims of this study were to explore horse (Equus caballus) owner perceptions regarding the importance of exercise, and to investigate how exercise provision related to welfare outcomes. Data obtained via an online survey from 804 UK horse owners indicated that most respondents’ horses were managed in obesogenic conditions, and 40% were owner-reported as overweight/obese. Exercise-related variables (e.g. if a horse was ridden) correlated with physical health problems, including decreased reports of laminitis and Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Approximately 90% of respondents reported that barriers outside of their control substantially limited opportunities to provide human-led exercise (e.g. riding, lunging). Analysis of a hypothetical weight-management scenario found owners with horses at livery yards felt significantly less able to increase horses’ self-directed exercise (e.g. free movement in fields/pastures) than owners keeping horses on their own properties. These findings indicate that while increased exercise may improve welfare, owner knowledge is not the only barrier that must be overcome to implement this prospective solution. Both human-led and self-directed exercise appear limited by a lack of opportunities available to horses and humans. These results justify future investigations into alternative management strategies as potentially viable methods of increasing exercise to improve welfare.

Overweight and obesity are growing health concerns globally. Technological advances drive interest in smartphone applications as possible health behaviour interventions to promote lifestyle change in these conditions. This article critically appraises a Cochrane Review of 18 studies (2703 participants) of smartphone app interventions for overweight or obesity in adolescents and adults and considers its relevance to clinical practice and research. The review's results suggest that there may be minimal benefit to the use of smartphone apps, but the evidence is very uncertain, lacking high-quality, replicable studies.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) makes an exception to its rules, which allows elderly and/or disabled individuals, their spouses, as well as homeless beneficiaries, to buy hot prepared food from restaurants if they live in a state that participates in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP). Using the staggered countywide adoption timeline in California, coupled with a stacked difference-in-differences empirical strategy, I examine the intent-to-treat (ITT) nutritional effects of RMP on the elderly population. Overall, I find no evidence that obesity rates for the elderly are any different in counties with RMP versus those without RMP. I can statistically rule out moderate effects. Additional evidence from some of the early-adopting counties suggests that RMP is associated with a reduction in food insecurity among the elderly.

India’s nutrition transition has led to an increased burden of overweight/obesity (body mass index of ≥23 kg/m2), driven by lifestyle factors like poor diet, inactivity, and substance use, prompting public health interventions. However, these interventions lack supporting evidence, especially in rural areas, hindering effective strategies for this population. To address this evidence gap, this study used cohort data (baseline: 2018–19, follow-up: 2022–23) from the Birbhum Population Project (West Bengal, India) to analyse lifestyle risk factors and their association with incidence and remission of overweight/obesity among adults aged ≥18 years (sample: 8,974). Modified Poisson regression model was employed to attain the study objective. From 2017–2018 to 2022–2023, the prevalence of overweight/obesity increased from 15.2% (95% CI: 14.1%–16.4%) to 21.0% (95% CI: 19.7%–22.3%) among men and from 24.1% (95% CI: 22.9%–25.2%) to 33.8% (95% CI: 32.5%–35.1%) among women. Overall, 23.0% (95% CI: 21.8%–24.3%) of adults experienced incidence of overweight/obesity, while 13.9% (95% CI: 12.4%–15.6%) experienced remission. Use of motor vehicles among unemployed participants was associated with incident overweight/obesity (relative risk or RR: 1.058; 95% CI: 1.023–1.095; P: 0.001). Vigorous activity at home (including gardening, yard work, and household chores) was linked to higher odds of recovering from overweight/obesity (RR: 1.065; 95% CI: 1.008–1.125; P: 0.025). Frequent tobacco use (often/daily vs. none) was inversely associated with remission of overweight-obesity (RR: 0.689; 95% CI: 0.484–0.980; P: 0.038), as was each 1 ml in alcohol consumption (RR: 0.995; 95% CI: 0.991–0.999; P: 0.022). Discouraging habitual motor vehicle use may help prevent overweight/obesity, while promoting home-based activities may aid remission, particularly for women who are at higher risk for overweight/obesity.

As obesity rates rise globally, addressing modifiable lifestyle factors, such as sleep, presents an opportunity for public health interventions. This review explores the growing evidence linking sleep duration, quality and timing with weight management and dietary behaviours throughout the life course. Observational studies associate short or irregular sleep with increased obesity risk, poor diet quality and metabolic disturbances. Plausible mechanisms include decreased physical activity, heightened hedonic and/or emotional eating, dysregulated appetite signals and circadian misalignment of metabolism, which contribute to a positive energy balance. Unravelling the bidirectional relationship between sleep and weight is challenging; poor sleep exacerbates weight gain, while obesity-related comorbidities such as obstructive sleep apnoea further impair sleep. Despite promising evidence from sleep-restriction studies showing increased energy intake, long-term randomised controlled trials (RCTs) examining interventions designed to improve sleep with weight management as an outcome are lacking. A handful of short-term interventions suggest benefits in reducing energy intake or improving dietary quality, but their effects on weight loss remain inconclusive. This review calls for robust, well-powered RCTs that integrate sleep, diet and physical activity interventions to evaluate the potential of sleep as a core component of obesity prevention and treatment strategies. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support sleep-focused interventions as a mandatory element in clinical weight-management programmes.

A hospital-based cross-sectional study involving children aged 2–15 years attending the obesity clinic of a tertiary care hospital from January 2016 to March 2018 was carried out to study carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors in children with overweight and obesity. Secondary objective was to compare children with elevated (EcIMT) and normal cIMT (NcIMT). Out of 223 patients enrolled for the study, 102 (45·7 %) had EcIMT. Mean cIMT of the study participants was 0·41 (sd 0·13) mm. Median alanine transaminase levels (27 v. 24, P= 0·006) and proportion of patients with fatty liver (63·7 % v. 48·8 %, P= 0·025) and ≥ 3 risk factors (80·4 % v. 66·1 %, P= 0·003) were higher in the EcIMT group compared with NcIMT group. Proportion of patients with hypercholesterolemia (36·4 % v. 16 %, P= 0·024), elevated LDL-cholesterol (38·6 % v. 16 %, P= 0·013), low HDL-cholesterol (40·9 % v. 20 %, P= 0·027) and dyslipidemia (84·1 % v. 58 %, P= 0·006) was higher in the pubertal EcIMT group and those with fatty liver (63·8 % v. 45·1 %, P= 0·034) was higher in the prepubertal EcIMT group compared with pubertal and prepubertal NcIMT groups, respectively. No significant correlations were observed between cIMT and various cardiometabolic parameters. Our finding of EcIMT in nearly half of the study participants including young children is very concerning as these children are at increased risk of atherosclerotic CVD in adulthood. Interventions starting at a young age are important when trajectories are likely to be more malleable and adverse cardiometabolic phenotypes and subclinical atherosclerosis are reversible.

Substantial changes resulting from the interaction of environmental and dietary factors contribute to an increased risk of obesity, while their specific associations with obesity remain unclear. We identified inflammation-related dietary patterns (DP) and explored their associations with obesity among urbanised Tibetan adults under significant environmental and dietary changes. Totally, 1826 subjects from the suburbs of Golmud City were enrolled in an open cohort study, of which 514 were followed up. Height, weight and waist circumference were used to define overweight and obesity. DP were derived using reduced rank regression with forty-one food groups as predictors and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and prognostic nutritional index as inflammatory response variables. Altitude was classified as high or ultra-high. Two DP were extracted. DP-1 was characterised by having high consumptions of sugar-sweetened beverages, savoury snacks, and poultry and a low intake of tsamba. DP-2 had high intakes of poultry, pork, animal offal, and fruits and a low intake of butter tea. Participants in the highest tertiles (T3) of DP had increased risks of overweight and obesity (DP-1: OR = 1·37, 95 % CI 1·07, 1·77; DP-2: OR = 1·48, 95 % CI 1·18, 1·85) than those in the lowest tertiles (T1). Participants in T3 of DP-2 had an increased risk of central obesity (OR = 2·25, 95 % CI 1·49, 3·39) than those in T1. The positive association of DP-1 with overweight and obesity was only significant at high altitudes, while no similar effect was observed for DP-2. Inflammation-related DP were associated with increased risks of overweight and/or obesity.