Tufts University researchers who recently published a study in Environmental Health Perspectives linking bisphenol A (BPA) to mammary gland cancer in rats have walked back their claims after Forbes reported that the statistical data cited in the results “clearly showed BPA had no effects and did not cause cancer.” Nicole Acevedo, et al., “Perinatally Administered Bisphenol A as a Potential Mammary Gland Carcinogen in Rats,” Environmental Health Perspectives, September 2013. When first published ahead of print, the study in question apparently concluded that “developmental exposure to environmentally relevant levels of BPA during gestation and lactation induces mammary gland neoplasms in the absence of any additional carcinogenic treatment.” The researchers also noted that human-relevant doses of BPA “led to the induction of malignant mammary gland tumors and other lesions in adult female rats.” But Forbes, after consulting with experts at the Bioinformatics at the National Institute of Statistical Science, argued that the…
Category Archives Scientific/Technical Items
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by researchers with the Harvard School of Public Health has allegedly concluded that sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption “promotes weight gain in children and adults.” Vasanti Malik, et al., “Sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October 013. Focused on prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the meta-analysis noted that a one-serving per day increase in SSB consumption was associated with (i) “a 0.06-unit increase in BMI over a [one-year period] among children and adolescents,” and (ii) “an additional weight gain of 0.12 to .22 kg (≈0.25-0.50 lb) over [one year] among adults.” “SSBs can lead to weight gain through their high added-sugar content, low satiety, and an incomplete compensatory reduction in energy intake at subsequent meals after intake of liquid calories,” conclude the study’s authors. “Our results also suggest…
A recent study examining the role of gut bacteria in obesity has reported that germ-free mice transplanted with human fecal microbiota either gained weight or stayed lean depending on the body profile of the human donor. Vanessa Ridaura, et al., “Gut Microbiota from Twins Discordant for Obesity Modulate Metabolism in Mice,” Science, September 2013. Using mice with no gut microbiota of their own, researchers with the Washington University School of Medicine apparently conducted two separate experiments, the first of which involved transplanting fecal microbiota from one lean twin and one obese twin into mice that were then kept in separate cages and fed a diet low in fat and high in plant polysaccharides. After 15 days, the mice that received bacteria from the lean twin reportedly stayed lean while the mice that received bacteria from the obese twin gained weight and fat in addition to developing signs of insulin resistance.…
The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity has published a study that criticizes cereal companies for allegedly promoting high-sugar products to children and portraying “unhealthy eating behaviors” in TV advertisements. Megan LoDolce, et al., “Sugar as Part of a Balanced Breakfast? What Cereal Advertisements Teach Children About Healthy Eating,” Journal of Health Communication, August 2013. According to the study’s authors, who reportedly analyzed 158 cereal advertisements that aired between 2008 and 2009 for messaging type, creative techniques and the eating behaviors modeled, 87 percent of ads viewed by children promoted high-sugar products and “were significantly more likely to convey unrealistic and contradictory messages about cereal attributes and healthy eating.” In particular, the analysis suggested that 91 percent of high-sugar cereal ads directed at children “ascribed extraordinary powers to these products,” while 67 percent “portrayed healthy and unhealthy eating behaviors.” “These findings also raise ethical and public health concerns about…
A recent study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has claimed that fast food TV advertisements directed at children have allegedly failed to abide by Children’s Advertising Review Unit and Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative recommendations that food products—as opposed to toys, movie tie-ins and brands—should be the focus of youth marketing messages. Amy Bernhardt, et al., “How Television Fast Food Marketing Aimed at Children Compares with Adult Advertisements,” PLoS One, August 2013. After reviewing all nationally televised advertisements for the top 25 quick service restaurants (QSRs) in the United States, researchers with the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and Public Health Advocacy Institute reported that 99 percent of the 92 QSR children’s meal advertisements that aired between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, were attributable to either McDonald’s or Burger King. They also purportedly found that—compared with adult advertisements over the same period—visual branding, food…
Boston University School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers have identified the alcohol brands most frequently mentioned in popular music, raising questions about whether public health efforts should focus on reducing youth exposure “to these positive messages about alcohol use.” Michael Siegel, et al., “Alcohol Brand References in U.S. Popular Music, 2009 2011,” Substance Use & Misuse, August 2013. Relying on Billboard Magazine’s most popular song lists in the urban, pop, country, and rock categories for 2009, 2010 and 2011, the study’s authors found that 23 percent of the 720 surveyed songs mentioned alcohol and 6.4 percent included a mention of a specific alcohol brand, with four brands alone—Patron tequila, Hennessy Cognac, Grey Goose vodka, and Jack Daniel’s whiskey—accounting for more than half of all alcohol brand mentions. “Even in cases where alcohol companies are not directly promoting the mention of their brands in music…
A recent study has reportedly claimed that higher levels of urinary bisphenol A (BPA) “were associated with a higher odds of obesity … and abnormal waist circumference-to-height ratio” in children. Donna Eng, et al., “Bisphenol A and Chronic Disease Risk Factors in US Children, Pediatrics, September 2013. Using data from 3,000 children ages 6 to 18 who were enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2010, University of Michigan researchers evidently sought to evaluate cross-sectional associations between urinary BPA “and multiple measures of adiposity, cholesterol, insulin, and glucose.” The results suggested that although urinary BPA was associated with an increased risk of obesity, “there were no associations found between BPA and laboratory measures of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk,” an outcome that apparently contrasted with previous adult studies. “Our findings suggest the need for longitudinal analysis to elucidate temporal relationships between BPA exposure and the development of obesity…
A recent study has reportedly concluded that “higher glucose levels may be a risk factor for dementia, even among persons without diabetes.” Paul Crane, et al., “Glucose Levels and Risk of Dementia,” New England Journal of Medicine, August 2013. Relying on data from 2,067 men and women enrolled in the Adult Changes in Thought study, researchers apparently used 35,264 clinical measurements of glucose levels and 10,208 measurements of glycated hemoglobin levels in tracking the development of dementia in 524 participants during a median follow-up of 6.8 years. The results evidently suggested that among participants without diabetes, “higher average glucose levels within the preceding 5 years were related to an increase risk of dementia.” In particular, the study’s authors found that for those without diabetes, “risk for dementia was 18 percent higher for people with an average glucose level of 115 milligrams per deciliter compared to those with an average glucose…
A recent study has reportedly claimed that bisphenol A (BPA) can disrupt the maturation of human oocytes in vitro, raising questions about the effect of the substance on human development and fertility. Ronit Machtinger, et al., “Bisphenol-A and human oocyte maturation in vitro,” Human Reproduction, August 2013. Researchers apparently analyzed the impact of both high (20 µg/ml) and lower concentrations (20 ng/ml and 200 ng/ml) of BPA on clinically-discarded oocytes obtained from patients undergoing fertility treatments at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. According to a July 31, 2013, hospital press release, the results evidently showed that as BPA dose increased, there was (i) “a decrease in the percentage of eggs that matured,” (ii) “an increase in the percentage of eggs that degenerated,” and (iii) “an increase in the percentage of eggs that underwent spontaneous activation, the abnormal process when an egg acts as though it has been fertilized, even though it…
A new study has reportedly detailed how a common gene variant linked to obesity affects the production and reception of ghrelin, the hormone responsible for stimulating hunger. Efthimia Karra, et al., “A link between FTO, ghrelin, and impaired brain food-cue responsivity,” Journal of Clinical Investigation, July 2013. According to a July 15, 2013, press release, in the first part of the study, researchers with University College London, the Medical Research Council and King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry analyzed ghrelin levels and other indicators of hunger from two groups of participants—those with the high obesity-risk FTO gene (AA group) and those with the low obesity-risk version (TT group)—who were perfectly matched for body weight, fat distribution and social factors such as education level. The results evidently showed that AA group participants not only reported feeling hungrier after a meal than their TT group counterparts, but had “much higher circulating ghrelin…
