Hyper-alimentation - effects on health and well-being
01 Jan 2010-
TL;DR: Hyper-alimentation and limited physical activity during a short-term period of 4 weeks is sufficient to temporarily induce worsened HRQoL, cause depressive symptoms and lack of energy in healthy normal weight individuals, suggesting that hyperaliments per se can induce profound ALT elevations in less than 4 weeks.
Abstract: The general aim of this thesis was to prospectively examine the effects on health and well-being when healthy normal weight individuals increase their energy intake, mainly from fast food and simultaneously adopt a sedentary lifestyle.This thesis is based upon a prospective experimental study design where 18 healthy normal weight individuals, 12 men and 6 women, aged 26 (6.6) years, increased their energy intake with in average 70 % during four weeks. Simultaneously their physical activity was limited to a maximum of 5000 steps per day. An age and gender matched control group (n=18), was recruited and asked not to change their eatingand physical activity habits for four weeks. Long-term follow-up measurements were performed after 6 and 12 months and 2.5 years after the intervention.During the intervention body weight increased with 6.4 (2.8) kg and measurements of body composition showed an increase of both fat mass and fat free mass after the intervention. Lower physical and mental health scores on SF-36 as well as depressive symptoms were found compared to baseline. They were temporary and when followed up 6 and 12 months after the intervention, physical and mental health had returned to baseline values, despite a somewhat increased body weight. The main essence of adopting an obesity provoking behaviour was lack of energy emerging from five structures: influenced self-confidence, commitment to oneself and others, managing eating, feelings of tiredness and physical impact. Laboratory measurements showed an increase of ALT above reference limits in 14 of the 18 participants during the intervention and HTGC increased, although this was not related to the increase in ALT levels. Twelve months after the intervention an increase of body weight with 1.5 (2.4) kg was found compared to baseline (p=0.018), fat free mass was unchanged compared to baseline while fat mass had increased, + 1.4 (1.9) kg (p=0.01). Two and a half years after the intervention an increase of body weight with 3.1 (4.0) kg was found compared to baseline (p=0.01), while there was no change in controls compared to baseline, + 0.1 (2.5) kg (p=0.88).Hyper-alimentation and limited physical activity during a short-term period of 4 weeks is sufficient to temporarily induce worsened HRQoL, cause depressive symptoms and lack of energy in healthy normal weight individuals. There were also temporary but clear effects on biochemical markers, suggesting that hyperalimentation per se can induce profound ALT elevations in less than 4 weeks. During the intervention both fat mass and fat-free mass increased while after 12 months there was only an increase of fat mass which was greater than expected from epidemiological studies. The marked difference between the increase in body weight in the intervention- and control group at 2.5 years also raises the question whether there is a long-term effect of increasing fat mass after a short period of hyperalimentation.
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TL;DR: In 92 blood donors with an initially elevated ALT level, two-thirds have intermittent or persistent elevations; most approximately 20% have no apparent cause for the elevations other than possible non-A, non-B hepatitis.
Abstract: We evaluated 100 asymptomatic blood donors with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels exceeding 0.83 mu kat/L, for evidence of liver disease or risk factors for non-A, non-B hepatitis and followed serum ALT levels for another 6 months. In 92 donors completing the study, ALT elevations occurred once in 33%, intermittently in 36%, persistently in 28%. Twenty-two donors were obese, 5 had clinical and biochemical evidence of alcoholic liver disease, and 45 drank alcohol regularly; 1 had hemochromatosis, and another, myopathy. In 22 no cause for elevated serum ALT levels was found. The presence or absence of risk of acquiring hepatitis did not correlate with the pattern of ALT elevations or the identification of another cause for the elevated ALT levels. In 92 blood donors with an initially elevated ALT level, two-thirds have intermittent or persistent elevations; most approximately 20% have no apparent cause for the elevations other than possible non-A, non-B hepatitis. These findings may be helpful in counseling and following blood donors with elevated ALT levels.
90 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that at least two elevated ALT values be established in this population of asymptomatic volunteer blood donors over a period of time before an extensive hepatic investigation is pursued, to increase the diagnostic yield.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the etiology of elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in a population of asymptomatic volunteer blood donors. Subjects with an ALT value >2.25sd above norm (>55 IU/liter) from the donated unit, were prospectively evaluated over a six-week interval. The subjects consisted of blood donors (78% male, 22% female) beginning basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base. Of 44,160 individuals screened, 19,877 (45%) voluntarily donated blood, 99 (0.5%) of which had confirmed ALT elevation. Of these (90 male/9 female), an associated condition or explanation was made in 12%: four with acute hepatitis B, four positive for anti-HCV, two with autoimmune disease, one with cholelithiasis and one associated with acute appendicitis. In 87 the ALT elevation could not be explained using available testing methods but may represent individual variation from a non-Gaussian distribution, be of nonhepatic origin (muscle), or of hepatic disease not detected by the diagnostic algorithm used. To increase the diagnostic yield, it is suggested that at least two elevated ALT values be established in this population over a period of time (yet undefined), before an extensive hepatic investigation is pursued.
89 citations
TL;DR: The need to explore how individuals define and conceptualize health and wellness and to discover what they perceive to be the major facilitators and barriers to health and well-being for themselves and other individuals living with disability is indicated.
Abstract: Well-being can be defined in terms of an individual's physical, mental, social, and environmental status with each aspect interacting with the other and each having differing levels of importance and impact according to each individual. A change in the different aspects of well-being of an individual may be reflected in an alteration of behavior or the performance of a task or activity. Although the current research environment has emphasized the importance of well-being, little emphasis has been placed on this concept from the individual's point of view or perspective. The definition of well-being is usually assumed or lacking in clarity with similar terms used interchangeably. Well-being has been measured in research using various scales, which may not capture the complexity of the concept. This integrative review clearly indicates the need to explore how individuals define and conceptualize health and wellness and to discover what they perceive to be the major facilitators and barriers to health and wellness for themselves and other individuals living with disability.
87 citations
TL;DR: Substantial thermogenesis was observed but its amplitude was not greater than that observed under less extreme carbohydrate-overfeeding conditions, and luxuskonsumption does not exist, it is not related to the magnitude of the cumulative overfeeding.
85 citations