Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence of overweight/obesity, metabolic syndrome (MbS) and its criteria, and nutrient intakes of college-age men and women via a large-scale screening. Participants and Methods: From August 2005 to July 2008, 2,722 subjects were recruited for the ongoing, cross-sectional…

Objectives: This study examined the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and myocardial infarction in men and women, while controlling for social determinants (i.e., socioeconomic status, social support, mental health) and traditional cardiovascular risk factors (i.e., age, race, obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, diabetes…

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine (a) whether distance from home to school is a determinant of active commuting to school (ACS), (b) the relationship between distance from home to heavily used facilities (school, green spaces, and sports facilities) and the weight status and cardiometabolic risk categories, and (c) whether ACS has a…

Obesity increases the risk of many health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers, high blood pressure, lipid disorders, stroke and more. While obesity affects more than one third of all adult Americans, people with disabilities are more likely to be overweight or obese and often have fewer tools for controlling weight at…

Research has shown that regular physical activity helps to prevent major health problems, such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. However, little research has been conducted on classroom-based physical activity programs for students with disabilities. In North Carolina, the Healthy Active Children Policy was implemented in 2006, requiring…

The maximal rate of O[subscript 2] consumption (VO[subscript 2max]) constitutes one of the oldest fitness indexes established for the measure of cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic performance. Procedures have been developed in which VO[subscript 2max]is estimated from physiological responses during submaximal exercise. Generally, VO[subscript…

Childhood obesity has become a major health problem. Approximately 17 percent of U.S. children six to 17 years of age are obese--that is, their sex-and-age-specific Body Mass Index (BMI) is at or above the 95th percentile. This proportion is two-and-a-half times higher than it was 25 years ago. Obesity during childhood often carries into…

America has a serious weight problem. Two-thirds of adults and nearly one-fifth of children in the United States are overweight, placing them at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases including cancer and arthritis. Furthermore, obesity and its related health problems are placing a major strain on the U.S. health care…

Children of today may be the first generation in the United States in more than 200 years to have a life expectancy shorter than their parents. Low levels of fitness caused by physical inactivity and poor nutritional habits of many of today's youth may be a contributing factor. Combating low fitness levels with physical activity is of utmost…

For people with disabilities, a good health and nutrition program can have life-changing results: more energy, increased knowledge, more confidence and self-esteem, and fewer serious health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. This innovative, easy-to-implement curriculum is the perfect way to help adults build healthy…

Today's generation of American children may be the first to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. Childhood obesity has increased 35% in the past 10 years. Carrying excess weight for years can lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and premature death. For the first time, there are…

This population-based 24-year follow-up study evaluated the association of occupational physical activity (OPA) with overweight and mortality in 47,405 men and women, healthy at baseline, and reporting OPA as sedentary (reference), light, moderately heavy, or heavy. The adjusted odds ratio for overweight was slightly less than 1 for all categories…

Overweight and obesity plague American society and their burden is shared disproportionately by minorities at all age levels. The ramifications of overweight are well documented and include chronic morbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and certain forms of cancer. Immigrants, who comprise 11% of…

This booklet offers advice for adults who want to lower their blood cholesterol level. The first section, "What You Need To Know about High Blood Cholesterol," discusses blood cholesterol and why it matters, what cholesterol numbers mean, and what affects blood cholesterol levels. Section 2, "What You Need To Do To Lower Blood…

A study of 120 British adults with intellectual disability found they had higher risk factors of developing coronary heart disease and stroke than the general population. There was a greater incidence of obesity and considerably lower physical activity levels than the general population. Several also had abnormal cholesterol readings. (CR)