Of interest from the journals.

Adolescent nutrition

Neumark-Sztainer D, Hannan PJ, Story M, Croll J, Perry C. Family meal patterns: Associations with sociodemographic characteristics and improved dietary intake among adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;317-22

This study demonstrated the importance of family meals on food consumption patterns in adolescents.

Body composition

Sun SS, Chumlea WC, Heymsfield SB, Lukaski HC, Schoeller D, Friedl K, et al. Development of bioelectrical impedance analysis prediction equations for body composition with the use of a multicomponent model for use in epidemiologic surveys. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:331-40

A short-term, high-fat diet up-regulates lipid metabolism and gene expression in human skeletal muscle. Using pooled data from 1829 subjects prediction equations were developed to describe normal levels of total body water and fat free mass in children and adults.

Child nutrition

O'Dea JA. Why do kids eat healthful food? Perceived benefits of and barriers to healthful eating and physical activity among children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;497 501

This focus group study found that barriers to healthy eating included convenience, taste, social factors, a preference for indoor activity, lack of energy and motivation, time constraints.

Chromium

Ashton JF, Barclay AW, Louie H, Wu M, Di P. the chromium content of some Australian foods. Food Aust 2003;55:201-4

This paper presents the chromium content of 150 Australian foods and beverages selected across the core food groups and with reference to annual sales.

Clinical nutrition

Liu Y-M C, Williams S, Basualdo-Hammond C, Stephens D, Curtis R. A prospective study: Growth and nutritional status of children treated with the ketogenic diet. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;707-12

This study examined the long-term effects on growth and development of a ketogenic diet used to treat epilepsy in children.

Diet and exercise

Thorpe M. Dietitians and exercise: Training and practice. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;674-6

This practice commentary focusses on the role of dietitians in giving exercise advice.

Dietary carbohydrate

Juntunen KS, Laaksonen DE, Poutanen KS, Niskanen LK, Mykkanen HM. High-fiber rye bread and insulin secretion and sensitivity in healthy postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:385-91

This study compared the insulin responses to diets with 20% energy intake from rye or white breads in an 8-week crossover study. Rye bread appeared to enhance insulin secretion.

Dietary fat

Cameron-Smith D, Burke LM, Angus DJ, Tinstall RJ, Cox GR, Bonen A, et al. A short-term, high-fat diet up-regulates lipid metabolism and gene expression in human skeletal muscle. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:313-8

This study demonstrated the nutritent-gene interaction by dietary fats at the skeletal muscle level in trained athletes.

Innis S, Elias SL. Intakes of essential n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids fatty acids among pregnant Canadian women. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:473-8

This study of 55 pregnant Canadian women found low intake of DHA.

Patterson RE, Kristal A, Rodabough R, Caan B, Lillington L, Mossavar-Rahmani Y, et al. Changes in food sources of dietary fat in response to an intensive low-fat dietary intervention: Early results from the Women's Health Initiative. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;454-60

This study examines the changes in food sources of dietary fat following the Women's Health Initiative.

Sigman-Grant M, Warland R, Hsieh G. Selected lower-fat foods positively impact nutrient quality in diets of free-living Americans. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;570-6

This analysis of the CSFII data shows respondents selecting lower fat foods had lower fat intakes than exclusive high fat users.

Strychar I, Ishac A, Rivard M, Lussier-Cacan S, Beauregard H, Aris-Jilwan N, et al. Impact of a highmonosaturated-fat diet on lipid profile in subjects with type 1 diabetes. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;467-74

This study compared a high MUFA vs high CHO diet in type 1 diabetes with the high MUFA diet demonstrating favourable lipoprotein profiles.

Dietary methodology

Dennis LK, Snetselaar LG, Nothweir FK, Stewart RE. Developing a scoring method for evaluating dietary methodology in reviews of epidemiologic studies. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;483-7

This paper introduced a scoring method to evaluate dietary methods reported in epidemiological studies, emphasising the importance of method critique before accepting results.

Dietetics research

Most ML, Ershow AG, Clevidence BA. An overview of methodologies, proficiencies, and training resources for controlled feeding studies. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;729-35

This paper outlines the unique contributions dietitians can make in research involving dietary change.

Dental health

American Dietetic Association. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Oral health and nutrition. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;615-25

This ADA statement includes osteoporosis and periodontal disease, diabetes mellitus, HIV, high risk groups, supplements, collaborative professional education and practice, and other nutrition and oral health issues.

Energy metabolism

Treuth MS, Sunehag AL, Trautwein LM, Bier DM, Haymond MW, Butte NF. Metabolic adaptation to high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets in children and adolescents. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:479-89

This calorimeter study showed healthy children adapt fuel utilisation to diet composition.

Evidence-based practice

Splett PL, Roth-Yousey LL, Voogelzang JL. Medical nutrition therapy for the prevention and treatment of unintentional weight loss in residential healthcare facilities. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;352-62

This study compared medical nutrition therapy protocols to usual nutrition care in residential care facilities.

Fat

Augustin MA, Sanguansri L. Polyunsaturated fatty acids: delivery, innovation and incorporation into foods. Food Aust 2003;55:294-6

This review paper outlines the ways in which PUFA may be incorporated or enriched in foods.

Food choice

Jaeger SR. Innovation in the food industry: need for convenience. Food Aust 2003;55:129-32

This is an excellent review of consumers' food choice patterns in relation to fruit and vegetable consumption. It argues for a process/situation focus on the known factor of convenience.

n-3 fatty acids

Lemaitre RN, King IB, Mozaffarian D, Kuller LH, Tracy RP, Siscovick DS. n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids, fatal ischemic heart disease, and nonfatal myocardial infarction in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:319-25

This control case study demonstrated a lower risk of fatal IHD with higher concentrations of DHA and EPA in plasma phospholipids.

Nutrition and cancer

Ansari MS. Prostate cancer and nutritional issues. Ind J Nutr Diet 2002;39:237-44

This review looks at foods and their components associated with chemoprevention of prostate cancer.

Nutrition and the elderly

Margetts BM, Thompson RL, Elia M, Jackson AA. Prevalence of risk of undernutrition is associated with poor health status in older people in the UK. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:69-74

A representative sample of older people in the UK revealed that 14% were at risk of undernutrition. Illness, bad health, age over 85 years and being institutionalised contributed to a greater risk of undernutrition.

Nutrition education

Hays JE, Peterson CA. Use of an outcomes research collaborative training curriculum to enhance entry-level dietitians' and established professionals' self-reported understanding of research. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103:77-84

This pilot study reports on an outcomes research training program for entry-level dietitians.

Nutrition status and aging

Sahyoun NR, Lin C-L, Krall E. Nutritional status of the older adult is associated with dentition status. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103:61-6

Data from almost 6000 adults over 50 years revealed that missing teeth and denture status relate to nutritional intake. Those with poor dentition have a lower healthy eating index scale.

Nutritional assessment

Isenring E, Bauer J, Capra S. The scored Patient-generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and its association with quality of life in ambulatory patients receiving radiotherapy. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:305-9

The scored Patient-generated Subjective Global Assessment tool identifies malnutrition in oncology patients treated with radiotherapy and predicts changes in quality of life.

Smiciklas-Wright H, Mitchell DC, Mickle SJ, Goldman JD. Foods commonly eaten in the United States, 1989-1991 and 1994-1996: Are portion sizes changing? J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103:41-7

This study compared the quantities consumed per eating occasion in 1989 to 1991 with 1994 to 1996 and found one third of food examined was consumed in larger amounts in 1994 to 1996.

Obesity

Banegas JR, Lopez-Garcia E, Gutierrez-Fisac JL, Guallar-Castillon P, Rodriguez-Artalejo F. A simple estimate of mortality attributable to excess weight in the European Union. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:201-8

One in 13 annual deaths in the EU is likely to be related to overweight.

Booth ML, Chey T, Wake M, Norton K, Hesketh K, Dollman J et al. Change in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among young Australians, 1967-1997. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:29-36

This study examines data from five studies and reports the prevalence of obesity trebled in the period 1985-97 among children seven to 15 years.

Horgan GW, Stubbs J. Predicting basal metabolic rate in the obese is difficult. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:335-40

It is shown that the Schofield equations for predicting energy requirements are unsuitable for obese populations.

Parikh SJ, Yanovski JA. Calcium intake and adiposity. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:281-7

This interesting review examines the link between intake of dairy products and calcium and body weight. It reports on mechanisms whereby calcium may regulate lipogenesis, lipolysis and dietary fat absorption.

Wang J, Thornton JC, Bari S, Williamson B, Gallagher D, Heymsfield SB et al. Comparisons of waist circumferences measured at 4 sites. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:379-84

This study compares data from four sites to measure waist circumference immediately below the ribs, the narrowest waist, the mid-point below the lowest rib and the iliac crest and immediately above the iliac crest. They differ in magnitude but are reproducible and unrelated to adiposity.

Osteoporosis

Feskanich D, Willett WC, Colditz GA. Calcium, vitamin D, milk consumption, and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:504-11

Vitamin D intake, rather than milk intake or a high calcium diet, was associated with a lower risk of osteoporotic hip fracture in this 18-year prospective study of 72 337 postmenopausal women.

Phytoestrogens 

Jones G, Dwyer T, Hynes K, Dalais FS, Parameswaran V, Greenaway TM. A randomized controlled trial of phytoestrogen supplementation, growth and bone turnover in adolescent males. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:324-7

A Tasmanian study has shown that phytoestrogen supplementation of 50 mg daily had no effect on bone turnover in 60 adolescent boys.

Setchell KDR, Faughnan MS, Avades T, ZimmerNechemias L, Brown NM, Wolfe BE, et al. Comparing the pharmacokinetics of daidzein and genistein with the use of C-labeled tracers in premenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:411-9

This study demonstrated that genistein was more bioavailable than daidzein and that urine measurements have limitations as predictors of systematic bioavailability.

Practice guidelines

Position of the American Dietetic Association--Nutrition intervention in the treatment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). J N Z Diet Assoc 2003;57:6-18

This paper outlines the adoption of American guidelines in the New Zealand context.

Protein

Rand WM, Pellett PL, Young VR. Meta-analysis of nitrogen balance studies for estimating protein requirements in healthy adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:109-27

Data from published studies were used to derive recommendations for dietary reference values. The estimated average requirement for healthy adults is 105 mg N per kg per day or 0.65g good quality protein per kg per day.

Fox PF, Kelly AL. Developments in the chemistry and technology of milk proteins. 2. Minor milk proteins. Food Aust 2003;55:231-4

This is review of the different types of minor proteins found in milk.

Research methodology

Abusabha R, Woelfel ML. Qualitative vs quantitative methods: Two opposites that make a perfect match. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;566-9

This commentary outlines ways in which qualitative and quantitative methods can both be useful in dietetics research.

Research tools

Nieman DC, Trone GA, Austin MD. A new handheld device for measuring resting metabolic rate and oxygen consumption. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;588-93

This study examined the reliability of the BodyGem apparatus and the relative validity of data compared to Douglas bag RMR measurements based on resting oxygen consumption.

Sensory analysis

Laing DG. Sensory analysis--what children can do. Food Aust 2003;55:47-51

This paper reviews the area on methods for sensory analysis of foods by children and their ability to use these tasks at different ages.

Sweeteners

Ruskone-Fourmestraux A, Attar A, Chassard D, Ciffin B, Bornet F, Bouhnik Y. A digestive tolerance study of maltitol after occasional and regular consumption in healthy humans. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:26-30

The tolerance of maltitol, an indigestible sweetener, was examined in 12 healthy volunteers. At doses currently used maltitol was not associated with severe digestive symptoms.

Vegetarianism

Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103;748-65

This position paper covers the broad range of nutritional issues associated with vegetarianism.

Wine

Hughson AL. Wine expertise: current theories and findings regarding its nature and bases. Food Aust 2003;55:193-6

This review paper focusses on the sensory evaluation of wine and argues that novices can readily be trained as experts and that panels are best for wine evaluation.