NewsMakers

Eating too much – not exercising too little – may be at core of weight gain, study finds

Conventional wisdom suggests that an increasingly sedentary and germ-free lifestyle, resulting in low daily energy expenditure, is a primary factor underlying rising rates of obesity.

Published

4 years ago

December 19, 2019

ZestMag.com Staff

Photo by Niklas Rhöse from Unsplash.com

Forager-horticulturalist children in the Amazon rainforest do not spend more calories in their everyday lives than children in the United States, but they do spend calories differently. That finding provides clues for understanding and reversing global trends in obesity and poor metabolic health, according to a Baylor University researcher in a study published in Science Advances.

“Conventional wisdom suggests that an increasingly sedentary and germ-free lifestyle, resulting in low daily energy expenditure, is a primary factor underlying rising rates of obesity,” said Samuel Urlacher, Ph.D., assistant professor of anthropology at Baylor University. “The findings of our study challenge that notion. We demonstrate that Amazonian children with physically active lifestyles and chronic immunological challenges don’t actually burn more calories than much more sedentary children living here in the U.S.”

“This similarity in energy expenditure suggests that the human body can flexibly balance energy budgets in different contexts,” Urlacher said. “Ultimately, eating too much, not moving too little, may be at the core of long-term weight gain and the global nutrition transition that often begins during childhood.”

The study — “Constraint and Tradeoffs Regulate Energy Expenditure During Childhood” — is published in Science Advances, a journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Standard models in human nutrition assume that habitual energy use is “additive,” such that exercise and other metabolic tasks increase total daily energy expenditure, which is the total number of calories that humans burn each day. Consistently exercise more, spend more total calories. However, that model has been increasingly challenged by studies suggesting that total daily energy expenditure is “constrained” within a relatively narrow human range. Consistently exercise more, spend fewer calories on other metabolic tasks and no extra calories overall. Until now, no research had directly tested these two opposing models of energy use among children living in challenging environments.

To investigate how children spend calories, Urlacher and his colleagues collected energetics data from 44 forager-horticulturalist Shuar children (ages 5 to 12) and compared them to those of industrialized children in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The Shuar are a population of around 50,000 individuals living in the isolated Amazon region of Ecuador. Without easy access to stores and labor-saving technology, they continue to rely predominantly on a subsistence-based lifestyle of hunting, fishing, foraging and small-scale horticulture. To measure energy expenditure, the researchers used gold-standard isotope-tracking and respirometry methods, the first time that either state-of-the-art approach had been used among children in a subsistence-based population. This new information was coupled with data reflecting physical activity, immune activity, nutritional status and growth.

Results provide strong support for constraint and tradeoffs in children’s energy expenditure. The study found that:

Shuar children are approximately 25% more physically active than industrialized children.
Shuar children have approximately 20% greater resting energy expenditure than industrialized children, to a large degree reflecting elevated immune system activity.
Despite wide differences in lifestyle and energy allocation, the total number of calories that Shuar children spend every day is indistinguishable from that of industrialized children.

“These findings advance previous work among adults, showing that energy expenditure is also constrained during childhood,” said co-author Herman Pontzer, Ph.D., associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University.

Researchers argue that because tradeoffs underlying energy constraint may often limit physical growth, such constraint has implications for understanding childhood growth faltering and its associated increased risk for adult obesity and metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Specifically, the findings imply that a high degree of physical and immune activity may reduce energy available for growth, even when food is abundant.

A key takeaway of the study is that rapid change in diet and increasing energy intake, not decreasing physical activity or infectious disease burden, may most directly underlie the chronic weight gain driving the global rise of obesity. However, “Exercise remains critically important for health and for weight management given its effects on appetite, muscle mass, cardiopulmonary function and many other factors,” Urlacher said. “Our results don’t suggest otherwise. Everyone should meet recommended daily physical activity levels.”

The researchers recognize several ways to improve upon their study in the future, including considering a wider age range of children, comparing additional study populations and collecting longitudinal data spanning economic development and lifestyle variation within a single transitioning population. Importantly, the authors will continue to look for ways to better apply their findings to improve health among the Shuar and other populations globally.

Urlacher, a co-director of the long-term Shuar Health and Life History Project, has spent more than 25 months living with the Shuar since 2011.

“I really care about the Shuar,” Urlacher said. “The science is exciting, but, ultimately, we hope that our research can help to improve health among the Shuar, in the U.S. and elsewhere.”

Financial support for the study was provided by the National Science Foundation.

Co-researchers included the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University; the Department of Anthropology at the University of Oregon; the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology at Loyola University; the Department of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University; and the Duke Global Health Institute at Duke University.

NewsMakers

83% of Filipino consumers want food companies to use only cage-free eggs

The nationwide survey found that 83% of consumers believe eggs sourced by restaurants, supermarkets, packaged foods companies and similar should come only from hens living in cage-free environments. 80% said they were more inclined to patronize a food brand that sourced only cage-free eggs.

Published

17 hours ago

April 25, 2024

ZestMag.com Staff

A new national consumer survey carried out by leading APAC consumer research agency GMO Research has found that a large majority of Filipino consumers want food companies—including restaurants, retailers and packaged foods brands—to source their eggs from farms that use cage-free production methods. Tokyo-based GMO Research is one of the world’s ten largest consumer research agencies, with 55 million online consumer panelists across 16 APAC countries and markets. The survey, which randomly polled hundreds of respondents from across the Philippines, reflects the evolving attitudes of customers in seeking higher animal welfare and sustainability standards from the food brands they patronize.

The survey also found a notable willingness to pay a price premium for the shift to cage-free eggs. 89% of respondents agreed with the statement that “The advantages of cage-free eggs in terms of food safety and quality are worth spending a little extra money on.” 76% of consumers were willing to pay 10-25% more for cage-free eggs in supermarkets, and 74% were willing to spend 5-10% more for a restaurant meal or packaged food product that used cage-free eggs.

Over the past several years an increasing number of major food brands in the Philippines, including Jollibee, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Ascott, MetroMart, SM Hotels and Conventions Corp and Robinsons Hotels & Resorts, among others, have committed to sourcing only cage-free eggs in the coming years in response to evolving customer values.

“These new survey findings underscore how important it is for food companies to prioritize animal welfare and other ethical sourcing practices in their operations,” said Robyn Del Rosario, Sustainability Program Manager at Lever Foundation, an NGO that supports companies in the Philippines and across Asia on sustainable sourcing. “As consumer awareness and demand for improvements like cage-free eggs continue to rise, businesses can seize the opportunity to enhance their brand reputation by aligning their sourcing standards with consumers’ expectations.”

Concern for animal welfare appears to play an important part in consumer attitudes on the issue. The survey found that 95% of consumers agreed with the statement “Hens that produce eggs should not be kept in cages; they should have the freedom to walk and move around.” 99% believed that food companies should source both eggs and meat from a supply chain that adheres to humane standards of animal treatment. Concern for animal welfare wasn’t the only motivating factor though, with 31% of respondents citing the safety of cage-free eggs as a valuable advantage.

Cage-free egg production, in which hens are given the freedom to move in open indoor environments, improves animal welfare and significantly lowers food safety risks compared to caged egg production. Exhaustive research by the European Food Safety.

Authority found battery cage egg farms have up to 25 times higher rates of contamination by key salmonella strains compared to cage-free eggs, leading the EFSA to issue a recommendation for a complete ban on caged egg production across Europe. For individual consumers, the best way to protect egg-laying hens is by reducing or eliminating egg consumption.

NewsMakers

Watsons announces ‘1-Day, 1-Price Online Sale’ on April 26

Mark your calendars for April 26 as Watsons’ best-selling facial serums will be priced at Php399 for one day only. This extraordinary event is exclusively available online and for Watsons Club Members.

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2024

ZestMag.com Staff

Elevate your skincare regimen with facial serums, the ultimate skincare essential designed to target your skin’s unique needs. From banishing wrinkles to combating acne, these potent potions deliver concentrated doses of active ingredients to leave your complexion radiant and revitalized. Participating brands include Garnier, Luxe Organix, Ponds, Fresh Tomato, QuickFX, Fresh Skinlab, Kojiesan, Naturals by Watsons, Dermaction Plus by Watsons, and Collagen Plus by Watsons.

Take advantage of this limited-time offer to treat yourself to radiant, revitalized skin at an irresistible price. Fill your Watsons App carts now and check out on April 26th during this one-day special sale!

Sign up for a Watsons Card now to enjoy exclusive perks! Watsons Club offers a free lifetime membership. Enjoy Php100 off when you download the Watsons app through this link http://bit.ly/WatsonsMobileApp. Download the Watsons app now.

Learn more about Click & Collect and Watsons Express Delivery by visiting www.watsons.com.ph/shipping-delivery.

NewsMakers

‘Always be Chic by Miss Kayce’ launched

In a chic celebration of style and sustainability, Miss Kayce launched the second edition of her book, “Always be Chic by Miss Kayce”. Hosted by publishing house Bookshelf PH, the event was not just a book launch but a bold statement towards a more sustainable and inclusive fashion industry.

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2024

ZestMag.com Staff

What does ‘Always Be Chic’ mean and who learns their ABCs in such a fashionable way?

Author, fashion and wardrobe stylist KC “Miss Kayce” Leyco grew up taught to dress up chic and introduced this new way of learning ABCs to the fashion-forward at the SM Aura Book Nook last Friday, April 19, 2024. In a chic celebration of style and sustainability, Miss Kayce launched the second edition of her book, “Always be Chic by Miss Kayce”. Hosted by publishing house Bookshelf PH, the event was not just a book launch but a bold statement towards a more sustainable and inclusive fashion industry.

The newly updated “Always Be Chic by Miss Kayce” is every fashionista’s must-read manifesto that calls for a revolution in how we view, wear, and care for our clothes. With enriching new content, Miss Kayce extends her narrative to delve deeper into circular fashion—an ethos where clothes are designed to last longer, be reused more, and eventually be recycled, reducing the industry’s footprint on our precious planet.

‘I have nothing to wear’

“How many times have we opened our closet full of clothes and said ‘I have nothing to wear’?” Miss Kayce asked. “What makes us think we don’t own enough clothes when we barely have space in our wardrobes anymore?”

Donning an heirloom headscarf gifted by her late mother, a frayed, black denim dress from her go-to ukay store on Instagram, and statement black boots from a local Marikina shoemaker, Miss Kayce explained that this wardrobe brouhaha has a lot to do with our desire to keep up with fast fashion trends and thoughtless shopping choices.

“Hopping on trends triggers us to do impulse buys, then later on we realize these fashion pieces don’t suit us well or that they’re only worn once before we stash them in our closet behind a new pile of clothes,” Miss Kayce explained. “Being chic isn’t about not repeating clothes, but it’s all about choosing pieces that are made to last and can always be worn and paired with other pieces in a new way or repurpose for an entirely different look.”

The Fashion Revolution

Fashion starts with the self.

In this case, Miss Kayce hosted “How to Be a Storyteller”, a fashion revolution global workshop which included a series of design activities for participants.

From writing 10-minute poems to explain stories about their outfits to crafting short stories and characters about circular fashion, these bursts of creative sessions provided a platform for attendees to express their fashion stories in unique and impactful ways.

Attendees, dressed in their expressive best, had an immersive experience on the chic world of clothes, including Miss Kayce’s stories about working in the fashion and styling industry and insider information on the realities of fast fashion and its impact on Mother Earth.

“Fashion, for me, is all about connecting with people–may it be those who create these long-lasting clothes or the clients I style to bring out their best selves,” Miss Kayce said. “I always make it a point to buy from our local designers and sewers, while also accepting that every individual is unique and that I’m here to help them wear clothes that speak their personality and authenticity the most.”

A mini-competition during the activities also rewarded attendees who shared their stories with copies of ‘Always Be Chic’.

Fast-fashion to clothes that last

A spirited Q&A session also offered deep dives into the complex issues of fast fashion including limited clothing options for plus-sized fashionistas and the convenience of shopping online.

“Here in the Philippines, it’s always a challenge to find clothes for plus-sized men and women. This leaves us with no choice but to purchase from fast-fashion apps online. Given this reality, does it mean we can never be sustainable with our fashion choices?“ an attendee asked.

“Purchasing fast-fashion doesn’t entirely mean you can’t be sustainable,” Miss Kayce explained. “It’s not an end-all, be-all where you buy from a fast-fashion app and that’s it, you’re hurting our precious planet and there’s nothing you can do, no.”

So in case you bought a cute top from a fast-fashion app, it’s never too late to still be part of circular fashion.

“What we’re always advocating here is for you to buy clothes that last–whether that’s through rewearing them over and over again or reinventing them to be new fashion pieces that will last in your wardrobe even longer,” Miss Kayce said.

SM Aura Book Nook, located in Level 3 SM Aura, is a community library and learning hub that houses a diverse range of books including a donated copy of “Always Be Chic by Miss Kayce” and other Bookshelf PH titles. The donated copy is free to read along with other book selections.

“Always Be Chic by Miss Kayce” is available in paperback on PaperKat Books and available as an ebook through Bookshelf PH.

Join the next creative book club session with The Write Side of Bookshelf at SM Aura Book Nook this coming May 22, Wednesday, 4pm.