Scope: High-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity impairs macrophage-to-feces reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). It is hypothesized that dietary supplementation with the polyunsaturated fatty acids conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) or alpha linolenic acid (ALA) would prevent HFD-impaired RCT by modulating hepatic protein pathways. Methods and results: ApoE3L.CETP mice are fed a HFD supplemented ± CLA or ALA for 12 weeks and in vivo macrophage-to-feces RCT is determined. Hepatic cholesterol transporters and the hepatic proteome are assessed by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry, respectively. Mice fed HFD alone, but not ALA-HFD or CLA-HFD, exhibit increased systemic cholesterol levels, increased 3 H-cholesterol levels in plasma and liver but not feces during RCT, and reduced hepatic ABCG5/8 expression relative to LFD. ALA-HFD significantly reduces liver weight, hepatic cholesterol levels, and expression of the cholesterol synthesis enzyme farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase relative to HFD. ALA further increases the expression of acetyl-coA oxidase-associated proteins and suppress PPAR -induced proteins relative to HFD. CLA does not significantly attenuate hepatic lipid levels but is associated with reduced hepatic expression of fatty acid binding protein (FABP)-1/FABP4 levels relative to HFD, and reduced inflammatory pathway activation relative to ALA-HFD.

Excessive adiposity is associated with several metabolic perturbations including disturbances in iron homeostasis. Increased systemic inflammation in obesity stimulates expression of the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin, which can result in a maldistribution of bodily iron, which may be implicated in metabolic dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the effect of adiposity and any associated inflammation on iron homeostasis and the potential implications of dysregulated iron metabolism on metabolic health. Analyses are based on a subsample from the cross-sectional Irish National Adult Nutrition Survey (2008–2010) (n = 1120). Ferritin status and risk of iron overload were determined based on established WHO ferritin ranges. Participants were classed as having a healthy % body fat or as having overfat or obesity based on age- and gender-specific % body fat ranges as determined by bioelectrical impedance. Biomarkers of iron status were examined in association with measures of body composition, serum adipocytokines and markers of metabolic health. Excessive % body fat was significantly associated with increased serum hepcidin and ferritin and an increased prevalence of severe risk of iron overload amongst males independent of dietary iron intake. Elevated serum ferritin displayed significant positive associations with serum triglycerides and markers of glucose metabolism, with an increased but non-significant presentation of metabolic risk factors amongst participants with overfat and obesity at severe risk of iron overload. Increased adiposity is associated with dysregulations in iron homeostasis, presenting as increased serum hepcidin, elevated serum ferritin and an increased risk of iron overload, with potential implications in impairments in metabolic health.

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Background: Overweight and obesity in adolescence is a growing issue and can have a range of both short-and long-term consequences on health.Objectives: To analyse trends in adolescent weight status in Ireland across a 30-year period and to examine the influence of sociodemographic factors on overweight/ obesity in Irish adolescents over time.Methods: Body composition and body mass index weight status of Irish adolescents were compared using data from three nationally representative, cross-sectional Irish national food consumption surveys from 1990, 2006 and 2020. Adjusted analysis of associations between socio-demographic factors with the risk of adolescent overweight/obesity at each time point were examined.

Adolescence is a pivotal, yet frequently overlooked, period of life, with this age group often no longer receiving the focus, care and protection devoted to other life stages. Nutritional vulnerability increases in adolescence due to heightened nutritional requirements, yet the quality of the diets consumed by this age group often deteriorates significantly. Poor-quality dietary patterns and insufficient nutrient intakes are frequently observed amongst adolescents both in Ireland and globally. This deterioration in diet quality is greatly influenced by individual, social and environmental determinants of behaviour and health. The influences of each of these factors change and increase as adolescents begin to interact independently with the surrounding world. Poor nutrition during adolescence can result in several immediate and long-term health consequences, including micronutrient deficiencies, increased risk of overweight/obesity and increased presentation of cardiometabolic risk factors, all of which have been observed as persistent issues amongst adolescents in Ireland and internationally. Adolescence is a critical period of intervention to protect youth both now and into their future lives. This age group can be particularly receptive to the influence of society and the surrounding environment, posing several avenues in which to influence adolescents towards more health-promoting behaviour. This review aims to summarise the key nutritional and dietary characteristics of adolescents, to provide an overview of the causes and consequences of poor nutrition in adolescence, and to highlight potential opportunities for intervention to protect the health of this age group, with a particular focus on evidence from an Irish context.