There is increasing experimental and epidemiological evidence that fetal programming of genetic systems is a contributing factor in the recent increase in adult obesity and other components of metabolic syndrome. In particular, there is evidence that epigenetic changes associated with the use of manmade chemicals may interact with other factors that influence fetal and postnatal growth in contributing to the current obesity epidemic. The focus of this review is on the developmental effects of estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and more specifically on effects of exposure to the estrogenic EDC bisphenol A (BPA), on adipocytes and their function, and the ultimate impact on adult obesity; BPA exposure also results in impaired reproductive capacity. We discuss the interaction of EDCs with other factors that impact growth during fetal and neonatal life, such as placental blood flow and nutrient transport to fetuses, and how these influence fetal growth and abnormalities in homeostatic control systems required to maintain normal body weight throughout life.

This study was conducted to model the growth of carcass, viscera, and empty body components and component composition of pigs. Quantitative tissue and chemical composition of 319 swine, representative of barrows and gilts from five commercial genetic populations, was determined at eight stages of growth between 25 and 152 kg. After whole body grinding and carcass dissection, proximate analyses were performed to calculate concentrations of protein, lipid, moisture, and ash of carcass, viscera, empty body, carcass lean, and carcass fat. Linear and nonlinear equations were developed to investigate the growth patterns of each component. Nonlinear growth functions accounted for the greatest amount of variation in empty body protein, lipid, moisture, and ash mass. Differences (P < .05) existed between barrows and gilts for nearly all components investigated. Carcass lean and fat tissues significantly increased in lipid percentage and decreased in moisture percentage as live weight increased. There were significant changes in the ratio and composition of the tissues of barrows and gilts during growth. Nonlinear models fitted the data better than allometric equations for nearly all of the components investigated.

Obesity is an increasing health problem, not only in developed countries but also all over the world. In addition to the focus on food intake and energy expenditure, current studies suggest two other important influences on adult body weight: birth weight and postnatal rate of growth. A common procedure in laboratory animal studies to examine the relationship of low birth weight and adult obesity is maternal nutrient restriction, but maternal undernutrition is not the basis for the majority of obese individuals in developed countries. We have thus developed a new mouse model for human obesity referred to as 'the crowded uterine horn model'. By removing one ovary from a female CD-1 mouse, the female produces a litter of about 13 pups in one uterine horn, resulting in crowding and a 4-fold difference in placental blood flow among foetuses in a litter. Restricted placental blood flow results in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR); these animals show a 2-fold increase in body weight during the week after weaning, while macrosomial foetuses that go through a very small amount of growth during the same postnatal period. Male mice categorized as IUGR or macrosomic at birth both are obese in adulthood. This pattern of changes in body weight throughout life in male mice mirrors findings from epidemiological studies of human foetuses with IUGR and macrosomia who become obese, and thus may provide a new model that reflects the condition of people in developed countries who become obese.As the incidence of obesity in developed countries increases, there is an increasing need for animal models to study and develop treatments for human obesity and other associated diseases referred to as 'metabolic syndrome'. While additional diseases and conditions are being added to the list of obesity-associated diseases, the list currently includes cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes mellitus, arthritis, sleep apnoea, high cholesterol, hypertension, asthma and a number of cancers [1][2][3]. While epidemiological studies can reveal relationships between diseases, establishing causality and determining molecular mechanisms is greatly facilitated by animal models. A concern is whether current animal models are relevant to the aetiology of obese people living in developed countries and/or less developed regions where obesity and related metabolic diseases are also an increasing health problem [4].Current epidemiological studies show two induction points for adult obesity, foetal and postnatal rates of growth, and these two points must both be considered in order to study the ontogeny of obesity.

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Introduction: Adults living in bateyes (i.e., sugarcane plantation villages) in the Dominican Republic have minimal access to health care services. Hypertension (HTN) is a serious and often unrecognized health problem among batey residents. The Jonas Batey Hypertension Program was built on existing social networks to address the detection and treatment of HTN. Methods: An ongoing community-based participatory research endeavor involves a partnership among three organizations and collaboration with promotoras who engage their batey communities in a mobile HTN screening and treatment program. Adults are screened and, if indicated, are treated with antihypertensive medications. Data collection includes project documentation, participant observation, demographic data, blood pressure (BP) measurements, and pill counts. Results: To date, 243 adults have received HTN treatment in four batey communities. A within-group, as-treated, repeated-measures, pre-/postanalysis showed that among participants who had been receiving antihypertensive treatment for 12 months (n ¼ 70), there was a significant decrease in BP (p < .005). Conclusion: Results of an interim data analysis indicate that the program model has been implemented successfully and is making a positive impact on BP control. Evaluation is ongoing with regard to the long-term HTN-related health outcomes of batey residents. Ensuring program sustainability is an important consideration for the future.