Background: Pattern of fat distribution rather than obesity is of importance for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The accurate measurement of total and regional fat mass requires sophisticated and often expensive methods that have limited applicability in the clinical setting. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate body fat distributions by ultrasound (US) as a gold standard method for measuring visceral, preperitoneal and subcutaneous fat layers and comparing with anthropometric results, and then to find the most reliable anthropometric measurement in childhood obesity. Materials and methods: Study group of 51 obese children (21 F, 30 M) (mean age7s.d.: 11.572.6 years) and control group of 33 non-obese children (17 F, 16 M) (mean age7s.d.: 12.272.7 years) were recruited for this study. Anthropometric measurements as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist/hip ratio (WHR), triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses were taken from all the participants. Abdominal preperitoneal (P), subcutaneous (S) fat at their maximum (max) and minimum (min) thickness sites, visceral (V), triceps (TrUS) and subscapular (SsUS) fat thicknesses were also measured ultrasonographically. Results: In the obese group, BMI was significantly correlated with US measurements of fat thicknesses, except Pmin and SsUS, whereas in the control group, BMI was significantly correlated with all US fat measurements. The relation of US measurements with skinfold thickness and WC was more significant in the control than in the obese group. No relation between WHR and US fat thickness measurements was found in both groups. Multiple regression analysis, using V as the dependent variable and anthropometric parameters, gender and the group as the independent variables, revealed BMI was the best single predictor of V (R 2 : 0.53). Conclusion: This study suggests that the validity of the anthropometric skinfold thickness in the obese children is low. Despite the limitations reported in the literature, in our study, BMI provides the best estimate of body fat. WHR in children and adolescents is not a good index to show intra-abdominal fat deposition.

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Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) is a fruit that contains large amount of dietary fiber. In this study, noodles were produced by substituting wheat flour with pumpkin powder at two concentrations (5% and 10%). The resulting noodles were then evaluated in terms of sensory, physicochemical, microstructure, and cooking properties. The addition of pumpkin powder caused a significant increase in ash, dietary fiber, Mg, K and Zn content, cooking loss, water absorption capacity and adhesiveness value, and a significant decrease in protein, fat and carbohydrate content, energy value, cohesiveness, resilience, gumminess, springiness and chewiness values. It was determined from microstructure images that pumpkin powder addition in the noodle formulation caused an interruption in the gluten-starch matrix. Control sample had significantly lower a* and b* values and higher L* values than the enriched samples. The noodles made with pumpkin powder received significantly higher sensory scores with regard to overall acceptability, flavor and color.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a valuable enrichment source for cereal products due to its rich protein and well-balanced amino acid content. The high content of lysine, methionine and threonine amino acids that are found in limited levels in most of cereals, increases the importance of quinoa. In this study, physicochemical and sensory properties of muffin cakes which produced by 100% wheat flour (control sample) and replacing wheat flour with quinoa flour at different levels (25 and 50%) were investigated. The addition of quinoa flour to the formulation caused a significant increase in protein, fat, ash, amino acid contents and hardness value which was determined with texture profile analysis and a decrease in carbohydrate content and specific volume. Color analysis results of muffin cakes showed that increasing quinoa flour substitution ratio also increased the L* values of the crust and a* values of the crumb, while decreased the L* values of the crumb of cakes. According to sensory analyses, porosity, texture, taste and overall acceptability scores decreased significantly (p