Mobile health (mHealth) is a relatively nascent field, with a variety of technologies being explored and developed. Because of the explosive growth in this field, it is of interest to examine the design, development, and efficacy of various interventions as research becomes available. This systematic review examines current use of mobile health technologies in the prevention or treatment of pediatric obesity to catalogue the types of technologies utilized and the impact of mHealth to improve obesity-related outcomes in youth. Of the 4021 articles that were identified, 41 articles met inclusion criteria. Seventeen intervention studies incorporated mHealth as the primary or supplementary treatment. The remaining articles were in the beginning stages of research development and most often described moderate to high usability, feasibility, and acceptability. Although few effects were observed on outcomes such as body mass index, increases in physical activity, self-reported breakfast and fruit and vegetable consumption, adherence to treatment, and self-monitoring were observed. Findings from this review suggest that mHealth approaches are feasible and acceptable tools in the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity. The large heterogeneity in research designs highlights the need for more agile scientific processes that can keep up with the speed of technology development.

Citrus contains nutrients and phytochemicals that may be beneficial for health. We collected citrus production and consumption data and estimated the amount of these compounds that are consumed. We then compared the amounts of citrus and citrus-derived compounds used in studies that suggest a health benefit to the amounts typically found in citrus. Data is scarce, but suggests that citrus consumption might improve indices of antioxidant status, and possibly cardiovascular health and insulin sensitivity

VA capsules increased plasma and milk VA concentrations. The greater change in CX concentrations in the tangerine group than in BC concentrations in the OFSP group suggests that CX in tangerines was better absorbed, but both foods failed to increase milk VA concentrations. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01420406.

Background Dietary energy density (DED), or energy available in relation to gram intake, may inform disease risk. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the association between baseline DED and risk of incident type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal women. Design DED, weight status, and type 2 diabetes incidence were prospectively characterized in a large cohort of postmenopausal women participating in one or more clinical trials or an observational study. Participants/Setting The study involved 161,808 postmenopausal women recruited to the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) observational study or clinical trials at forty centers across the U.S. between 1993 and 1998. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was incident type 2 diabetes. Statistical Analyses Performed The association between DED quintiles and incident diabetes was tested using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results A total of 143,204 participants without self-reported diabetes at enrollment completed baseline dietary assessment and were followed for 12.7 ± 4.6 years. Risk of developing diabetes was 24% greater for women in the highest DED quintile compared with the lowest after adjusting for confounders (95% confidence interval: 1.17, 1.32). BMI and waist circumference mediated the relationship between DED and diabetes. In waist circumference-stratified analysis, women in DED quintiles 2–5 with waist circumferences >88 cm were at 9–12% greater risk of developing diabetes compared to women with waist circumference ≤ 88 cm. Conclusions In this prospective study, a higher baseline DED was associated with higher incidence of type 2 diabetes among postmenopausal women, both overall, and in women with elevated waist circumference.

BackgroundMindfulness-based interventions are reported to be highly acceptable and have positive effects on youth, yet most are clinic- or school-based aimed at emotional regulation or academic performance. To provide flexible program delivery, we developed and tested a standalone mindfulness-based app aimed at improving weight-related behaviors (eg, diet, physical activity, sleep) in adolescents.ObjectiveOur objective was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of a mindfulness-based mobile app.MethodsIn a single-arm pilot study, 15 adolescents (14-18 years) were prompted to access the app once a day, every day for 6 weeks. Outcomes were measured by in-app and poststudy surveys, and descriptive statistical analyses were performed. Time within a mindfulness state was self-reported during weekly timed practices.ResultsThe app was rated highly for content and encouraging the practice of activities to promote mindfulness states. Teens reported increased awareness of eating behaviors and high adherence, particularly during physically active practices. Average self-reported time spent in a mindfulness state increased 2.5 times by week 6 (78 [SD 17] seconds) compared to week 1 (31 [SD 21] seconds).ConclusionsThe high acceptability and utility ratings of the app, increases in reported time in mindfulness states, and high frequency of participation, including mindful eating and physical activity, suggest the mindfulness-based mobile app has the potential to improve awareness of weight-related behaviors.