Fatty acid (FA) compositions in tissues are related to metabolic disorders, and consequently the appropriate management of underlying FA compositions in tissues is considered to be important. However, the relationship among the serum lipid profiles, the FA composition of the red blood cell (RBC) membranes and genetic variations in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) genes in Japanese men is unclear. In this study, the subjects recruited were 137 Japanese men, 40 to 60 y old, who had a regular health checkup. Their serum lipid profile and the relative FA composition of the RBC membranes were measured. They were genotyped for the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs174553, rs174546, rs99780 and rs174583 in FADS gene. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to detect the relationship among hyperlipidemia, the FA composition of the RBC and the FADS genotypes. As a result, the homozygous genotype for the minor alleles in rs174553, rs174546, rs99780 were found to be associated with lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and a lower LDL-C/total-cholesterol ratio. The homozygous genotype for the minor alleles reduced the risk of high LDL-C level (R2=0.50, β=-0.20, p=0.009), whereas, the arachidonic acid (AA) levels in the carriers of the homozygous genotype for the minor alleles tended to be lower compared with the carriers of the major alleles. However, no significant differences were observed in any FA level among the three genotypes for four SNPs. These results indicate that the appropriate management of serum LDL-C levels depending on genetic predisposition in FADS genotypes should be encouraged.

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This study explored associations between children's appetites and maternal feeding practices. The participants, 614 parents of 3-to 6-year-old children from kindergartens in Tokyo, Japan, completed self-administered questionnaires. The children's appetites were measured using the Enjoyment of Food (EF) and Food Responsiveness (FR) scales of the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Using cluster analysis, we examined three appetite patterns ("both low", "high EF and low FR", and "both high"). The three appetite patterns were associated with children's obesity index. The "both low" pattern was associated with the highest maternal pressure to eat. The "high EF and low FR" patterns were related to an established snack time. The "both high" pattern was associated with higher maternal instrumental feeding compared with the "high EF and low FR" types. The results of this study will facilitate the development of targeted interventions and better parental guidance on maternal feeding practices and their association with children's eating behaviours.

It has been suggested that parents’ feeding behaviors are associated with the eating behaviors of their children. The objective of this study was to develop the Child Mealtime Feeding Behavior Questionnaire (CMFBQ) to assess the strategies used by mothers in response to picky eating by their children at meals. The participants, 834 mothers of 3- to 6-year-old children attending kindergartens and nursery schools in Tokyo and Fukui, Japan, completed the self-administered questionnaires. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of data obtained from these participants produced an 18-item scale with 4 subscales: “behavioral strategy,” “passive coercion,” “punishment and reward,” and “permission.” The internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) of these subscales ranged from .65 to .82. Maternal punishment and reward and maternal permission were positively associated with children’s picky eating; however, other behavioral strategies, including passive coercion, were not significantly related to children’s picky eating. The CMFBQ can assess the strategies used by mothers to encourage their children to eat meals. Researchers and health practitioners can use this measure to better understand how mothers motivate their children to eat meals and to consider the implications of these practices for children’s eating behaviors without placing an undue burden on respondents.

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