BackgroundToo fast or slow weight gain in infancy is bad for health in later life. In this study, we aim to investigate the optimal weight gain pattern during the first 2 y of life for term small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants.MethodWe employed data from a longitudinal, community-based cohort study on the growth and development of SGAs collected between 2004 and 2010 in Shanghai, China.Latent class growth analysis (LCGA) was applied to identify weight gain patterns among 3004 SGAs. BMI curves for each latent class from 1 mo to 5 y were produced through mixed-effects regression analysis. Multivariable regression was performed to examine the association between various classes and adverse outcomes (overweight/obesity/ malnutrition) during 2–5 y.ResultFive weight gain patterns aged 0–2 y of 3004 term SGAs were identified and labeled as follows--class 1: excessively rapid catch-up growth (10.7%); class 2: rapid catch-up growth (19.7%); class 3: appropriate catch-up growth (55.7%); class 4: slow catch-up growth (10.2%); class 5: almost no catch-up growth (3.7%). A decreasing age at adiposity rebound (AR) and an increasing BMI value were observed from class 5 to 1. Class 1 and 2 showed an early appearance of AR (< 4 y). SGAs in class 1 and 2 had a higher BMI in 2–5 y of life. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, class 1 and 2 were found to have an increased risk of being overweight/ obese. At the same time, we found the risk of malnutrition was especially prominent among SGAs in classes 4 and 5.ConclusionOur results suggest that for term SGA infants, catch-up growth that crossing two centile levels, that is, from < 10th to the interval between 25th and 50th (ΔWAZ> 1.28) in the first several months, along with on track growth and maintenance at a median level by age 2 may be the optimal catch-up growth trajectory, minimizing risk of childhood adverse health outcomes.

Background: Folic acid supplementation is effective in reducing the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). However, the use of folic acid is low among rural women in China. Nutrition education can provide information about folic acid and encourage its use. The primary objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of a village-based nutrition intervention on folic acid use among rural women. Methods: Sixty villages were randomly selected using multiple-stage sampling and were divided into control and intervention groups. The intervention included nutritional education at village clinics, written materials, and text messages (SMS). Folic acid use knowledge and behavior was assessed at baseline and after the intervention. Results: Self-reported compliance with folic acid supplement use increased from 17.0%–29.2% at baseline to 41.7%–59.2% one year post-intervention. During the same period, the folic acid knowledge score in the intervention group increased from 3.07 to 3.65, significantly higher than the control group (3.11 to 3.35). Multivariate binary logistic regression showed that the women who received folic acid education and SMS intervention were more likely to comply with folic acid supplement recommendations. Conclusions: The results indicated that an integrated village-based folic acid education intervention may be an effective way of promoting folic acid use for the prevention of NTDs in rural women.

Capsaicin, found in red peppers, has been reported to have anti-obesity, anti-hypertension, anti-diabetes and anti-inflammatory functions. In the present study, we determined the effect of non-pungent capsinoids on the metabolism of adipocytes. We demonstrated that capsinoids suppressed fat accumulation in vivo and in vitro in mice. Liver, the main tissue of lipid metabolism, was treated by capsinoids, and HMG-CoA reductase, CPT-1, FAT/CD36 and GLUT4 were found to be increased significantly, which demonstrated promotion of the lipid metabolism in liver and adipose tissues. In addition, by adding capsinoids, the induced adipocytes also demonstrated significantly increased levels of HMG-CoA reductase, CPT-1, FAT/CD36 and GLUT4. Oil red O staining also demonstrated that capsinoids decreased fat accumulation in the adipocytes. In conclusion, these results indicate that capsinoids may be worth investigating as a potential cure for obesity.

Background: Poor eating habits increase children’s risk of chronic diseases such as overweight and obesity, adult diabetes, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the eating habits of school-age children and their impact on children’s body mass index. Methods: Multistage cluster sampling was used to sample 2224 students in grades 4 to 6 from 16 primary schools in Changsha. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect general demographic, eating habit, and snack consumption data from school-age children. Height and weight were measured so that the body mass index Z-score could be calculated and evaluated according to the 2007 World Health Organization’s Body Mass Index (BMI) reference standard. Results: The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in school-age children were 17.0% and 8.3%, respectively. Boys had higher rates of overweight and obesity than girls (19.9% vs. 13.6%, 12.9% vs. 3.0%, respectively, p < 0.05). Among the total population of children, 71.6% reported picky eating habits, and 55.1% had late-night snacks. Children who skipped breakfast (OR 1.507 and 95% CI 1.116~2.035) and ate puffed food (OR 1.571 and 95% CI 1.170~2.110) were more likely to be overweight/obese. Conclusions: The eating habits of school-age children are closely related to their weight status. Poor eating habits can be risk factors for overweight and obesity. The dietary management of children should be strengthened so that they develop good eating habits and the incidence of overweight and obesity in school-age children decreases.

Purpose: In order to compensate for the early intrauterine growth restriction, small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants have “catch-up growth” after birth. Increased caloric intake has been suggested for SGA infants conventionally. It is important to determine if the early growth rate of body mass index (BMI) is associated with risk of persistent obesity later in life. In this longitudinal cohort study, we assessed the BMI of a large cohort of children who were SGA at birth to determine their risk of persistent obesity at school age (6–7 years) due to excessive weight gain in the first 3 years of life.Methods: We collected the height and weight data of 23,871 SGA babies. A polynomial function was used to fit the BMI-for-age z-score (BAZ) values of 0–6 years old SGA children and interpolate their growth trajectory. In addition, we screened out 6,959 children from 23,871 children to further evaluate the dynamic changes of early childhood BMI. We divided the school-age children into groups as non-obese (BAZ &lt; 2) and obese (BAZ &gt; 2), and determined the association between changes in BMI and school-age obesity.Results: From the perspective of BMI distribution, the interpolated growth trajectory indicated that SGA children reaching overweight status or developing obesity by 3 years of age, continued to have obesity until school age (R2, 0.65; R2, 0.21). The retrospective analysis showed that children who were overweight and had obesity during school age had a high BMI from early age. By analyzing the changes in early BMI, we found that the fastest growth of SGA children occurred in the early infancy before 6 months and they continued to grow rapidly for a period of time. Interestingly, former SGA children who maintained a near overweight (1 &lt; BAZ &lt; 2) status before the age of 2 maintained an appropriate growth rate and usually did not develop obesity.Conclusions: A rapid increase in BMI during early infancy in former SGA newborns leads to a persistent risk of obesity. The energy intake of SGA infants should appropriately meet the infants' growth needs and early BMI changes should be closely monitored for an optimal integrated management.