Background Special needs children have various health problems, and the most common problems are nutritional deficiency and malnourishment which leads to increased morbidity affecting their quality of life. This study aims to assess the nutritional status and health-seeking behaviour of special needs children. Methods The study was conducted among 46 special needs children at a special needs children\'s home. After collecting basic sociodemographic details, they were assessed for nutritional status and health-seeking behaviour using a semi-structured questionnaire followed by general and clinical examination. Results Out of these 46 special needs children, 69.6% were male and 30.4% were female. The mean age was 11.69±4.62 years. In this study, 65.22% were underweight; 6.52% were overweight; 10.87% were obese I; 4.35% were obese III; 13.04% were normal. Among them, 37% seek Government healthcare facilities for their healthcare needs. Referral advice was provided to all required children. Conclusion A high proportion of the special needs children were screened positive for nutritional deficiency and malnourishment which needs to be addressed. Interventions should be aimed at correcting the nutritional deficiency and malnourishment by involving the caretakers, mainly mothers of these children.

Obesity is a growing global health problem, leading to various chronic diseases. Despite standard treatment options, the prevalence of obesity continues to rise, emphasizing the need for new drugs. in vitro methods of drug discovery research provide a time and cost-saving platform to identify new antiobesity drugs. The review covers various aspects of obesity and drug discovery research using in vitro models. Besides discussing causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, the review focuses on the advantages and limitations of in vitro studies and exhaustively covers models based on enzymes and cell lines from different animal species and humans. In contrast to conventional in vivo animal investigations, in vitro preclinical tests using enzyme- and cell line-based assays provide several advantages in development of antiobesity drugs. These methods are quick, affordable, and provide high-throughput screening. They can also yield insightful information about drug-target interactions, modes of action, and toxicity profiles. By shedding light on the factors that lead to obesity, in vitro tests can also present a chance for personalized therapy. Technology will continue to evolve, leading to the creation of more precise and trustworthy in vitro assays, which will become more and more crucial in the search for novel antiobesity medications.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a liver disease characterized by hepatic fat accumulation associated with various severities of inflammation and scarring. As studies explore specialized treatments, emerging evidence suggests a potential protective effect of coffee consumption. Consumption of coffee or its components, such as caffeine and/or chlorogenic acid (CA), can reduce markers of liver injury and induce a myriad of other health benefits. However, there is limited research on patients with both MASLD and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Current research suggests that patients with MASLD are at greater risk of developing T2D and future liver-related complications and vice versa. Given that both MASLD and T2D are global burdens, the present literature review analyzes current research to identify trends and determine if coffee can be a viable treatment for MASLD patients with T2D. Results indicate that coffee consumption may protect against MASLD in T2D patients who are overweight/obese through a declined rate of weight gain, inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) gene, and insignificant changes to the gut microbiome. More longitudinal research on human subjects is needed to establish a causal relationship between coffee consumption and MASLD alleviation.

Adherence to overall 24-hour Movement Guidelines (24HGs) has been associated with childhood obesity in cross-sectional studies. However, few longitudinal studies have examined such associations, especially in China. We aimed to explore prospective associations between adherence to recommendations of 24HGs and risks of developing overweight and obesity among children and adolescents.
We included participants (aged 6-17 years) without overweight and obesity at enrollment from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2004-2011 surveys and followed them till 2015. We assigned one point each to the adherence of guidelines for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, recreational screen time and sleep, and summed them up to indicate the overall level of adherence to 24HGs (range: 0-3 points). The primary outcome was the first occurrence of overweight or obesity. Multivariable cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the corresponding associations.
Among 1,382 participants (mean age: 10.3 ± 3.2 years; 48.4% girls), a total of 152 (11%) individuals were identified as incident overweight and obesity during an average of 4.7 years of follow-up. Compared with participants nonadherent to any of the guidelines, those adhering to one (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21-0.71, p < .01), two (HR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.28-0.88, p = .02), and three (HR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.17-0.91, p = .03) recommendations had significantly lower risks of developing overweight and obesity.
Children and adolescents who met any recommendations of 24HGs had significantly lower risks of developing subsequent overweight and obesity. Setting achievable goals such as adopting at least one recommendation could be considered in future public health recommendations to accelerate progress in childhood obesity prevention.

OBJECTIVE: Since blood metabolomic profiles of obese individuals are known to be altered, our objective was to examine the association between obesity-related metabolic patterns and subgingival microbial compositions in obese and non-obese periodontally healthy individuals.
METHODS: Thirty-nine periodontally healthy subjects were enrolled. Based on body mass index scores, 20 subjects were categorized as lean and 19 as obese. A comprehensive periodontal examination was performed. Subgingival plaque and blood samples were collected. Plaque samples were analysed for bacteria using 16S rDNA sequencing. Untargeted metabolomic profiling (mass spectrometry) was used to quantify metabolites in serum.
RESULTS: Obese subjects were statistically associated with several periodontopathic taxa including Dialister invisus, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella denticola, Fusobacterium nucleatum_subsp.vincentii, Mogibacterium diversum, Parvimonas micra and Shuttleworthia satelles. In obese individuals, an amino acid-related metabolic pattern was elevated; however, there was a decrease in metabolic patterns related to lipids and cofactor/vitamins. These metabolic perturbations were associated with multiple subgingival bacterial species that differentiated lean from obese individuals.
CONCLUSIONS: Obesity-related perturbations in circulating blood metabolites are associated with the development of periodontopathic bacterial colonization in the subgingival microbiome and consequently may increase the risk for periodontal disease in obese individuals.

OBJECTIVE: To develop individualized approaches to the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) based on the interaction of genetic and epigenetic factors, to characterize the phenotypes of the disease.
METHODS: According to the formulated concept of the authors, from the cohort of patients with IBS, subgroups were distinguished - \"post-infectious IBS\" (n=45), \"IBS in overweight and obese people\" (n=49), \"comorbid IBS\" (n=75) and \"essential IBS\" (n=51). In each subgroup the prevalence of candidate gene polymorphisms associated with IBS (COMT, SLC6A4, FTO), nutritional habits, levels of anxiety and depression, secretion of cortisol, serotonin, dopamine and zonulin levels in feces were studied.
RESULTS: Patients with \"post-infectious IBS\" are characterized by the carriage of the S allele of the SLC6A4 gene, the val/val genotype of the COMT gene, the prevalence of diarrhea, a high level of anxiety and frequent refusal of milk and dairy products. The phenotype \"IBS in overweight and obese individuals\" is characterized by L/L genotypes of the SLC6A4 gene, met/met of the COMT gene and A/A of the FTO gene, constipation, low plasma dopamine levels, signs of depression, frequent episodes of overeating, addiction to fatty and sweet foods, excessive consumption of sugar, lack of vegetables in the diet. The \"comorbid IBS phenotype\" is characterized by more frequent detection of the val/val genotype of the COMT gene and the carriage of the S allele of the SLC6A4 gene, clinically pronounced anxiety and depression, early onset of the disease, severe course, significant food restrictions and significant increase in epithelial permeability. With the \"essential phenotype\", there are no bright stigmas of the disease; it is not possible to identify distinctive genetic and epigenetic factors, as well as the leading pathogenetic mechanism.
CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of genetic and epigenetic factors, the leading mechanisms of the formation and course of IBS allows us to identify additional (except for \"postinfectious\") phenotypes of the disease: \"IBS in overweight and obese people\", \"comorbid\" and \"essential\".
Цель. Дать характеристику фенотипов заболевания для разработки индивидуализированных подходов к терапии синдрома раздраженного кишечника (СРК) на основе взаимодействия генетических и эпигенетических факторов. Материалы и методы. Согласно сформулированной концепции авторов из когорты пациентов с СРК выделены подгруппы – «постинфекционный СРК» (n=45), «СРК у лиц с избыточной массой тела и ожирением» (n=49), «коморбидный СРК» (n=75) и «эссенциальный СРК» (n=51). В каждой подгруппе изучена распространенность полиморфизмов генов-кандидатов, ассоциированных с СРК (COMT, SLC6A4, FTO), особенности питания, уровень тревоги и депрессии, секреция кортизола, серотонина, дофамина, уровень зонулина в кале. Результаты. Пациенты с «постинфекционным СРК» характеризуются носительством аллеля S гена SLC6A4, генотипа val/val гена COMT, преобладанием диареи, высоким уровнем тревоги, частым отказом от молока и молочных продуктов. При фенотипе «СРК у лиц с избыточной массой тела и ожирением» чаще встречаются генотипы L/L гена SLC6A4, met/met гена COMT и A/A гена FTO, запоры, низкий уровень дофамина в плазме, признаки депрессии, частые эпизоды переедания, пристрастие к жирной и сладкой пище, избыточное потребление сахара, дефицит овощей в рационе. Для «коморбидного фенотипа СРК» характерны более частое выявление генотипа val/val гена COMT и носительство аллеля S гена SLC6A4, клинически выраженной тревоги и депрессии, ранний дебют заболевания, тяжелое течение, существенные ограничения в еде, значимое повышение эпителиальной проницаемости. При «эссенциальном фенотипе» отсутствуют яркие стигмы заболевания, выделить отличительные генетические и эпигенетические факторы, а также ведущий патогенетический механизм не представляется возможным. Заключение. Анализ генетических и эпигенетических факторов, ведущих механизмов формирования и течения СРК позволяет выделить дополнительные (помимо «постинфекционного») фенотипы заболевания: «СРК у лиц с избыточной массой тела и ожирением», «коморбидный» и «эссенциальный».

OBJECTIVE: Paradoxes have been found in obesity, including individuals with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUHO), and diet may be one of the reasons for the creation of these metabolic phenotypes. Hence, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the association of the Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet with metabolically unhealthy overweight/obesity (MUHOW/O) phenotypes.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 229 overweight and obese women (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2) aged 18-48 years were examined. Anthropometric measures and biochemical parameters were collected from all participants. The body composition of each participant was assessed using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA). The MIND diet score was determined based on 15 components using a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) containing 147 items. Karelis criteria was used to determine metabolically healthy/unhealthy phenotype (MH/MUH).
RESULTS: Among the participants, 72.5% of individuals were identified as MUH and 27.5% as MH, with a mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of 36.16 (8.33) years. The results of our analysis showed that after controlling for age, energy intake, BMI, and physical activity, there was no significant association observed between overweight/obesity phenotypes with tertile 2 (T2) (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 0.86-4.17, P-value = 0.10), T3 (OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 0.86-4.17, P-value = 0.11) of MIND score, and only the odds of MUH relative to MH with a marginal significant decreasing trend was observed from the second to the third tertile (1.89 vs. 2.01) (P - trend = 0.06). Also, after additional adjustment for marital status, the nonsignificant association between overweight/obesity phenotypes with tertile 2 (T2) (OR: 2.13, 95% CI: 0.89-5.10, P-value = 0.08), T3 (OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 0.83-4.23, P-value = 0.12) of MIND score remained, and the odds of MUH relative to MH with a significant decreasing trend was observed with increasing tertiles (P-trend = 0.04).
CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, no significant associations were found between adherence to MIND diet with MUH, and only a significant downward trend in the odds of MUH was observed with increasing tertiles. We suggest further studies in this field.

Background Sugar is a ubiquitous element in processed meals and is a major source of the energy we derive from them. The risk of obesity and other chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, tooth destruction, as well as dental cavities, increases proportionally with the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). This study intends to determine the prevalence of SSB intake among adults in the Perambalur area of Tamil Nadu, India, as well as the factors that influence it. Methodology We surveyed 1007 individuals using a cross-sectional design from June to November 2022. We included residents who were at least 18 years old and less than 80 years old. Using a convenience sample method, we gathered responses from the public in the urban and rural field practice areas of a teaching medical college in the district of Perambalur, India. We conducted in-person interviews to get data regarding the consumption of SSBs. Among other socio-demographic information, the participants\' names, ages, religions, levels of education and employment, household incomes, family compositions, marital statuses, lifestyle behaviors, and comorbid conditions were also gathered. We measured the SSB consumption frequency and duration, and we also considered the contexts in which they consumed SSBs. We examined the factors that play a role in SSB consumption and questioned the participants\' familiarity with SSBs\' constituents, adverse effects, and cumulative toll. Besides examining the effects of SSB use, the research also explores the possibility of reducing or stopping it altogether. Results The prevalence of SSB use among the current study population was 96.3%. Half of the population has consumed SSBs, between 100 and 200 ml, for over 10 years. Taste and peer pressure are the primary reasons for facilitating SSBs, whereas the media has a minor impact. Most of the population (69%) began consuming SSBs, mostly during vacations and at parties. About one-fifth of the population experiences negative consequences after ingesting SSBs, while only half of the population is aware of the contents of SSBs. Likewise, just 50% of the population is aware of the long-term implications of SSBs. Nearly 16.7% of the population attempted to stop using SSBs. Being overweight, belonging to a high socioeconomic class, and dwelling in a rural location are risk factors related to the consumption of SSBs. Conclusion The prevalence of SSB use among the current study population is exceptionally high. Being overweight, belonging to a high socioeconomic class, and dwelling in a rural location are risk factors related to the consumption of SSBs. There is a need to educate the public about the short- and long-term negative effects of consuming SSBs. Government and non-government entities must work together to generate public behavior change communication.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenic obesity is related to changes in body composition, loss of muscle mass, and raised adipose tissue. Beverage patterns are effective with changes in health status. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between sarcopenic obesity (SO) and the healthy beverage index (HBI) in women with overweight and obesity.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study conducted on 210 overweight and obese (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) women aged 18-56 years. The measurement of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and fat mass (FM) done by bioelectric impedance analyzer (BIA) (Inbody Co., Seoul, Korea) based on guidelines. The two lowest quintiles SMM and the two highest quintiles FM and body mass index (BMI) ≥30 are considered sarcopenic obesity in women. A validated and reliable semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to evaluate the beverage dietary data. and RFS and NRFS was calculated. Biochemical assessments were quantified by standard approaches, and physical activity were evaluated by international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ).
RESULTS: In this cross-sectional study, 210 overweight and obese females took part (18-56) years old). The studies were carried out using binary logistic regression. After controlling for a wide variety of confounding variables such as age, energy intake, physical activity, education, and economic status, we found a negative association between HBI and risk of SO (OR = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.35 to 1.01, P = 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: We observed that the odds of SO was reduced by 69% in participants with higher HBI score. More well-designed studies need to confirm our findings.

Obesity is a global epidemic with steadily increasing prevalence in most countries. Weight loss is generally challenging for patients to tackle in the face of the temptation to overeat and avoid physical activity. Hence, clinicians and patients alike are likely to steer toward the use of anorexigens. We report the case of a 33-year-old female with no significant cardiac history who presented with dyspnea, productive cough, and chest pressure for one month and was diagnosed with new-onset heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction secondary to prolonged phentermine use. The authors aim to highlight phentermine\'s potential for precipitating heart failure, even in a young, relatively healthy person, especially with a growing obese population. Ultimately, healthy weight loss can be achieved by implementing dietary changes and encouraging adequate physical activity, as the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended. Anorectic drugs may be employed for short-term use. Further research concerning the long-term side effects of phentermine may avert the prescriber and patient from abusing this drug.