-
1.
Controlled trial of a workplace sales ban on sugar-sweetened beverages.
Schmidt, JM, Epel, ES, Jacobs, LM, Mason, AE, Parrett, B, Pickett, AM, Mousli, LM, Schmidt, LA
Public health nutrition. 2023;(10):2130-2138
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the effectiveness of a workplace sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) sales ban on reducing SSB consumption in employees, including those with cardiometabolic disease risk factors. DESIGN A controlled trial of ethnically diverse, full-time employees who consumed SSB heavily (sales ban n 315; control n 342). Outcomes included standardised measures of change in SSB consumption in the workplace (primary) and at home between baseline and 6 months post-sales ban. SETTING Sutter Health, a large non-profit healthcare delivery system in Northern California. PARTICIPANTS Full-time employees at Sutter Health screened for heavy SSB consumption. RESULTS Participants were 66·1 % non-White. On average, participants consumed 34·7 ounces (about 1 litre) of SSB per d, and the majority had an elevated baseline BMI (mean = 29·5). In adjusted regression analyses, those exposed to a workplace SSB sales ban for 6 months consumed 2·7 (95 % CI -4·9, -0·5) fewer ounces of SSB per d while at work, and 4·3 (95 % CI -8·4, -0·2) fewer total ounces per d, compared to controls. Sales ban participants with an elevated BMI or waist circumference had greater post-intervention reductions in workplace SSB consumption. CONCLUSIONS Workplace sales bans can reduce SSB consumption in ethnically diverse employee populations, including those at higher risk for cardiometabolic disease.
-
2.
Association of Food Insecurity and Food Addiction Symptoms: A Secondary Analysis of Two Samples of Low-Income Female Adults.
Parnarouskis, L, Gearhardt, AN, Mason, AE, Adler, NE, Laraia, BA, Epel, ES, Leung, CW
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2022;(10):1885-1892
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
BACKGROUND Household food insecurity persists in the United States and has important implications for health and well-being. Food insecurity in female-identified caregivers is particularly concerning, given its association with their mental health and adverse health outcomes for their children. Food insecurity is associated with disordered eating but, to our knowledge, no prior studies have examined an association between food insecurity and food addiction. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to examine whether food insecurity is associated with higher food addiction symptom endorsement in low-income female adults. DESIGN Secondary analysis of baseline data from a quasi-experimental study of a mindfulness-based intervention on gestational weight gain among low-income pregnant individuals and an observational study of low-income families. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING Participants in study 1 (n = 208) were English-speaking, low-income pregnant individuals with overweight or obesity, recruited in California from 2011 to 2013. Participants in study 2 (n = 181) were English-speaking, low-income female caregivers for children aged 8 through 10 years, recruited in Michigan from 2018 to 2019. Both studies recruited participants from community health clinics, social service agencies, and online advertisements. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measure was food addiction symptoms, assessed by the Yale Food Addiction Scale. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Multivariate Poisson regression was used to examine the association between household food insecurity and food addiction symptoms in each sample, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS In study 1, pregnant individuals in food-insecure households reported 21% higher food addiction symptoms than pregnant individuals in food-secure households (incidence rate ratio 1.21; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.47; P = .047). In study 2, caregivers in food-insecure households had 56% higher food addiction symptoms than caregivers in food-secure households (incidence rate ratio 1.56; 95% CI 1.01 to 2.40; P = .045). CONCLUSIONS These findings provide preliminary support for a relationship between household food insecurity and food addiction. Future research should examine potential mechanisms and whether interventions to reduce food insecurity lower risk of food addiction.
-
3.
Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Weight Loss Intervention on Long-Term Psychological Well-Being Among Adults with Obesity: Secondary Analyses from the Supporting Health by Integrating Nutrition and Exercise (SHINE) Trial.
Hooker, AR, Sagui-Henson, SJ, Daubenmier, J, Moran, PJ, Hartogensis, W, Acree, M, Kristeller, J, Epel, ES, Mason, AE, Hecht, FM
Mindfulness. 2022;(9):2227-2242
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study tested whether a mindfulness-based intervention for obesity that included components aimed at emotion regulation and mindful eating improved psychological outcomes including stress, anxiety, positive emotion, and depression, during the intervention period and at longer-term follow-up. METHODS Adults with obesity (N=194) were randomized to a 5.5-month diet-exercise weight loss intervention with or without mindfulness training focused on emotion regulation and mindful eating. Participants completed self-report measures of mindfulness and psychological well-being, which were planned secondary outcomes, at baseline, mid-intervention (3 months), and at 6-, 12-, and 18-months post-baseline (maintenance period). Mixed effects models and linear regression were used to test between- and within-group changes in psychological well-being. Finally, this study explored whether changes in mindfulness (from baseline to each 6- and 18-months post-baseline) mediated the effects of intervention arm on changes in psychological outcomes during those respective time periods. This study explored whether changes in mindfulness from baseline to 6 months mediated the effects of intervention arm on changes in psychological outcomes from baseline to 18 months. RESULTS Participants randomized to the mindfulness arm had significant increases in positive emotions at all follow-up times compared to controls. There were statistically significant increases in mindfulness, psychological flexibility, and reflection, as well as decreases in anxiety and depressive symptoms at 12 months compared to control participants. These changes remained significant for psychological flexibility and reflection at 18 months. There were no significant differences in perceived stress. Among mindfulness participants, greater increases in mindfulness from 6-18 months was associated with greater positive emotions and psychological flexibility as well as lower perceived stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and rumination at 18 months, adjusting for 6-month values. Mediation analyses indicated that randomization to the mindfulness intervention arm was associated with 6-month increases in mindfulness, and these increases were in turn associated with improved psychological outcomes at 6 months and 18 months. Changes from baseline to 18 months did not mediate 18-month changes in psychological outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Mindfulness training in emotion regulation and mindful eating may provide greater longer-term psychological well-being benefits in non-clinical populations with obesity compared to conventional diet-exercise interventions.
-
4.
A Brief Motivational Intervention Differentially Reduces Sugar-sweetened Beverage (SSB) Consumption.
Mason, AE, Schmidt, L, Ishkanian, L, Jacobs, LM, Leung, C, Jensen, L, Cohn, MA, Schleicher, S, Hartman, AR, Wojcicki, JM, et al
Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. 2021;(11):1116-1129
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental and behavioral interventions hold promise to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage (SSBs) consumption. PURPOSE To test, among frequent SSB consumers, whether motivations to consume SSBs moderated the effects of (a) a workplace SSB sales ban (environmental intervention) alone, and (b) a "brief motivational intervention" (BI) in addition to the sales ban, on changes in SSB consumption. METHODS We assessed whether (1) baseline motivations to consume SSBs (craving, psychological stress, or taste enjoyment) impacted changes in daily SSB consumption at 6-month follow-up among frequent (>12oz of SSBs/day) SSB consumers (N = 214); (2) participants randomized to the BI (n = 109) versus to the sales ban only (n = 105) reported greater reductions in SSB consumption at follow-up; and (3) motivations to consume SSBs moderated any changes in SSB consumption. RESULTS In response to the sales ban alone, individuals with stronger SSB cravings (+1 SD) at baseline showed significantly smaller reductions in daily SSB consumption at 6-month follow-up relative to individuals with weaker (-1 SD) SSB cravings (2.5 oz vs. 22.5 oz), p < .01. Receiving the BI significantly increased reductions for those with stronger SSB cravings: Among individuals with stronger cravings, those who received the BI evidenced significantly greater reductions in daily SSB consumption [M(SE) = -19.2 (2.74) oz] than those who did not [M(SE) = -2.5 (2.3) oz, p < .001], a difference of 16.72 oz. CONCLUSIONS Frequent SSB consumers with stronger SSB cravings report minimal reductions in daily SSB consumption with a sales ban only, but report greater reductions if they also receive a motivational intervention. Future multilevel interventions for institutions should consider both environmental and individualized multi-level interventions. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION NCT02585336.
-
5.
Omega-3 supplementation and stress reactivity of cellular aging biomarkers: an ancillary substudy of a randomized, controlled trial in midlife adults.
Madison, AA, Belury, MA, Andridge, R, Renna, ME, Rosie Shrout, M, Malarkey, WB, Lin, J, Epel, ES, Kiecolt-Glaser, JK
Molecular psychiatry. 2021;(7):3034-3042
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
Higher levels of omega-3 track with longer telomeres, lower inflammation, and blunted sympathetic and cardiovascular stress reactivity. Whether omega-3 supplementation alters the stress responsivity of telomerase, cortisol, and inflammation is unknown. This randomized, controlled trial examined the impact of omega-3 supplementation on cellular aging-related biomarkers following a laboratory speech stressor. In total, 138 sedentary, overweight, middle-aged participants (n = 93 women, n = 45 men) received either 2.5 g/d of omega-3, 1.25 g/d of omega-3, or a placebo for 4 months. Before and after the trial, participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test. Saliva and blood samples were collected once before and repeatedly after the stressor to measure salivary cortisol, telomerase in peripheral blood lymphocytes, and serum anti-inflammatory (interleukin-10; IL-10) and pro-inflammatory (interleukin-6; IL-6, interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor-alpha) cytokines. Adjusting for pre-supplementation reactivity, age, sagittal abdominal diameter, and sex, omega-3 supplementation altered telomerase (p = 0.05) and IL-10 (p = 0.05) stress reactivity; both supplementation groups were protected from the placebo group's 24% and 26% post-stress declines in the geometric means of telomerase and IL-10, respectively. Omega-3 also reduced overall cortisol (p = 0.03) and IL-6 (p = 0.03) throughout the stressor; the 2.5 g/d group had 19% and 33% lower overall cortisol levels and IL-6 geometric mean levels, respectively, compared to the placebo group. By lowering overall inflammation and cortisol levels during stress and boosting repair mechanisms during recovery, omega-3 may slow accelerated aging and reduce depression risk. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00385723.
-
6.
A Pilot Study Comparing the Effects of Consuming 100% Orange Juice or Sucrose-Sweetened Beverage on Risk Factors for Cardiometabolic Disease in Women.
Price, CA, Medici, V, Nunez, MV, Lee, V, Sigala, DM, Benyam, Y, Keim, NL, Mason, AE, Chen, SY, Parenti, M, et al
Nutrients. 2021;(3)
Abstract
Overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases risk factors associated with cardiometabolic disease, in part due to hepatic fructose overload. However, it is not clear whether consumption of beverages containing fructose as naturally occurring sugar produces equivalent metabolic dysregulation as beverages containing added sugars. We compared the effects of consuming naturally-sweetened orange juice (OJ) or sucrose-sweetened beverages (sucrose-SB) for two weeks on risk factors for cardiometabolic disease. Healthy, overweight women (n = 20) were assigned to consume either 3 servings of 100% orange juice or sucrose-SB/day. We conducted 16-hour serial blood collections and 3-h oral glucose tolerance tests during a 30-h inpatient visit at baseline and after the 2-week diet intervention. The 16-h area under the curve (AUC) for uric acid increased in subjects consuming sucrose-SB compared with subjects consuming OJ. Unlike sucrose-SB, OJ did not significantly increase fasting or postprandial lipoproteins. Consumption of both beverages resulted in reductions in the Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (OJ: -0.40 ± 0.18, p = 0.04 within group; sucrose-SB: -1.0 ± 0.38, p = 0.006 within group; p = 0.53 between groups). Findings from this pilot study suggest that consumption of OJ at levels above the current dietary guidelines for sugar intake does not increase plasma uric acid concentrations compared with sucrose-SB, but appears to lead to comparable decreases of insulin sensitivity.
-
7.
Correction: Examining the Effects of Mindful Eating Training on Adherence to a Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes (the DELISH Study): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Mason, AE, Saslow, L, Moran, PJ, Kim, S, Wali, PK, Abousleiman, H, Hartman, A, Richler, R, Schleicher, S, Hartogensis, W, et al
JMIR research protocols. 2020;(1):e17226
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/11002.].
-
8.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindfulness-Based Weight Loss Intervention on Cardiovascular Reactivity to Social-Evaluative Threat Among Adults with Obesity.
Daubenmier, J, Epel, ES, Moran, PJ, Thompson, J, Mason, AE, Acree, M, Goldman, V, Kristeller, J, Hecht, FM, Mendes, WB
Mindfulness. 2019;(12):2583-2595
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Mindfulness-based interventions have been found to reduce psychological and physiological stress reactivity. In obesity, however, stress reactivity is complex, with studies showing both exaggerated and blunted physiological responses to stressors. A nuanced view of stress reactivity is the "challenge and threat" framework, which defines adaptive and maladaptive patterns of psychophysiological stress reactivity. We hypothesized that mindfulness training would facilitate increased challenge-related appraisals, emotions, and cardiovascular reactivity, including sympathetic nervous system activation paired with increased cardiac output (CO) and reduced total peripheral resistance (TPR) compared to a control group, which would exhibit an increased threat pattern of psychophysiological reactivity to repeated stressors. METHODS Adults (N=194) with obesity were randomized to a 5.5-month mindfulness-based weight loss intervention or an active control condition with identical diet-exercise guidelines. Participants were assessed at baseline and 4.5 months later using the Trier Social Stress Task. Electrocardiogram, impedance cardiography, and blood pressure were acquired at rest and during the speech and verbal arithmetic tasks to assess pre-ejection period (PEP), CO, and TPR reactivity. RESULTS Mindfulness participants showed significantly greater maintenance of challenge-related emotions and cardiovascular reactivity patterns (higher CO and lower TPR) from pre to post-intervention compared to control participants, but groups did not differ in PEP. Findings were independent of changes in body mass index. CONCLUSIONS Mindfulness training may increase the ability to maintain a positive outlook and mount adaptive cardiovascular responses to repeated stressors among persons with obesity though findings need to be replicated in other populations and using other forms of mindfulness interventions.
-
9.
Examining the Effects of Mindful Eating Training on Adherence to a Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes (the DELISH Study): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Mason, AE, Saslow, L, Moran, PJ, Kim, S, Wali, PK, Abousleiman, H, Hartman, A, Richler, R, Schleicher, S, Hartogensis, W, et al
JMIR research protocols. 2019;(2):e11002
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diet patterns have a profound influence on glycemic control for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and craving-related eating is an important obstacle to dietary adherence. A growing body of research suggests that carbohydrate-restricted (CR) diets can improve glycemic control and reduce medication dependence in T2DM. However, limited data speak to the effects of long-term adherence to CR diets. Mindful eating training has been shown to reduce craving-related eating in overweight populations but has yet to be examined as a behavioral support for dietary adherence in T2DM. This trial examines behavioral mechanisms, particularly craving-related eating, through which mindful eating training might improve adherence to CR dietary recommendations in T2DM. This will clarify the importance of focusing on craving-related eating in the optimization of dietary adherence interventions. OBJECTIVE The aim of this trial is to determine whether providing training in mindful eating increases adherence to a CR dietary recommendation in T2DM. METHODS We are randomizing 60 participants to receive a CR diet with or without mindful eating training (12-week group intervention) and are following participants for 12 weeks after intervention completion. We hypothesize that participants who receive mindful eating training (relative to those who do not) will demonstrate greater adherence to the CR diet. RESULTS Our primary outcome is change in craving-related eating, as assessed using an ecological momentary assessment mobile phone-based platform. Secondary behavioral pathway outcomes include changes in stress-related eating, impulsivity, glycemic control, weight change, dietary adherence, and resumption of dietary adherence after dietary nonadherence. CONCLUSIONS This theory-driven trial will shed light on the impact of mindfulness training on mechanisms that may impact dietary adherence in T2DM. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03207711; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03207711 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/73pXscwaU). INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/11002.
-
10.
Weight Loss Maintenance and Cellular Aging in the Supporting Health Through Nutrition and Exercise Study.
Mason, AE, Hecht, FM, Daubenmier, JJ, Sbarra, DA, Lin, J, Moran, PJ, Schleicher, SG, Acree, M, Prather, AA, Epel, ES
Psychosomatic medicine. 2018;(7):609-619
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to determine, within a weight loss clinical trial for obesity, the impact of intervention arm, weight change, and weight loss maintenance on telomere length (TL). METHODS Adults (N = 194) with a body mass index between 30 and 45 were randomized to a 5.5-month weight loss program with (n = 100) or without (n = 94) mindfulness training and identical diet-exercise guidelines. We assessed TL at baseline and 3-, 6-, and 12-month postbaseline in immune cell populations (primarily in peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs], but also in granulocytes and T and B lymphocytes). We defined weight loss maintenance as having lost at least 5% or 10% of body weight (tested in separate models) from preintervention to postintervention, and having maintained this loss at 12 months. We predicted that greater weight loss and weight loss maintenance would be associated with TL lengthening. RESULTS Neither weight loss intervention significantly predicted TL change nor did amount of weight change, at any time point. Across all participants, weight loss maintenance of at least 10% was associated with longer PBMC TL (b = 239.08, 95% CI = 0.92 to 477.25, p = .049), CD8+ TL (b = 417.26, 95% CI = 58.95 to 775.57, p = .023), and longer granulocyte TL (b = 191.56, 95% CI = -4.23 to 387.35, p = .055) at 12 months after accounting for baseline TL. Weight loss maintenance of 5% or more was associated with longer PBMC TL (b = 163.32, 95% CI = 4.00 to 320.62, p = .045) at 12 months after accounting for baseline TL. These tests should be interpreted in light of corrections for multiple tests. CONCLUSIONS Among individuals with obesity, losing and maintaining a weight loss of 10% or more may lead to TL lengthening, which may portend improved immune and metabolic function. TL lengthening in this study is of unknown duration beyond 12 months and requires further study. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.govidentifierNCT00960414; Open Science Framework (OSF) preregistration: https://osf.io/t3r2g/.