Effect of age and parity on weight gain and entry into hibernation in Richardson's ground squirrels

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 2573-2577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail R. Michener

Weight gain and time of entry into hibernation were recorded for nonparous yearling, parous yearling, and parous 3-year-old Spermophilus richardsonii in southern Alberta in 1977. Nonparous squirrels steadily gained weight over the 12-week period between emergence from hibernation and immergence into hibernation. The weight pattern of parous squirrels exhibited a sub-cycle of weight gain, weight loss, and weight maintenance associated with pregnancy, parturition, and lactation resulting in delayed attainment of prehibernation peak weights and delayed entry into hibernation. There was no difference in time of emergence of parous and nonparous females in the subsequent spring. Age affected rates of post lactation weight gain such that the oldest mothers remained active longest but attained the lowest prehibernation weights. Oldest mothers had the lowest over-winter survival rate.

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 131 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaohui Cui ◽  
Kimberly P Truesdale ◽  
Patrick T Bradshaw ◽  
Jianwen Cai ◽  
June Stevens

Introduction: The 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS Guideline for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults recommended weight loss for obese adults in order to reduce their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, not all obese adults develop CVD and approximately 17% of obese Americans in the 1999-2004 NHANES were metabolically healthy. The absence of abnormal CVD risk factors in this subgroup of obese adults indicates that some individuals are resistant to excess adiposity and positive energy balance, and raises the question of whether all obese adults should be recommended for weight loss treatment. We know of no study that has examined whether metabolically healthy obese (MHO) adults respond to weight changes the same way as metabolically healthy normal weight adults (MHNW). Also, no study has compared the effects of weight loss, weight maintenance and weight gain on CVD risk factors in MHO adults. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the effects of weight change would be different in MHNW and MHO adults, with MHO adults having less stable risk factors, and that weight loss has a protective effect on CVD risk factors in the MHO compared to weight maintenance and weight gain. Methods: Data were from 2,710 MHO and MHNW participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Four examinations yielded 4,541 observations over sequential 3-year intervals. Metabolically healthy was defined as absence of all components of metabolic syndrome, excluding waist circumference, at the beginning of a 3-year interval. Mixed effect models were applied to individually compare changes in five CVD risk factors (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and glucose) in MHO and MHNW adults within 3 weight change categories (<3% weight loss, weight maintenance (±3%) and >3% weight gain). Results: Weight loss was associated with small or no changes in the five CVD risk factors in both MHO and MHNW adults. Weight maintenance was associated with larger increases in MHO compared to MHNW adults in triglycerides (mean ± standard error: 10.0±1.7 vs. 6.5±1.0 mg/dL) and glucose (1.7±0.4 vs. 0.9±0.2 mg/dL). Weight gain was associated with larger increases in systolic (8.6±0.6 vs. 6.2±0.4 mmHg) and diastolic (3.9±0.4 vs. 2.5±0.3 mmHg) blood pressure, triglycerides (22.0±1.8 vs. 16.0±1.1 mg/dL) and glucose (4.9±0.4 vs. 1.9±0.3 mg/dL) among the MHO compared to the MHNW. MHO weight losers experienced more favorable changes in the five CVD risk factors compared to MHO weight maintainers (p<0.04) or gainers (p<0.0001). Conclusions: We showed that compared to MHNW, MHO adults experienced similar changes in CVD risk factors with weight loss and larger increases with weight maintenance and gain. Our study supports the 2013 Guideline that primary health care providers should recommend weight loss treatment for MHO patients.


1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (8) ◽  
pp. 1765-1770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman B. Melnyk

Six- to 8-month cycles of food intake, body weight, moult and reproductive condition in captive Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii) kept in 12 h light: 12 h dark and 23 ± 3 °C for over a year are described. A decrease in efficiency of food utilization towards the end of the weight gain period may be associated with metabolic processes which determine an upper limit for body weight. The advantages of this species as a model for the study of spontaneous obesity are discussed.


2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 2109-2113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail R Michener ◽  
Andrew N Iwaniuk

Carcasses of 13 Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii) cached during autumn by North American badgers (Taxidea taxus) in southern Alberta, Canada, were inspected to determine the capture and killing technique. Regardless of prey size (251–651 g) or torpor status (normothermic or torpid), badgers killed ground squirrels with a single grasping bite directed dorsally or laterally to the thorax. The canines and third upper incisors of badgers generally bruised the skin without puncturing it, but caused extensive hematomas on the thoracic musculature and penetrated between the ribs, with associated breakage of ribs and hemorrhaging in the thoracic cavity. Internal organs and bones other than ribs were usually not damaged. Thoracic bites, rather than nape or throat bites, are used by several mustelids, including North American badgers, when capturing small prey (<10% of the predator's mass).


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seogsong Jeong ◽  
Seulggie Choi ◽  
Jooyoung Chang ◽  
Kyuwoong Kim ◽  
Sung Min Kim ◽  
...  

AbstractThe association of fluctuations in body mass index with cardiovascular risk in long-term is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate cardiovascular outcomes of weight fluctuation. Total of 67,101 obese adults from the Korean National Health Insurance Service who received health examinations in three separate biennial periods were included. Participants were followed up from January 1, 2008 to the date of cardiovascular disease, death, or December 31, 2015, and categorized into 9 distinctive groups according to the BMI. Continuous weight gain showed an increased risk of overall cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio [HR], 2.36; P = 0.007), whereas weight loss after weight maintenance (HR, 0.91; P = 0.016) and weight maintenance after weight loss (HR, 0.91; P = 0.004) were ameliorative compared to the no weight change group. As for coronary heart disease, weight maintenance after weight gain was unfavorable (HR, 1.25; P = 0.004) while weight loss after weight maintenance (HR, 0.82; P < 0.001), weight cycling (HR, 0.83; P = 0.043), and weight maintenance after weight loss (HR, 0.88; P = 0.012) were beneficial. Weight maintenance after weight loss is beneficial for obese adults in terms of cardiovascular risks. In addition, weight loss is in part related to reduced risk of coronary heart disease despite weight cycling.


Author(s):  
Cassandra Towns ◽  
Roschelle Heuberger ◽  
Jack Logomarsino ◽  
Arturo Olivera Jr.

Purpose: Evaluate weight maintenance in subjects who lost weight while taking phentermine (PTM). Methods: This study was conducted by utilizing a validated survey to collect self-reported data about weight changes post-PTM use. The survey was sent to 19,986 email addresses of current and former patients of a PTM-based outpatient clinic, located in Chicago, IL; 546 participants completed the survey. Results were analyzed using a variety of techniques. Results: At the time of the survey, 42% of responders maintained all the weight lost while on PTM, and 25.2% had maintained a weight loss of at least 10% of their body weight. The average weight lost and maintained at the time of the survey was 3.75% ± 13.8% of body weight or 8.74 lbs ± 27.45 lbs. Nineteen responders had no net weight change. Fifty-nine responders reported a net weight gain, ranging from 2 to 70 lbs with a mean net weight gain of 16.07 lbs ± 13.87 lbs. The duration of time since discontinuing PTM use had a significant correlation with weight maintenance: r = 0.340, p value = .000. There was no significant correlation between duration of time using PTM and weight maintenance. No correlations were identified between education, income, or ethnicity and weight maintenance. A correlation was identified between weight maintenance and current exercise level: r = 0.218, p value = .000. Conclusions: Although more research is needed, with the results of this study, the investigators suggest that post-PTM use, weight regain is not significantly higher than weight regain through other weight loss programs. In order to achieve long-term weight loss maintenance, it may behoove patients to receive professional guidance about behavior modifications to maintain weight lost, particularly related to exercise and dietary changes. The investigators of this study suggest greater emphasis on behavior modification in patients taking PTM is indicated.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (6) ◽  
pp. R1096-R1099
Author(s):  
T. M. Lee ◽  
I. Zucker

Ovariectomized golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis) were implanted with estradiol benzoate (EB)-filled or empty capsules. Body weight was monitored for at least 1 yr before, during, and after hormone treatment. EB treatment of 6-7 mo duration, restricted to the weight-gain phase, decelerated weight gain and delayed attainment of peak weight by 34 days; the period of the circannual rhythm, measured between successive trough weights, was 36 days longer in squirrels treated with estradiol than in untreated animals. EB treatment of 2- to 4-mo duration, restricted to the weight-loss phase, accelerated weight loss, advanced attainment of trough weights by 57 days, and decreased the period of the circannual rhythm by 66 days. Estradiol-induced phase delays and advances were preserved in the year after discontinuation of hormone treatment. These results favor the existence of circannual phase-response curves to hormones and provide a system for pharmacological manipulation of circannual rhythms.


1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 1869-1873 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Anderson ◽  
E. T. Barnes ◽  
C. M. Bartlett

A redescription is provided of Spirura infundibuliformis from the stomach of ground squirrels, Spermophilus richardsonii, in southern Alberta, Canada; Spirura leucurusi Babero, 1973 is regarded as a synonym. Spirura infundibuliformis is distinguished from most members of Spirura by the presence of 9–13 pairs of preanal papillae; 20 other species described in the genus have only 4, rarely 5, pairs. Spirura infundibuliformis developed at ambient temperatures (20–30 °C) to the infective stage in 11–12 days in grasshoppers common on the prairies (Melanoplus infantilis, Aeropedellus clavatus, Aulocara elliotti, and Camnula pellucida), where the ground squirrels were collected, as well as in laboratory-reared crickets (Acheta pennsylvanicus).


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 410-410
Author(s):  
Win Guan ◽  
Susan Thompson ◽  
Jeanne Hurlburt

Abstract Objectives As individuals age, they become more susceptible to developing weight-related obesity comorbidities–which makes weight loss and weight maintenance key issues in older age groups. Prior research on the efficacy of weight loss programs across age groups has yielded inconsistent results. The Bright Line Eating (BLE) program, which follows a food addiction model that emphasizes abstinence from added sugars and processed flours, has been shown to be effective for weight loss and weight maintenance. This study builds on that research to assess age-related differences in the efficacy of the BLE program. Methods Participants in this study (n = 4509; 93.9% white; 95.6% female; 29.6% overweight, 58.2% obese at baseline) attended an 8-week BLE Boot Camp program and completed pre- and post-program surveys that measured demographic characteristics, anthropometrics, and psychosocial factors. We used two-way ANOVA to assess the effect of age on % weight loss from baseline (%WL) while accounting for race, gender, and program adherence. Logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of age on improvement in quality of life, energy level, and life satisfaction. Results Participants experienced 6.5%WL (SD = 5.2) with no significant difference across age groups (F = 1.5, P = 0.15). After completing the BLE Boot Camp program, 54.3% reported improved quality of life, 46.6% reported higher energy levels, and 60.4% described increased life satisfaction. Percent weight loss was associated with improvements in all of psychosocial factors that we examined (z = 13.8, P &lt; .000; z = 13.5, P &lt; .000; z = 12.4, P &lt; .000). Older study participants were more likely than younger to see an increase in energy level (z = 2.8, P = 0.01). Conclusions This evaluation of the BLE Boot Camp program demonstrated its success across all adult age groups. These results are particularly encouraging, given the need for feasible and scalable weight loss interventions that have been shown to be effective across all demographic groups. Funding Sources None to report.


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