Frequency of Osteopenia and its association with dietary factors among female population aged 18-60 years

Osteopenia is regarded as a bone condition whereby its is observed that the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is less than that of the mean value. however, it is not as low as Osteoporosis. Unfortunately Pakistan has become one of those countries which encounter the issues of Osteoporosis and Osteopenia among women which may or may not be influenced by dietary factors. Objectives: The objective of this study was to find the frequency of osteopenia among females and its relationship with dietary factors. Methods: It was an analytical and cross-sectional study. the research was carried out at Niaz Medicure Clinic in Faisalabad. The study was completed in 9 months from 18 October 2019 to 18 July 2020. Selection of the participants was based on Non probability purposive sampling. 323 females were taken for the study. The Bone Mineral Density was measured using Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) machine. The factor dietary habits was taken into account for the study. Results: The results showed that about 56% of the females had Osteopenia. However, Dietary factors didn’t seem to influence BMD levels in this study (p<0.05). Conclusion: There was no association found between Osteopenia and Dietary factors including milk intake (p =0.603) and junk food (0.159).

Bulimia Nervosa: A Psychological Eating Disorder

Eating disorders are multifaceted mental health problems which require medical treatments and counseling from a psychological expert.In extreme condition,these eating disorders can cause serious health problems and may be lethal if these are not diagnosed and treated timely.Eating Disorder Hope organization has conducted a survey which revealed thatalmost 40% of teen age girls were suffering from at least one kind of eating disorder while91% of young females do dieting to reduce their weight. It has been estimated that about one million males and ten million females suffer from various types of eating disorders. Bulimia nervosa is one of the eating disorders. It oftens develops in teenage or early adulthood.It is common in women than men. In bulimia nervosa, a person usually eats a lot in a short period of time. It seems that the personcannot control himself fromeating food. It happens until they are painfully full and then they will purge to end their discomfort and to compensate their calories. They will purge by forced vomitinglaxatives,diuretics or excessive exercise.Frequent self-induced vomiting can contribute to inflammation of parotidgland and can result in hand calluses. It is more common in families appearing in generations.There are many risk factors for this disease like being overweight/obesity, socio-cultural pressures to have a well tonned body, psychological impacts resulting in stress and poor self-esteem. Dieting has become a part of our culture. There are manysymptoms of bulimia. For example, patients live in a fear of gaining weight, they go through the repeated episodes of abnormal eating large amounts of food in single sitting. There is a feeling which develops in patients that they cannot control what they eat and what type of food they eat, and after bingering they are forcing themselves to vomit and do more exercise to stop weight gain. If we leave bulimia untreated it will cause kidney problems, irregular heart rhythms, digestive issues and dental problems etc. In time treatment and diagnosis of bulimia helps the person to recover well and quick and the person can get rid of this disorder completely otherwise it can be life threatening. A person experiences bulimia to manage the emotional pain he is undergoing but it only worsens the condition and the response may be to ramp up obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Nearly half of bulimia patients have a co-occuring mood disorder and more than half of bulimia patients have co-occuring anxiety disorders. Self-harm is a common condition affecting 34% of those with bulimia. Recent studies on bulimia show that in 10-15% of male members of our society who are living with this disorder, risk of suicide has increased. Statistics show that relapse of this disorder isvery common.Relapse is occurring in about30-50% of the cases, and it isleading to common cause of death in suicide.For treatment of bulimia nervosa, you may need to go for several types. Bulimia can be reduced by taking anti-depressants or psychotherapy, but using both in combination is more fruitful to overcome this disorder. Psychotherapy is very important for patients, in which the person goes to the psychiatrist to discuss the issues related to bulimia. Educating the patient on nutrition also helps in this regard. Anutritionist can prescribe the food by which a person will feel the cravings for food to a lesser extent. In severe conditions,the patient can be admitted to a hospital because sometimes there is a need fortreatment in a hospital. In many cases it is not possible to eradicate it completely.But before the situation goes wrong, we can guide a person to lead a healthier life with the help of professionally used treatments. Since we are living in an era where everyone is busy, it is important to guide and educate the children about a healthy lifestyle. There is a need to give them confidence about their physical appearance, no matter what their weight, size and shape is. Enjoyable family meals should be arranged on daily basis or regularly. Talks on physical appearances, body weight and dieting should be discouraged at home. Exercise, walk, activities like sports and swimming can help young generation to adopt a healthy lifestyle and streamline their daily life. If you observe that someone in your friends or relatives is having issues related to food which is indicating thathe or she can possibly has an eating disorder, you should talk to the person supportively and discuss the issue and help them in any way you can before the situation gets worse.

Association of Dietary Practices with Mental Health Problems among Geriatrics

Identification of elderly people dietary practices is the first step towards encouraging healthy diet in them. Proper diet, special care and supplementation are very necessary for effective physical or mental survival of older people with the age of 60-95 years.Objective:To find out the association of dietary practices with mental health problems among geriatrics. Methods:A Cross-sectional Study was operated to assess the dietary practices through pretested Questionnaire (MNA) on the basis of 24 hours’ recall method among Older Adults. The study duration was 4 months and the technique was Non probability convenient sampling.The sample size was 290 older people out of which 48% were males and 52% were females aged between 60-95 years residing in different Old Age Homes of Lahore. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 21.0. The qualitative variables were reported using percentages and frequencies. Chi-square test was applied and p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.Results:The results revealed that out of 290 respondents; 81(30%) of them were skipping breakfast, 133 (46%) were skipping lunch, 31(11%) were skipping dinner. There were 115(40%) geriatrics which were suffering from depression, 101(35%) were suffering from dementia, 29(10%) were suffering from Insomnia, 45(15%) had Dizziness/Irritability. Only 35(12%) older adults who were taking Supplements. On daily basis, 198(68%) of elderly people were incorporating Chapatti/rice into their diet as the best source of energy, 61(21%) respondents were preferring Milk/yogurt, 22(8%) of older people were consuming fruit juices and salad, 8(3%) of older people were those whose daily food was Soup/porridge. Conclusions:The study concluded that most of the older adults were skipping their meals on daily basis and were suffering from depression, dementia, Insomnia, Dizziness/Irritability. They were less focusing on supplements. The elderly people were mostly consuming Chapatti/rice on daily basis from all of the food groups, they were observed in stressful situations during the meal, when most of the people had reduced their food, there were some who stopped eating. In both males and females, a trend of sweet and salty cravings was mostly seen.

Misconceptions about Fruits Consumption among Nursing Mothers

Poor nutritional practices especially in pregnancy and early childhood can result in dire consequences in the growth and development of a child. The nutritional status of nursing children can be determined by maternal knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions towards certain foods.Objective:This study was conducted to find out the existing beliefs and practices about food misconceptions among nursing mothers at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. Methods:Data size was 100 nursing mothers and they were selected through non probability convenient sampling technique. SPSS version 21.0 was used to analyze data. Results:Findings showed that majority of mothers were practiced false dietary habits for the sake of good health of their children. Total 83 nursing mothers were practiced these misconceptions because their family elders told them. It was considered that banana increase mucus production(89), oranges increase soreness of throat(76), mango increase the chance of allergy in children, dates are hot(70) and papaya can cause miscarriage(58). Conclusions:Current Study concluded that existence of food myths and taboos was very common among nursing mothers and they also practiced it. Fruits such as papaya, mango and saffron were practiced as hot and also considered as anti-pregnancy fruits.

Assessment of biochemical profile among patients of gestational diabetes mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus is common but a major health problem in pregnant women. The rate of gestational diabetes mellitus has increased globally from 3% to 14% within last 10 years. Objective: To assess the biochemical profile of women with gestational diabetes mellitus visiting public hospitals, Lahore city. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at gynae department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore and Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore within 4 months using the convenient sampling technique. The data of 100 patients were collected through pre-tested questionnaire. Data were analyzed statistically using SPSS version 21.0. Frequencies were calculated, Pearson’s chi-square test was applied. Results: According to the results, 81% patients were not having insulin therapy during pregnancy and only 19% were having insulin. 73% patients had OGTT values above 200 mg/dl during pregnancy while 27% had values above 140 mg/dl. An insignificant association was found between HbA1c test results and cereal food (paratha) consumption (p< .72). Conclusions: Study concluded that more than half of female had high OGTT rate. Improper medication, irregular treatment and lack of proper medication to control diabetes during pregnancy were a major cause of high clinical test values of diabetes in pregnant women. There was no significant association between HbA1c test results and cereal food consumption

Welcome Note From the Editor-in-Chief

It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you to our new journal, Diet Factor, a journal of diet and nutritional sciences. This journal is initiated with an intention of creating, gathering, introducing and sharing the latest knowledge, nutritional value of different foods, healthy dietary practices, dietary habits and its consequences on health as well as research related to food sciences technology, preservation methods for food, increasing shelf life of edibles, storage and production of nutritious food and preservation of its nutrients. As we all know that, ‘Prevention is better than cure’, selection of healthy food with good nutrition value can prevent diseases. Food is a compulsory component of everyone’s life and a healthy diet is a major key for a healthy life. Healthy diet keeps you healthy, energetic and boosts your mood. Composition of food, its macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fats and fiber as well as micronutrients i.e. calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and vitamins are very important to be taken in balanced amount. Similarly, processed food should be replaced by natural diet. However, it is also necessary to preserve the food, increase the shelf life and process it in such a way that the nutritious value is maintained and it can be kept for longer durations to withstand higher temperature and moisture conditions. In this way, wastage of food is avoided, it can be used for longer durations, and provide the same nutrition. We intend to publish high quality research in the above-mentioned areas. Researches will be published as original research, review articles, letter to the editor and case control studies. This inaugural issue will provide a flavor of up-to-date researches in diet, nutrition and food sciences on national and international level. We hope to receive a lot of publications in this field and our strong editorial board and reviewerswill work togather to make it a great success! Suggestions and comments to improve this journal are always welcome from the authors and readers.

Assessment of biochemical profile among patients of Microbiological Quality Assessment of Bakery Products Available in Lahore, Pakistan

Bakery items are a vital element of a well-balanced diet, and supermarket shelves now stock a wide range of them. Bakery items are the most popular ready-to-eat foods (REF).Objective:To assess the microbial quality of bakery foods (Bread, Cake and patties) and check the total plate count (TPC), bacterial and yeast count Methods:The analysis of the microbial quality of bakery products was determined for three different bakery products (bread, cake and patties) at ten different locations collected from a renowned bakery in Lahore, Pakistan. The samples were assessed under complete hygienic conditions by standardized plate count (TPC) and MPN method. Micro-organisms (Coliform, Fecal Coliform and Yeast) were lately confirmed by their morphological characteristics and biochemical tests Results: Among the three commodities, bread was found to be highly contaminated by micro-organisms and the total plate count recorded was 4.7 x 105cfu g-1collected from sector I9 which is not consumable. Whereas Patties showed the number of TPC as 1.6 x 105 cfu g-1also collected from sector I9. Cake was revealed as least infected bakery product i.e., 5.7 x 104 cfu g-1. The above results showed that sector I9 is highly contaminated and a threat for health. Bacterial plate count (Coliform and Fecal Coliform count) was highly measured in bread as 460 MPN g-1 taken from sector I5 where as it remains under the permissible limit determined by WHO, 1994 in remaining sectors Conclusions:In conclusion the bakery food is contaminated by the use of un-hygienic water, miss handled during the process after baking i.e., slicing, serving and packaging. To avoid a possible epidemic of food borne illness, competent authorities should conduct a stricter and more stringent inspection of REFs sold to clients in bakeries.