APP DESIGNED TO STUDY BEST WAY TO REDUCE ABDOMINAL FAT
CAROL BOUSHEY | KEVIN CASSELL | LOIC LE MARCHAND UNHEE LIM | YURII SHVETSOV | LYNNE WILKENS
UH Cancer Center researchers created a phone app as part of a study to research if specifc changes in dietary habits , along with daily exercise , can reduce the amount of fat inside the abdomen .
• Abdominal fat increases the risk of a number of chronic diseases , such as diabetes , heart disease , and certain cancers , including those of the colon , liver , pancreas and breast .
The phone app was used to take images of the food participants ate . Eligible participants were randomized to one of two diets and given access to a dietitian .
“ JAPANESE , CHINESE AND KOREAN MEN AND WOMEN TEND TO HAVE HIGH AMOUNTS OF ABDOMINAL FAT , AND THIS TYPE OF FAT IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN OTHERS IN TERMS OF CERTAIN DISEASES AND CANCERS ,” said Loic Le Marchand , MD , PhD , epidemiologist in the Cancer Center ’ s Population Sciences in the Pacifc Program . “ There have been major changes in the amount of fat in the abdomen in participants we have observed so far .”
DIET RELATED TO LOWER RISK OF COLORECTAL CANCER
Published in Gastroenterology
SONG YI PARK | CAROL BOUSHEY | LYNNE WILKENS CHRISTOPHER HAIMAN | LOIC LE MARCHAND
A high-quality diet was found to be related to a lower risk of colorectal cancer as well as other chronic diseases by UH Cancer Center researchers using data from the Multiethnic Cohort Study .
• Researchers assessed the diet by scores computed for four key diet quality indexes , which measure compliance with dietary guidelines that have been issued to the U . S . population .
After an average follow-up of 16 years , participants with the highest scores for any of the four indexes experienced a lower risk of colorectal cancer , compared with those with the lowest scores .
COLORECTAL CANCER IS THE THIRD MOST FREQUENTLY DIAGNOSED CANCER IN HAWAI ‘ I .
• Foods to eat more of include , fruits , vegetables , whole grains , nuts and legumes ( higher score for higher intake ).
• Foods to eat less of include , red and processed meats , alcohol , refned grains , sodium and sugar-sweetened beverages ( e . g ., sodas ) ( higher score for lower intake ).
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