Georgina M Hughes

• University of Liverpool

Two studies investigating the impact of dried fruits eaten as a snack on weight control were designed to examine the effects of prunes and raisins on appetite (phase 1), and whether prunes undermine weight loss, due to the increase in energy density on drying, when included in a structured weight loss programme (phase 2). Phase 1 compared the effec...

Alkaptonuria is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a high level of circulating (and urine) homogentisic acid (HGA), which contributes to ochronosis when it is deposited in connective tissue as a pigmented polymer. In an observational study carried out by National AKU Centre (NAC) in Liverpool, a total of thirty-nine AKU patients attended year...

Objective: Concerns exist over hypertyrosinaemia that is observed following treatment with nitisinone. It has been suggested that tyrosine may compete with tryptophan for uptake into the central nervous system, and or inhibit tryptophan hydroxylase activity reducing serotonin production. At the National Alkaptonuria (AKU) Centre nitisinone is bein...

Question: Does Nitisinone prevent the clinical progression of the Alkaptonuria? Findings: In this observational study on 39 patients, 2 mg of daily nitisinone inhibited ochronosis and significantly slowed the progression of AKU over a three-year period. Meaning: Nitisinone is a beneficial therapy in Alkaptonuria. Background: Nitisinone decre...

Background & aims Nutrition is a key component of surgical enhanced recovery programmes. However, alterations in food preferences are often reported as reasons for patients not eating in the early postoperative period. We hypothesised that taste preferences are altered in the early postoperative period and this dysgeusia affects patients' food choi...

The impact of two commercially available products, a patented herb extract Yerbe Maté, Guarana and Damiana (YGD) formulation and an inulin-based soluble fermentable fibre (SFF), alone or in combination, on appetite and food intake were studied for the first time in a double blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design. 58 normal to slightly overwei...

Current evidence suggests there is no such thing as a distinct obese eating style. However, a number of key behavioural traits are linked with over-consumption and obesity. These include differences in eating rate, deficits in the normal development of satiation within a meal, weakened satiety responsiveness to meals especially those high in fat, g...

Certain free fatty acids have been shown to have potent effects on food intake and self-reported changes in appetite; effects associated with increases in the release of endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1). In the current study, the effects of a Korean pine nut oil product, PinnoThin, at doses 2 g, 4 g and 6 g trigl...

To investigate the effect of television food advertising on children's food intake, specifically whether childhood obesity is related to a greater susceptibility to food promotion. The study was a within-subject, counterbalanced design. The children were tested on two occasions separated by two weeks. One condition involved the children viewing foo...

Food advert exposure has been shown to influence calorie intake and food choice in 9-11 year olds. However, little is known about the effect of food advertisements on feeding behaviour in younger children. Therefore, we conducted a study with 93 children aged 5-7 years, 28 of whom were over weight or obese. The children were exposed to 10 non-food...

The study investigated the relationship between depressive feelings and coping amongst older widowed men and women. Participants were interviewed about their affective experiences of widowhood and completed two depression questionnaire assessments, the Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Scale (SAD) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD...

The study examined the effects of psychological response and gender on coping with late life widowhood. Forty-six men and 46 women (55 years +) were interviewed about their experiences of widowhood. Participants were classified as to whether they were coping well or less well. Data were analyzed using grounded theory, content analysis, and three-wa...

Ageing is associated with reduced energy intake and loss of appetite. Older men tend to have poorer dietary intakes including consumption of fewer fruits and vegetables in comparison to older women. Living and eating alone further diminishes food consumption and dietary quality. The aim of the present study was to explore food choice and energy int...

Do the views and experiences of older widowed men regarding widowhood agree, and can they be explained in terms of notions of masculinity? Older widowed men were asked whether they believed men or women coped better. They were also asked about their own experiences. The paper discusses the similarities and differences between the views and experien...