Background: Lipedema is a chronic condition characterized by excessive fat deposition in the hips, buttocks, and lower legs, significantly impacting quality of life. In Czechia, limited research exists on the relationship between lipedema symptoms and depressive symptoms, despite the condition's prevalence and its impact on mental health.Aim: This study aims to investigate the relationship between lipedema symptoms and the severity of depressive symptoms among Czech women and assess their quality of life.Methods: We administered an online survey to 43 women with lipedema. Participants completed questionnaires on quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and depressive symptoms severity, evaluated using the PHQ-9 tool.Results: PHQ-9 results showed that 50.9% of participants exhibited moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Quality of life ratings varied, with 27.9% of participants rating their health as poor or very poor. Significant correlations were found between lipedema symptoms, such as shortness of breath, muscle stiffness, and depression severity, indicating a complex relationship between physical symptoms and mental health.Conclusion: These findings highlight the significant mental health burden faced by individuals with lipedema. The association between physical and depressive symptoms emphasizes the need for comprehensive, tailored interventions, especially integrated mental and physical healthcare approaches, aimed at improving overall well-being in this population.

Background: Lipedema is a chronic adipose tissue disorder predominantly affecting women and is frequently misclassified as obesity. While its physical manifestations are increasingly recognized, less attention has been paid to eating attitudes and psychological well-being in this population. The objective of this study was to descriptively explore eating attitudes and psychological well-being in women with lipedema. Methods: This exploratory cross-sectional study used an anonymous online survey to describe eating attitudes and psychological well-being in women with lipedema. A total of 47 participants completed the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize screening indicators of disordered eating risk and reduced psychological well-being. Results: Approximately two-thirds of participants scored at or above the EAT-26 screening cut-off, reflecting elevated screening indicators of disordered eating risk. When behavioral risk indicators were included, over 70% screened positive according to EAT-26 criteria. Reduced psychological well-being (as indicated by a WHO-5 score of ≤50) was observed in about one-fifth of the sample. Conclusion: In this exploratory sample of women with lipedema, elevated screening indicators of disordered eating risk and reduced psychological well-being were commonly observed. These findings offer preliminary insights suggesting that eating-related risk and reduced well-being may be prevalent in this population. Further research using larger, clinically verified samples is needed to better understand the psychological aspects of lipedema.

High consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The last report on the prevalence of SSBs consumption in Czechia was 17 years ago, an updated analysis will enable the design of appropriate public health policies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of SSBs consumption in a Czech city during 2020 and 2022, and its association with cardiometabolic biomarkers, behavioral risk factors, and socioeconomic determinants. A total of 730 participants (33 to 73 years) were assessed from a random population-based survey. SSBs consumption was evaluated using two methods: by calorie amount, with a 24 h dietary recall, and by frequency, with a food frequency questionnaire. By calorie amount, the prevalence of SSBs consumption was none: 52.5%, low: 30.0%, and moderate–high: 17.5%; by frequency was never: 16.0%, occasionally: 64.1%, and daily: 19.9%. SSBs intake was higher in men (p < 0.001) and younger participants (p = 0.001). Men consuming daily had higher waist circumference and visceral fat area compared to both occasional and never consumers. Higher SSBs consumption was associated with low household income, middle education level, and high total energy intake. In total, 20% drank SSBs daily and 17.5% of participants consumed moderate–high calorie amounts of SSBs. These results represent an increase in the prevalence of SSBs consumption in the last two decades. Public health policies should target men of younger age and people with low education and income.

Background: Dietary behavior represents a major determinant of population health, contributing substantially to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other non-communicable conditions. Across Central and Eastern Europe, dietary risks are compounded by socioeconomic inequalities and post-socialist market transitions that have reshaped food environments. While price, taste, and health are well-established drivers of food choice, less is known about how these motives, including emerging environmental considerations, are distributed across social groups in this region. Aim: This study examined how sociodemographic characteristics are associated with food choice motives among Czech adults in a nationally representative sample, and how these patterns relate to broader regional contexts. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 1,803 Czech adults (aged ≥ 15 years) was conducted using quota sampling representative by age, gender, education, region, and settlement size. Respondents selected up to three key food choice criteria from a standardized list. Associations between gender, age, education, and income and each motive were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Taste (63.7%), price (37.6%), and health considerations (31.5%) were the most frequently reported food choice motives, whereas environmental considerations were rare (2.5%). Men more frequently reported taste-based motives, while women more often emphasized health- and nutrition-related considerations. Higher education was associated with greater attention to nutritional value and ingredient quality, whereas lower education and income were linked to greater price sensitivity and reliance on hedonic cues. Environmental considerations showed no strong sociodemographic patterning. Conclusion: Food choice motives in post-socialist Central Europe are shaped by multiple sociodemographic factors, with persistent socioeconomic gradients. Addressing these disparities may require policies that prioritize structural and economic determinants of food choice while cautiously integrating environmental objectives, in order to align equity, public health, and sustainability goals.

Dietary protein density has been proposed as a factor influencing energy intake through mechanisms described by the protein leverage hypothesis. We examined the association between dietary protein density, expressed as percentage of total energy intake from protein, and total daily energy intake in 179 free-living adults using seven-day food records. In multivariable linear regression adjusted for age and sex, each 1%-point higher protein contribution was associated with 52.1 kcal/day lower energy intake (95% CI − 84.9 to − 19.3; p = 0.002). A theory-driven power-function analysis yielded a leverage coefficient of L = − 0.456 (95% CI − 0.684 to − 0.229; p < 0.001), consistent with partial protein leverage. Secondary analyses provided modest evidence of non-linearity and possible age-related effect modification, whereas no significant effect modification by sex was observed. The inverse association remained evident in sensitivity analyses including adjustment for estimated basal metabolic rate and exclusion of potentially influential observations. These findings provide cross-sectional evidence consistent with the protein leverage framework under free-living conditions. However, the observational design and potential residual confounding preclude causal inference.