Background/Objectives: Obesity is influenced by biological, hormonal, and social factors, contributing to chronic diseases and burdening the healthcare system. Chronic stress and emotional eating are linked to weight gain, affecting eating behaviors and metabolism. This study aimed to assess the association between stress, eating behavior, and adiposity in obese women. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 132 obese women from Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The participants completed the Lipp Stress Symptoms Inventory and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Blood samples were collected to measure plasma cortisol, and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated from weight and height measurements. Body fat was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Associations between stress, eating behavior, and adiposity were evaluated using linear regression models, and interactions between stress and eating behavior subscales were tested. Results: Positive associations were observed between Phases I (alert), II (resistance), and III (exhaustion) of stress with emotional and external eating. A negative association was identified between dietary restraint and body fat, especially in women with lower cortisol levels (<13.7 mg/dL). Additionally, the alert phase was associated with higher android fat in these women. Conclusions: The findings support the hypothesis that stress and eating behavior are associated with body adiposity and that stress is linked to emotional and external eating. An inverse association between restrained eating and body fat was observed in women with lower cortisol levels. These results highlight the importance of an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates emotional and stress conditions in obesity treatment.

We analysed the coverage trend of the evaluation of the nutritional status of users of public health services registered in the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN) between 2008 and 2017 in seven municipalities and verified the association of the coverage trend with the socio-economic, demographic and organisational aspects of health system variables. It is an ecological time-series study performed with secondary data extracted from health information systems. Descriptive statistics, linear regression model and repeated measures analysis were performed. The coverage of evaluation of nutritional status was low over the period. Five municipalities showed a tendency to increase coverage, although small, while two remained stable. The highest annual variation in coverage increase was concentrated in the group of pregnant women and the lowest in adolescents and older adults. There was a downward trend in follow-ups from the Bolsa Family Programme and a trend towards increased follow-ups from SUS Primary Care (e-SUS AB). SISVAN coverage was positively associated with the proportion of rural population (P ≤ 0·001) and coverage of community health agents (P < 0·001); and negatively associated with total population (P < 0·001), demographic density (P = 0·006) and gross domestic product per capita (P = 0·008). Despite the tendency to increase coverage in some municipalities, SISVAN still presents low coverage of nutritional status assessment, which compromises population monitoring. Knowing the factors that influence the coverage can subsidise the elaboration of strategies for its expansion.

This work is a qualitative exploratory survey that aims to identify healthcare workers and skilled professionals’ perceptions of the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System in the Zona da Mata Mineira region of Brazil. Data analysis was carried out through content analysis; testimonials were extracted from semi-structured interviews via the qualitative data processing software Interface de R pour lês Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires version 0.7 alpha 2. A total of 41 people were interviewed, including primary healthcare center coordinators, and technical consultants at the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System, as well as nutritionists and data entry clerks. The issues most mentioned during interviews were related to lack of anthropometric equipment, absence of transportation, and inadequate facilities. Regarding the work process, professionals identified scarce training and nonuse of the data collected for healthcare decision-making as factors that compromise desired system outcomes. System qualities were also recognized, especially the mapping of main nutritional issues in the region. The participants reported the need for greater efforts to raise awareness of the importance of Food and Nutrition Surveillance actions at all levels of the public healthcare system. They also highlighted the need for human resources training, higher quality data recording, and suitable facilities. Investments in the entire system are essential to strengthen the information–decision-making–action triad, which would result in the improvement of users' health indicators.

Anemia na gestação e peso ao nascer do recém-nascido: Revisão Sistemática / Anemia in pregnancy and birth weight of the newborn: systematic review

Background/Objectives: Obesity is a multifactorial condition and a major public health challenge. Conventional treatment centers on caloric restriction, which is often unsustainable and may cause stigma and psychoemotional harm. This study aimed to describe the methodology and assess the effects of a multicomponent nutritional intervention not focused on caloric restriction on psychoemotional outcomes. Women were selected as the target population because of the higher prevalence of obesity-related psychoemotional distress, body dissatisfaction, and weight-related stigma in this group, as well as their greater vulnerability to the psychosocial impacts of weight-focused interventions. Methods: This randomised, parallel, open-label trial included 89 obese women from primary care in Viçosa, Brazil. The participants were allocated into three groups: Group 1 (Control), which received a personalised hypocaloric diet (from 500 to 1000 kcal/day); Group 2 (NutrirCom (NutrirCom is a multicomponent, person-centred nutritional intervention protocol that is not focused on caloric restriction, conceived by a group of researchers at the Federal University of Viçosa for the care of women with obesity in Primary Health Care. It integrates nutritional, psychoemotional, behavioural, and social strategies, with an emphasis on promoting eating autonomy, mental health, and quality of life through a humanised, integrated, and sustainable approach, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of health care delivery and clinical practice)), which received 10 individual NutrirCom-based sessions; and Group 3 (NutrirCom + Social Support), which combined individual NutrirCom sessions with monthly group meetings for social support. Randomisation was stratified by body mass index via Excel^® with concealed allocation. The six-month intervention assessed changes in stress, anxiety, depression, and self-compassion, along with anthropometric and metabolic markers. Results: All groups presented reductions in waist circumference, fasting glucose, and total body fat, with increased lean mass. Anxiety remained unchanged in Group 1 but decreased significantly in Groups 2 (p = 0.002) and 3 (p = 0.005). Only Group 2 showed a significant reduction in depression symptoms (p = 0.023). Self-compassion improved significantly in groups 2 and 3. Conclusions: NutrirCom is a low-cost, scalable, and human-centered intervention that integrates emotional, social, and nutritional aspects of care. This approach shows promise as a sustainable strategy for obesity treatment in primary health care. Registration: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC) (no. RBR-87wb8x5).