Bente Øvrebø

Aging is associated with dysregulated methionine metabolism and increased levels of enzymes in the tyrosine degradation pathway (TDP). To investigate the efficacy of targeting either methionine metabolism or the TDP for healthspan improvement in advanced age, we initiated dietary MetR or TDP inhibition in 18-month-old C57BL/6J mice. MetR significantly improved neuromuscular function, metabolic health, lung function, and frailty. In addition, we confirmed improved neuromuscular function from dietary MetR in 5XFAD mice, whose weight was not affected by MetR. We did not observe benefits with TDP inhibition. Single-nucleus RNA and ATAC sequencing of muscle revealed cell type–specific responses to MetR, although MetR did not significantly affect mouse aging epigenetic clock markers. Similarly, an 8-week MetR intervention in a human trial (NCT04701346) showed no significant impact on epigenetic clocks. The observed benefits from late-life MetR provide translational rationale to develop MetR mimetics as an antiaging intervention.

Background: The Nutri-Score is a candidate for the harmonized mandatory front-of-pack nutrition label enabling consumers in the European Union to make healthier food choices. Nutri-Score classifies foods (including beverages) from A (high nutritional quality) to E (low nutritional quality) based on the foods’ qualifying and disqualifying components. We aimed to evaluate the updated Nutri-Score for foods (2022) and beverages (2023) in a Norwegian setting by exploring its ability to discriminate the nutritional quality of foods within categories. Additionally, we assessed Nutri-Scores’ ability to classify foods in accordance with the Norwegian food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs). Methods: The updated Nutri-Score was calculated for 1,782 foods in a Norwegian food database. The discriminatory ability of the updated Nutri-Score was considered by exploring the distribution of Nutri-Score within categories of foods using boxplots and frequency tables, and by examining which qualifying and disqualifying components that contributed most to the Nutri-Score class. Accordance with the Norwegian FBDGs was assessed by exploring Nutri-Score for foods specifically mentioned in the guidelines. Results: Overall, the updated Nutri-Score seemed to discriminate the nutritional quality of foods within categories, in a Norwegian setting. The foods’ content of salt and the beverages’ content of sugar were components contributing the most to Nutri-Scores’ discriminatory ability. Furthermore, in most cases the updated Nutri-Score classified foods in accordance with the Norwegian FBDGs. However, there were minor inconsistencies in how Nutri-Score classified certain foods, such as the inabilities to discriminate between full-fat and low-fat/leaner cheeses, cremes and processed meats (sausages), and between whole grain and refined pasta/rice. Conclusions: We observed an overall acceptable discriminatory performance of the updated Nutri-Score in a Norwegian setting and in most cases the updated Nutri-Score classified foods in accordance with the Norwegian FBDGs. However, minor inconsistencies were observed. Together with the FBDGs, the updated Nutri-Score could be a useful tool in guiding consumers towards healthier food choices in Norway, but consumer evaluations are warranted to fully assess the performance of the updated Nutri-Score in a Norwegian context.

The extent to which different front-of-pack nutrition labels (FOPNLs) agree or contradict each other has been insufficiently investigated. Considering the 2020 proposal from the European Commission to create a harmonized FOPNL, the aim of this study was to assess agreements and disagreements between two FOPNL schemes—the Keyhole and the Nutri-Score—in a Swedish context. The current Keyhole criteria and the updated Nutri-Score 2022 algorithm were applied to 984 food items and their nutrient compositions, obtained from the food database of the Swedish Food Agency. Agreements (Keyhole-eligible and Nutri-Score A or B; or not Keyhole-eligible and Nutri-Score C, D, or E) and disagreements (Keyhole-eligible and Nutri-Score C, D, or E, or not Keyhole-eligible and Nutri-Score A or B) were calculated as percentages for all items and by food group. An agreement was found for 81% of included items. The lowest level of agreement was found for the groups of flour, grains, and rice (62% agreement) and for plant-based meat and fish analogues (33% agreement). There is generally a good level of agreement between the Keyhole and the Nutri-Score for food items on the Swedish market. Large disagreements found for plant-based meat and fish analogues, and products based on cereals/grains, highlight important considerations for the development of a harmonized FOPNL within Europe.

Background: School free fruit and vegetable (FFV) policies are used to promote healthy dietary habits and tackle obesity; however, our understanding of their effects on weight outcomes is limited. We assess the effect of a nationwide FFV policy on childhood and adolescent weight status and explore heterogeneity by sex and socioeconomic position. Methods and findings: This study used a quasi-natural experimental design. Between 2007 and 2014, Norwegian combined schools (grades 1–10, age 6 to 16 years) were obligated to provide FFVs while elementary schools (grades 1–7) were not. We used 4 nationwide studies (n = 11,215 children) from the Norwegian Growth Cohort with longitudinal or cross-sectional anthropometric data up to age 8.5 and 13 years to capture variation in FFV exposure. Outcomes were body mass index standard deviation score (BMI_SDS), overweight and obesity (OW/OB), waist circumference (WC), and weight to height ratio (WtHR) at age 8.5 years, and BMI_SDS and OW/OB at age 13 years. Analyses included longitudinal models of the pre- and post-exposure trajectories to estimate the policy effect. The participation rate in each cohort was >80%, and in most analyses SDS, there was little evidence of any benefit or unintended consequence from 1–2.5 years of exposure to the FFV policy on BMI_SDS, OW/OB, WC, or WtHR in either sex. For example, boys exposed to the FFV policy had a 0.05 higher BMI_SDS (95% CI: −0.04, 0.14), a 1.20-fold higher odds of OW/OB (95% CI: 0.86, 1.66) and a 0.3 cm bigger WC (95% CI: −0.3, 0.8); while exposed girls had a 0.04 higher BMI_SDS (95% CI: −0.04, 0.13), a 1.03 fold higher odds of OW/OB (95% CI: 0.75, 1.39), and a 0-cm difference in WC (95% CI: −0.6, 0.6). There was evidence of heterogeneity in the policy effect estimates at 8.5 years across cohorts and socioeconomic position; however, these results were inconsistent with other comparisons. Analysis at age 13 years, after 4 years of policy exposure, also showed little evidence of an effect on BMI_SDS or OW/OB. The main limitations of this study are the potential for residual confounding and exposure misclassification, despite efforts to minimize their impact on conclusions. Conclusions: In this study we observed little evidence that the Norwegian nationwide FFV policy had any notable beneficial effect or unintended consequence on weight status among Norwegian children and adolescents.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and thinness among Norwegian 13-year-olds and the changes from childhood (age 8 years) to adolescence (age 13 years); and to explore associations with sex, region, and population density from childhood to adolescence. Design: We used longitudinal, anthropometric data collected by school health nurses conducted in Norway. Weight status was classified according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs for overweight, obesity, and thinness, and according to mean body mass index (kg/m²). Participants: The Norwegian Youth Growth Study, consisting of a nationally representative sample of Norwegian 13-year-olds (n = 1852; 50.7% girls), which is a part of The Norwegian Growth Cohort. Results: Among 13-year-old Norwegians, the prevalence of overweight (including obesity), obesity, and thinness was 15.8%, 2.5%, and 7.3%, respectively. There was little evidence that these had changed from 8 to 13 years. From 8 to 13 years, the odds of obesity was highest in the Northern region of Norway compared to the South-East (odds ratio (OR): 3.78 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13, 12.65; p = 0.036) and in rural areas (OR: 4.76 (95% CI: 1.52, 14.90; p = 0.027). Over the same age period, girls had a trend towards a higher odds of thinness compared to boys (OR: 1.65 (95% CI: 0.98, 2.78; p = 0.057). Conclusions: In Norway, the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and thinness among 13-year-olds seem to be established by age 8 years. The prevalence of obesity was higher in the North and in rural areas. The results indicate the continued need for early prevention and treatment, and targeted interventions to certain areas.

Fiscal policies are used to promote a healthier diet; however, there is still a call for real-world evaluations of taxes on unhealthy foods and beverages. We aimed to evaluate the effect of an abrupt increase, of respectively 80 and 40%, in the excising Norwegian taxes on candy and beverages on volume sales of candy and soda. We expected sales to fall. We analyzed electronic point of sale data covering approximately 98% of volume sales of grocery stores in Norway. In two pre-registered models with weekly (log-)sales of taxed candy and soda from 3884 individual stores, we modeled the difference between the jump (discontinuity) in the trend around the time of the increase in taxes and the corresponding jump in the trend in a control season from the previous years (Model 1). In addition, we modeled the difference between the intervention and the control season in their changes in average sales (Model 2). Model 1 showed a 6.1% (one-sided 95% CI: not applicable (NA), 23.4, p-value = 0.26) increase and a − 3.9% (95% CI: NA, 4.9, p-value = 0.23) reduction in the differences in the jump in the trends, for candy and soda, respectively. The second model showed a relative decrease of − 4.9% (95% CI: NA, 1.0, p-value = 0.08) in the average sales of candy and an increase of 1.5% (95% CI: NA, 5.0, p-value = 0.24) in sales of soda. Supplementary analyses suggested that the results were sensitive to clustering on the time dimension. When using two different quasi-experimental designs to model changes in volume sales of taxed candy and soda, we were not able to detect reductions in sales that coincided with an increase in the taxes. Variation across time makes it difficult to detect potentially small changes in sales even when using an entire country’s worth of sales data on the level of individual stores. We speculate that the tax increases were too modest to affect the prices to alter sales sufficiently.

Objective: The sulfur amino acid (SAA) cysteine is positively related, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are inversely related to activity of the lipogenic enzyme stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD). High SCD activity promotes obesity in animals, and plasma activity indices positively associates with fat mass in humans. SCD may thus be a target for dietary intervention with SAA restriction and PUFA enrichment with unknown potential benefits for body composition. We randomized ten healthy individuals to a meal restricted in SAAs and enriched with PUFAs (Cys/Met_low + PUFA) (n = 5) or a meal enriched in SAA and saturated fatty acids (Cys/Met_high + SFA) (n = 5). We measured plasma SCD activity indices (SCD16 and SCD18) and SAAs response hourly from baseline and up to 4 h postprandial. Results: SCD16 was unchanged whereas SCD18 tended to increase in the Cys/Met_low + PUFA compared to the Cys/Met_high + SFA group (p_{time*group interaction} = 0.08). Plasma concentrations of total cysteine fractions including free and reduced cysteine decreased in the Cys/Met_low + PUFA compared to the Cys/Met_high + SFA group (both p_{time*group interaction} < 0.001). In conclusion, a meal low in SAA but high in PUFAs reduced plasma cysteine fractions but not SCD activity indices. This pilot study can be useful for the design and diet composition of future dietary interventions that targets SCD and SAA. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02647970, registration date: 6 January 2016