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Feline hyperthyroidism is a metabolic disease of middle-aged to older cats that has shown a marked increase in its world-wide prevalence within the last three decades. This disorder is now recognised as the most common feline endocrinopathy in many geographical locations, with diabetes mellitus coming a close second. Epidemiological studies performed to date have also suggested a geographic variation in the prevalence of the disease. This seemingly apparent variation may, in fact, reflect differences in dietary, environmental or genetic factors. Although clinical features of feline hyperthyroidism as well as its pathological lesions are well described, the exact pathogenesis of the disease still remains obscure and despite a plethora of epidemiological studies, clear risk factors for the disease have not been identified. Further information on worldwide prevalence of the disease and possible causative factors would increase our understanding of the aetiology of this disease and help identify any preventive measures.As far as the author is aware, prevalence studies have not yet been performed in South Africa, a geographic area in which hyperthyroidism in cats has relatively recently been observed and reported and the incidence of which anecdotally appears to be on the increase. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of feline hyperthyroidism in South Africa and to identify any potential risk factors associated with the disease in this geographic location.This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in cats that were presented for either geriatric check-ups and routine vaccinations or various illnesses at five general veterinary practices throughout South Africa between February 2014 and June 2015. Cats were included in the study if they were nine years of age or older and had resided solely in South Africa. Cats were excluded from the study if their demeanour precluded the collection of a blood sample, or if they had been treated with drugs that could potentially affect tT4and TSH concentrations. At the time of blood sampling a questionnaire was completed regarding the health status of the cat, vaccination history, internal and external parasite control, diet and environment. Consent for blood collection was obtained from the owners and ethical approval for the study was also applied for and granted by the Animal Ethics Committee of the University of Pretoria.Serum tT4 and cTSH concentrations were determined in all cats by use of a chemiluminescent competitive immunoassay (Immulite ® 1000 Canine total T4, Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics) and a chemiluminescent immunometric assay (Immulite ® 1000 Canine TSH, Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics) respectively. The reference interval for tT4 was 14-50 nmol/L and for cTSH 0- 0.07ng/ml (laboratories historical reference intervals). Serum fT4 concentrations were measured in cats with a serum tT4 concentration between 30-50nmol/L and a serum cTSH concentration less than 0.03ng/ml using equilibrium dialysis (Antech Diagnostics Inc ® Free T4 by Equilibrium Dialysis) with a reference interval of 10- 50pmol/L (laboratories historical reference intervals). All cats with a serum tT4concentration greater than 50nmol/L or cats with a serum tT4 concentration between 30-50 nmol/L, a serum cTSH concentration less than 0.03ng/ml and a serum fT4 concentration greater than 50pmol/L were classified as hyperthyroid.

It is the conflicts about the correct approach to women's weight that seem particularly surprising and troubling. Lavishing attention on the cultural valuation of thinness and such eating disorders as bulimia and anorexia, women's studies tends to view fat as an aesthetic and moral issue and thus to slight accumulating data about the health consequences of the obesity epidemic and to ignore the socioeconomic inequities that place women at higher risk for obesity. Here, Yancey et al examine the findings of recent obesity research in such a way as to engage the attention of women's studies scholars and spur them to action.

Time allocation studies show that women in developing countries face severe time constraints. However, such studies give a less clear picture of the time women spend on health and child care in the home and utilization of health services because these are primarily sporadic, not daily, activities. Reporting time spent by women on illness or health care utilization as a daily average masks the true cost of periodically losing half of a day or more of work time. Almost no direct empirical data have been gathered on the time costs to women of breastfeeding, immunizations, ORT, or growth monitoring, nor on whether time costs are an important determinant of utilization of these technologies. Specific research designed around the introduction of child survival projects, plus the inclusion of appropriate measures in the evaluations of ongoing projects, could fill this gap. Even without further research, recognition of the time constraints faced by low-income mothers in conjunction with lessons learned from successful growth monitoring and immunization projects suggests that outreach efforts may be an important key to increasing utilization of child survival technologies.

The extent and consequences of malnutrition among women in developing countries have received inadequate attention. Conservative estimates suggest that, as of the mid 1980s, 500 million women were anaemic, almost 500 million were stunted as a result of childhood protein-energy malnutrition, about 250 million suffered a range of consequences of severe iodine deficiency, and about 2 million were blind due to Vitamin A deficiency. The human welfare losses associated with women's malnutrition are wide-ranging and severe, including reduced quality of life for women themselves, impaired ability to bear and nurture children, and diminished capacity for domestic and income generating work. In certain parts of the world, most notably in South Asia, an important determinant of malnutrition among women is gender bias against females, both during childhood and adulthood. In addition, throughout the developing world, premature conceptions carry considerable risk to the health and nutritional status of both adolescent girls and their infants. Among adult women, repeated, closely spaced childbearing, inadequate education, lack of access to and control over income, and multiple, excessive demands on their time and physical energy, compound the effects of nutritional deprivations experienced during childhood and adolescence. Given the prevalence, the severity, and the multiple causes of malnutrition among women, it is clear that neither a few narrowly targeted feeding programmes for pregnant and lactating women, nor reliance on the long-term benefits of economic development programmes will be adequate to improve the nutritional status of women in developing countries. Two promising approaches are school-based supplementation programmes for adolescent girls - both to promote catch-up growth during the pubertal growth spurt and to enhance the likelihood of girls remaining in school - and the development and dissemination of technologies and programmes to reduce the extreme demands on adult women's time and energy.

Objective: To assess patterns of recruitment into a community-based NCI-funded physical activity and dietary lifestyle change program targeting African-American women. Design: Acquisition of a convenience sample to be screened for participation in a randomized, controlled prevention intervention. Setting: African-American-owned and -operated health club located in an area of Los Angeles in which African Americans are concentrated. Participants: 893 African-American women. Recruitment strategies: Social networking/word-of-mouth, staff presentations, mass and targeted media, and physician referral. Main outcome measure: Completion of screening questionnaire indicating a desire to enroll in the study. Screening questionnaire domains included self-reported height and weight, recent participation in organized weight loss programs, ability to walk one mile unassisted, current medication use, smoking status, personal medical history of cancer, sociodemographic variables, and recruitment source. Results: Sociodemographic and anthropométric characteristics distinguished between respondents obtained through different recruitment strategies. In particular, women with a higher body mass index (BMI) were more likely than those with lower BMIs (P = .014) to be recruited through more personalized methods (eg, social networking). Conclusions: Culturally tailored recruitment strategies are critical in securing the participation of members of \"hard-to-reach\" populations, who are both under-represented in health promotion research and at high risk for chronic diseases.