Health Effects of Increasing Protein Intake Above the Current Population Reference Intake in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of the Health Council of the Netherlands.

Whether older adults need more protein than younger adults is debated. The population reference intake for adults set by the European Food Safety Authority is 0.83 g/kg body weight (BW)/d based primarily on nitrogen balance studies, but the underlying data on health outcomes are outdated.

Effect of weight loss, with or without exercise, on body composition and sex hormones in postmenopausal women: the SHAPE-2 trial.

Introduction: Physical inactivity and overweight are risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer. The effect of physical activity may be partially mediated by concordant weight loss. We studied the effect on serum sex hormones, which are known to be associated with postmenopausal breast cancer risk, that is attributable to exercise by comparing randomly obtained equivalent weight loss by following a hypocaloric diet only or mainly by exercise.

Design of the SHAPE-2 study: the effect of physical activity, in addition to weight loss, on biomarkers of postmenopausal breast cancer risk.

Background: Physical inactivity and overweight are two known risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer. Former exercise intervention studies showed that physical activity influences sex hormone levels, known to be related to postmenopausal breast cancer, mainly when concordant loss of body weight was achieved. The question remains whether there is an additional beneficial effect of physical activity when weight loss is reached.

Unrealistic weight-loss goals among obese patients are associated with age and causal attributions.

Unrealistic weight-loss goals may impede the success of weight-loss attempts. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of unrealistic goals and their association with other patient characteristics at the start of a weight-loss program. For patients with a body mass index (calculated as kg/m(2)) of 30 to 35, 35 to 40, or 40 to 50, medically advised weight-loss goals were set at 10%, 15%, and 20% of current weight, respectively.

Lifestyle, Mediterranean diet and survival in European post-myocardial infarction patients.

Background: The extent and benefits of adherence to lifestyle and dietary recommendations in secondary prevention are largely unknown.

Design: We examined the frequency of healthy dietary and lifestyle behaviours and their impact on survival in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients in a prospective cohort study of elderly Europeans.

Methods: Adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet was measured with a modified Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) on an eight-point scale.

Effects of a stanol-enriched diet on plasma cholesterol and triglycerides in patients treated with statins.

Background: Plant stanols have been recommended in combination with individualized dietary interventions to reduce plasma cholesterol concentrations. It is unclear whether plant stanols in combination with dietary guidance in patients already using optimal doses of statins will further reduce fasting and postprandial lipids compared with standard care.

Study Design: This single-blind, randomized study investigated the effect of plant stanols in margarines, combined with a lipid-lowering dietary intervention, in patients already on lipid-lowering medications at maximal doses not reaching their target lipid levels.

Obesity-related beliefs predict weight loss after an 8-week low-calorie diet.

The objective of this study was to examine whether beliefs about the cause, consequences, time line, and control of obesity are predictors of the amount of weight loss after an 8-week, low-calorie diet consisting of meal replacements. Forty-eight women and 18 men, mean age=45.9 (range=23 to 73 years) years and body mass index between 30 and 50 participated in a weight-loss program.