Meal replacements in the treatment of adolescent obesity: a randomized controlled trial.

Use of meal replacements (MRs) in lifestyle modification programs (LMPs) for obese adults significantly increases weight loss, compared with prescription of an isocaloric conventional diet (CD). This 12-month randomized trial examined 113 obese adolescents (mean ± s.d.

Effect of a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet on adipokine levels in obese, diabetic participants.

The effect of dietary macronutrient composition on adipokine concentrations remains unclear. Greater reductions in leptin have been reported in participants who followed low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diets, although these studies did not adjust for the important effects of weight loss on adipokines. We investigated the effect of macronutrient composition on adipokine levels in 144 obese, diabetic participants who were randomly assigned to a low- carbohydrate (< 30 g/day) or low-fat diet (≤ 30% of calories from fat with a deficit of 500 kcal/day).

Changes in symptoms of depression with weight loss: results of a randomized trial.

Recent studies of rimonabant have re-awakened interest in the possible adverse psychiatric effects of weight loss, as well as of weight loss medications. This study examined changes in symptoms of depression in 194 obese participants (age = 43.7 +/- 10.

Metabolic syndrome and health-related quality of life in obese individuals seeking weight reduction.

Background: No previous research has examined the association between metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using standard criteria for defining MetSyn. We hypothesized that MetSyn would be associated with lower HRQoL on measures of physical and mental health.

Methods And Procedures: Participants were 361 individuals in two randomized weight loss trials.

The relationship between relative weight and school attendance among elementary schoolchildren.

Objective: To determine the relationship between relative weight and school attendance among elementary schoolchildren.

Research Methods And Procedures: A total of 1069 fourth to sixth graders from nine elementary schools in the inner city of Philadelphia, PA, were part of an ongoing randomized control trial to assess prevention strategies for obesity. The mean rate of students eligible for free/reduced meals was 82.

Randomized trial of lifestyle modification and pharmacotherapy for obesity.

Background: Weight-loss medications are recommended as an adjunct to a comprehensive program of diet, exercise, and behavior therapy but are typically prescribed with minimal or no lifestyle modification. This practice is likely to limit therapeutic benefits.

Methods: In this one-year trial, we randomly assigned 224 obese adults to receive 15 mg of sibutramine per day alone, delivered by a primary care provider in eight visits of 10 to 15 minutes each; lifestyle-modification counseling alone, delivered in 30 group sessions; sibutramine plus 30 group sessions of lifestyle-modification counseling (i.

A randomized controlled trial of a commercial internet weight loss program.

Objective: To assess, in a 1-year randomized controlled trial, the efficacy of eDiets.com (a commercial Internet weight loss program) in improving weight, cardiovascular health, and quality of life.

Research Methods And Procedures: Participants were 47 women with a mean age of 43.

Great expectations: "I'm losing 25% of my weight no matter what you say".

This study investigated whether informing obese individuals that they would lose only modest amounts of weight would lead them to adopt more realistic weight loss expectations. At a screening interview, 53 obese women reported that they expected to lose the equivalent of 28% of their initial weight during 1 year of treatment with the medication sibutramine. Prior to beginning treatment, participants were informed, both verbally and in writing, that they could expect to lose 5% to 15% of initial weight, the loss typically induced by current behavioral and pharmacologic approaches.

Agreement between weekly vs. daily assessment of appetite.

Hunger, satiation, and other aspects of appetite are frequently measured using end-anchored line ratings. This study investigated whether a single assessment of appetite, which covered the prior week, would yield the same results obtained by assessing appetite 3 days during the week. Participants were 51 women and 9 men (age mean 44.

What consumers want to know about commercial weight-loss programs: a pilot investigation.

Objective: In 1999, the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management recommended that providers of commercial weight-loss programs (and products) voluntarily disclose information concerning the safety, costs, and central components of their programs, as well as the credentials of program staff. These guidelines were drafted without the benefit of data from consumers concerning the specific information they desired. The present study provides such data.

Latent structure of eating disorder symptoms: a factor analytic and taxometric investigation.

Objective: The latent structure of eating disorder symptoms, as defined by DSM-IV, was tested in a group of 341 women with and without an eating disorder diagnosis.

Method: The study group consisted of 201 participants with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or eating disorder not otherwise specified; 24 comparison subjects who were obese but did not have an eating disorder diagnosis; and 116 normal-weight comparison subjects. The presence and severity of DSM-IV eating disorder symptoms was assessed with the semi-structured Interview for the Diagnosis of Eating Disorders-IV.