Impact of self-help weight loss resources with or without online support on the dietary intake of overweight and obese men: the SHED-IT randomised controlled trial.

Background: Obese men are more likely to have poor dietary patterns compared to women, increasing diet-related chronic disease risk. The impact of a male-only weight loss intervention on dietary intakes is under-evaluated. The aim was to determine whether overweight/obese men randomised to self-help paper-based resources with or without online support, achieved greater improvements in diet compared with Wait-list controls at 3 and 6 months following a gender tailored weight-loss intervention.

Relatives in the resus room: don't overlook the patient!

Health care practitioners are becoming increasingly aware of the ethical dimensions of their work. In response, moves are being made to gather empirical data that serves to inform the decision-making process. Through a brief examination of one piece of empirical work, the author suggests that although such data is undoubtedly of value as a body of evidence to be used within an ethical debate, it can never replace the debate itself.