The impact of a managed care obesity intervention on clinical outcomes and costs: a prospective observational study.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a managed care obesity intervention that requires enrollment in an intensive medical weight management program, a commercial weight loss program, or a commercial pedometer-based walking program to maintain enhanced benefits.

Design And Methods: Prospective observational study involving 1,138 adults with BMI ≥ 32 kg m(-2) with one or more comorbidities or BMI ≥ 35 kg m(-2) enrolled in a commercial, independent practice association-model health maintenance organization. Body mass index, blood pressure, lipids, HbA1c or fasting glucose, and per-member per-month costs were assessed 1 year before and 1 year after program implementation.

Production of very long chain polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in plants.

We report the production of two very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), in substantial quantities in a higher plant. This was achieved using genes encoding enzymes participating in the omega3/6 Delta8 -desaturation biosynthetic pathways for the formation of C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Arabidopsis thaliana was transformed sequentially with genes encoding a Delta9 -specific elongating activity from Isochrysis galbana, a Delta8 -desaturase from Euglena gracilis and a Delta5 -desaturase from Mortierella alpina.

Identification of a cDNA encoding a novel C18-Delta(9) polyunsaturated fatty acid-specific elongating activity from the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-producing microalga, Isochrysis galbana.

Isochrysis galbana, a marine prymnesiophyte microalga, is rich in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3, Delta(4,7,10,13,16,19)). We used a polymerase chain reaction-based strategy to isolate a cDNA, designated IgASE1, encoding a polyunsaturated fatty acid-elongating activity from I. galbana.