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Tag: obesity
01/23/2023

Extra Belly Fat at Midlife May Increase Risk of Disability Later in Life

Article Excerpt: Scientists in Norway looked at data from about 4,500 people age 45 or older at the study’s start for an average of 21 years, and discovered that individuals who had a high waist circumference measurement at the beginning were twice as likely to be frail or pre-frail (meaning at high risk of becoming frail) than people who started out with a normal waist size…. John Batsis, MD, an associate professor of geriatric medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill also not involved with the new study, says excess belly fat can contribute to frailty. “Visceral fat promotes inflammation, which then has more widespread effects on other organs and one’s physiology — including muscle and changes in body composition, important alterations in skeletal muscle mass and strength. [These effects] often lead to frailty and mobility disability,” he says.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/284m2uck

Article Source: Everyday Health

Posted in: Epidemiology // Tagged: ; ; ;
08/08/2022

Willingness to pay for a telemedicine delivered healthy lifestyle programme

Rauch VK, Roderka M, Weintraub AB, Curtis K, Kotz DF, Rothstein RI, Batsis JA. Willingness to pay for a telemedicine-delivered healthy lifestyle programme. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare. 2022;28(7):517-523. doi:10.1177/1357633X20943337

This study explored how willing rural adults were to pay for a remote weight-management program. Researchers conducted a single arm pilot study with 27 adult patients recruited from a medical weight and wellness center. Participants received a 16-week intervention focused on healthy behavior changes, including mindfulness, movement, problem-solving, and nutrition. In the program, a health coach, registered dietician, and nurse exercise specialist delivered weekly 30-minute one-on-one telehealth visits with participants. Researchers collected willingness-to-pay in a two-item survey at baseline and week 16 that asked: 1) at what point they would trade in person visits for telehealth based on commute time to reach the medical center, and 2) whether they would be willing to engage in a telehealth visit with an upfront cost for services. Participants who commute 30-45 minutes reported the highest willingness to trade in-person visits with telemedicine out of all groups. There was a significant increase in participants who would be willing to pay $30 or less for telemedicine from baseline (58%) to 16-week follow-up (69%). There was no significant difference over time in participants’ willingness to pay for telemedicine based on commute times. In qualitative interviews with participants, a majority found the program helpful. Participants also reported the intervention helped reduce travel time and expenses and increased flexibility for families and work. Results demonstrated that in rural areas, a digital weight management program could be acceptable and cost-effective. Research with a larger sample size and longer duration is needed to more accurately gauge patients’ willingness-to-pay for remote program delivery.

Posted in: Cutting Edge Literature // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
06/20/2022

Feedback on Instagram posts for a gestational weight gain intervention

Waring ME, Pagoto SL, Moore Simas TA, Heersping G, Rudin LR, Arcangel K. Feedback on Instagram posts for a gestational weight gain intervention [published correction appears in Transl Behav Med. 2022 Apr 22;:]. Transl Behav Med. 2022;12(4):568-575. doi:10.1093/tbm/ibac001

Researchers evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a private Instagram group and lifestyle intervention posts focused on healthy gestational weight gain. A study was conducted with pregnant women with pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity who use Instagram regularly. Eleven participants each created a private Instagram account and followed the other participants’ accounts and a moderator. The moderator, a registered dietitian, uploaded posts twice a day for 2 weeks about physical activity, healthy eating, goal setting and progress reports during pregnancy. Participants were encouraged to check the group daily and engage by liking, replying to comments, and posting their own photos. After the 2-week intervention, participants completed an online survey on acceptability of the Instagram posts developed by the researchers and participated in virtual focus group interviews via Webex. User engagement data was collected from Instagram. The results indicated all participants followed the moderator’s account and engaged with all study posts. Most participants (82%) reported feeling comfortable sharing in the group and 73% would participate in a similar group in the future. A majority of participants found the posts visually attractive and indicated that the posts provided helpful information. However, participants preferred more personalized content and felt hesitant to post their own photos because they did not feel their photos were high-quality and positive enough. Overall, the study demonstrated that creating a private Instagram group for delivery of a dietary and fitness intervention is feasible. Findings can inform next steps in development and future research developing Instagram-delivered interventions for other health behaviors or conditions.

Posted in: Cutting Edge Literature // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
05/01/2022

Group Lifestyle Intervention With Mobile Health for Young Adults With Serious Mental Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Aschbrenner KA, Naslund JA, Gorin AA, Mueser KT, Browne J, Wolfe RS, Xie H, & Bartels SJ. (2022). Group Lifestyle Intervention With Mobile Health for Young Adults With Serious Mental Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.), 73(2), 141–148. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202100047

A study tested the effectiveness of PeerFIT, a group lifestyle intervention enhanced with mobile health for young adults with serious mental illness who were overweight or obese. PeerFIT is a 12-month, manualized group lifestyle intervention that includes weight loss and physical activity goals and a curriculum delivered by lifestyle coaches. One hundred fifty participants receiving services in partner community mental health centers were randomly assigned to the PeerFIT intervention or an active control condition (one-on-one basic education coaching and activity tracking). Eligible participants were 18-35 years of age, with serious mental illness and a body mass index at least 25kg/m2. PeerFIT had a 6-month phase of twice-weekly group meetings, followed by a 6-month maintenance phase of weekly exercise sessions. The intervention also used a private Facebook group where participants can access information, post content that support healthy lifestyles, and receive text message reminders and encouragement from the coach. Data was collected on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and weight loss at 6- and 12-month follow-up. The results showed no significant differences between the PeerFIT and control groups in reduced CVD risk, CRF, or weight loss. Participants in both arms achieved clinically significant CVD risk reduction, weight loss, and CRF between baseline and follow-ups. Although PeerFIT was not superior to one-on-one coaching in achieving reduced CVD risk, mobile Health coaching may be a more scalable innovation than in-person group interventions for young adults in routine mental health care settings.

Posted in: Cutting Edge Literature // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ;
12/13/2021

Feasibility and acceptability of a technology-based, rural weight management intervention in older adults with obesity

Batsis JA, Petersen CL, Clark MM, et al. (2021). Feasibility and acceptability of a technology-based, rural weight management intervention in older adults with obesity. BMC Geriatr 21, 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01978-x

Researchers evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of technology-based health promotion program among 53 older adults (at least 65 years old) living in rural New England with body mass index of at least 30kg/m2 Participants were enrolled in a 26-week program that consisted of video-conference nutrition and exercise sessions and Fitbit device monitoring. A Samsung tablet and detailed instructions to connect to Wi-Fi was provided for each participant. A Fitbit with user instructions was also provided for each participant. A registered dietitian nutritionist delivered 18 individual 30-minute sessions centered on nutrition and 7 1-hour group sessions on caloric intake, vitamin D, and protein intake. Weekly food records and attendance were collected. A trained physical therapist also conducted 75-minute, twice-a-week video conference group sessions that focused on exercise. Exercise sessions included resistance, flexibility, and balance training. Participants were encouraged to complete 150 minutes per week of moderately intense aerobic walking outside of the sessions. Feasibility, acceptability, and health outcomes were assessed at baseline, 2, 4, and 6 months. Participants reported a high overall satisfaction of the program and the Fitbit. The Fitbit was worn by participants for on average 81.7% of the intervention time. Completed participants observed a mean of 4.6kg loss of weight. The researchers found improvement in physical functioning test outcomes and subjective measures of late-life physical functioning. The researchers concluded that a technology-based obesity intervention is feasible and acceptable for older adults living in rural areas and can lead to weight loss and better physical functioning.

Posted in: Cutting Edge Literature // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
06/25/2021

Supplements for Weight Loss: Do They Work?

Article Excerpt: Weight loss supplements come in a variety of forms, including pills, gummies, powders, and liquids, like teas.They often tout fast and easy weight loss with a promise that you can lose inches without having to rely solely on eating a balanced diet or exercising regularly.And they’re extremely popular. The weight loss supplement industry was worth $6.5 billion in 2020. But do these supplements actually work? A new comprehensive study published in the journal ObesityTrusted Source on June 23 has found that dietary supplements do not result in dramatic weight loss as they claim.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/4tan54sf

Article Source: Healthline

Posted in: Methodologies & Analytics // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
06/24/2021

Taking Weight Loss Supplements? They Probably Won’t Work, Study Suggests

Article Excerpt: There is little high-quality evidence that dietary supplements and alternative therapies marketed for weight loss actually work, a study has concluded. Researchers looked at 315 existing studies of supplements and alternative therapies. These were randomized controlled trials, in which participants were monitored after being randomly assigned an intervention.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/ha4vza6d

Article Source: Newsweek

Posted in: Methodologies & Analytics // Tagged: ; ; ;
06/23/2021

The Terrible Science Behind Popular Weight Loss Products

Article Excerpt: To scientists and some consumers, it’s likely no surprise most weight loss supplements and treatments aren’t backed by robust evidence. The supplement industry is loosely regulated, reducing incentives for companies to produce convincing evidence that their weight-loss claims are true. Still, the weight loss industry remains a behemoth: A money-making enterprise that uses tactics like celebrity endorsements and doctored images to convince people there’s a quick and easy way to shed pounds. This study further reinforces the fact that the majority of weight loss products are not medicines backed by empirical evidence.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/cy2ep478

Article Source: Inverse

Posted in: Methodologies & Analytics // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

No Strong Evidence Supplements Do Anything for Weight Loss, Large Review Finds

Article Excerpt: Dietary supplements don’t do much to help people lose weight—that’s the verdict from a large new review published Wednesday. The review found little high-quality evidence from studies trying to test these supplements’ claimed benefits and only inconsistent evidence that some supplements could possibly offer a small boost in losing weight. Plenty of people have turned to dietary supplements to help them reach their weight goals. According to survey data, about a third of American adults trying to lose weight have used supplements in the past. Estimates range, but the weight loss supplement market is also thought to bring in billions of dollars annually. Unfortunately, supplements don’t undergo the same level of scrutiny before they reach the public as drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration do, and many studies have suggested that their health benefits aren’t as potent as advertised. This new research, published in the July 2021 issue of the journal Obesity, seems to show the same is true when it comes to weight loss.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/66tmspty

Article Source: Gizmodo

Posted in: Methodologies & Analytics // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;