Weight Loss with Meal Replacements Helps Older Obese Adults Deal with Arthritis

Study with Slim-Fast reduced pain, impairment in those 60 or over

August 9, 2006 – A new study, featured in a news release by Slim-Fast, says losing weight with an intervention of a reduced-calorie diet that incorporates Slim-Fast meal replacements and exercise training along with education and lifestyle behavior changes can significantly reduce the pain and physical impairment of osteoarthritis in obese people age 60 or older. Regardless of how the weight is lost, there is ample evidence that senior citizens with OA can benefit from controlling their weight.

This study is published in the July issue of Obesity, the official journal of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO).

Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, occurs when the cartilage that covers the ends of bones in the joint deteriorates. The condition affects more than 20 million Americans, particularly people over age 65, and causes great pain and difficulty moving as the bones rub against one another.

Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, and being overweight is a risk factor in the development and progression of arthritis.

Researchers have shown that the percentages of arthritis cases linked directly to obesity (body mass index, or BMI, greater than or equal to 30) has risen from 3% in 1971 to 18% in 2002, with obese people in 2002 60% more likely to develop arthritis than those who aren't overweight.

"The good news is that it's never too late--weight loss along with a regular exercise program can improve physical function-even as we age. Both obesity and arthritis affect mobility," said Patricia Groziak, MS, RD, Senior Manager, Medical Marketing for Slim-Fast.

"The results of this study show that older obese adults can safely and successfully lose weight while improving their ability to walk, climb stairs, lift groceries and perform other daily activities."

The study included 87 people ages 60 or older with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 (roughly equal to about 30 extra pounds in a five-foot, four-inch tall person) who had been diagnosed with OA of the knee and reported difficulty with physical activities. The participants were randomly assigned to either an "Intensive Weight Loss" or a "Weight Stable Control" program.

The weight loss program included a balanced, reduced-calorie diet (energy deficit of 1,000 calories per day based on individual estimated needs) with exercise three days a week. The diet included up to two Slim-Fast meal replacements (bars and shakes) each day. The target weight loss was 10 percent within six months.

After six months, the average weight loss was 8.7 percent among people in the weight loss program; nearly half of the people had a weight loss of at least 10 percent.

Weight loss was safe and compliance to the meal replacement was good; no adverse events were attributed to the weight loss program in this study. By comparison, few people (less than 10 percent) in the weight stable group lost at least 5 percent of their body weight.

This weight loss strategy improved self-reported function and pain by 33 percent and physical performance by 15 percent, with significant reductions in body fat.

People who lost the most weight also had the most improved physical functioning, suggesting that greater weight loss may lead to better outcomes. Results of this study do not support the notion that weight loss in the elderly produces excessive decreases in fat-free mass and a resulting acceleration in functional decline.

This is the first randomized control trial that looked at changes in physical function and body composition following an intensive weight loss intervention exclusively in older adults. One-quarter of American adults are considered obese (body mass index, or BMI), and are four times more likely to develop knee OA than people who are not overweight or obese (BMI less than or equal to 25).

About Slim-Fast Foods Company

Slim-Fast, a business unit of Unilever, says it offers a proven and effective way to lose weight that includes "delicious and nutritionally balanced weight loss shakes and meal bars, meal planning and tracking tools, physical activity suggestions, and expert advice and support for successful weight loss, and weight maintenance as well as improvement in the health risks associated with obesity." The product line includes a range of shakes, powders, meal bars, breakfast bars, snack bars and muffin bars that are available in retail outlets nationwide. Visit slim-fast.com or call 1 800 SLIMFAST for more information.

About Unilever

Unilever [NYSE: UL, UN], one of the world's largest consumer products companies, and says it "aims to add vitality to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care." Unilever in the United States employs approximately 15,000 people in 66 office and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico - generating more than $9 billion in sales in 2005. For more information visit www.unileverusa.com.

Posted By: Best Weight Loss Program

Gulp! Liquid diet hard to swallow

Leslie Machefski is shaking up the way she looks at food and fitness.

Last weekend, Machefski embarked on a health and fitness journey that begins with an all-liquid diet. Professionals with Aultman Weight Management provided Machefski and her two team members with nutrient-rich shakes that will replace each of their three daily meals.

“The first three days were exceptionally hard,” Machefski admits. “Your husband eats and you can’t eat, so it’s more of a mental challenge.”

Once a day, Machefski said with a laugh, she can add a bouillon cube to a cup of water if she likes. She admitted that, while it doesn’t sound gratifying, switching up the options – even a little – is enough variety for the menu.

Initially, Machefski will focus only on her diet. She will not exercise for the next two weeks. That period of inactivity allows her body to adapt to her ultra-low calorie diet.

Each shake only contains 200 calories, accounting for a total of 600 consumable calories each day. Initially, that will not provide her with the energy she needs to hit aerobics classes.

At first, the dip in calories meant that Machefski was even struggling to get through her day.

“The first two days was very hard. I was tired until my body got adjusted,” Machefski said. “(Monday), I felt really good.”

Machefski will remain on this liquid diet until she comes within 10 pounds of her goal weight. At that point, she will slowly re-introduce solid foods to her diet starting with proteins and working up to carbohydrates.

“I didn’t realize how much I was eating. I am constantly thinking about what I am putting into my body and what it does to your body when you overeat,” Machefski said. “They told us to you have got to learn that you eat to live and not live to eat.”

Already, Machefski has discovered that food and hunger do not always go hand-in-hand.

“It’s more of a mental hunger,” Machefski said. “I am not physically hungry, I am mentally hungry.”

To prevent overeating and to redefine the ways in which she eats, Machefski is sticking to a schedule. At the same times everyday she eats breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If she feels hungry in between, she looks for other ways to occupy her time.

“When I get a craving, I will work on my scrapbook ... or I just keep myself busy,” Machefski said. “Late at night, if I start feeling hungry, I just go to bed.”

Some of the most difficult mental challenges Machefski faced over the first weekend involved attending two picnics with her friends and family. What she discovered was that her will power and support system were greater than her hunger pangs.

“That was hard,” Machefski said, “but everybody knew, and they were very helpful. My one friend kept refilling my water bottle, and they were all very interested in what I was doing. That helped, too – talking about it.”

To help keep her on track at the picnics, those eating opted to eat in the house, away from Machefski so as not to tempt her into helping herself to helpings of picnic treats.

Little things like that, she said, have made friends and family her pillar through one of the hardest parts of the journey she will face. They call her daily, they send her cards and they table their food talks when they are around her.

Two of her biggest supporters, though, are her teammates, David Clouse and Janet Allen.

“I think that it would be really hard without ... team work,” Machefski said. “Without my team members, this would not be as easy.”

Waistline bulge could be coming from slurping soda

Soda is cheap, and tastes good.
However, Harvard researchers say slurp just one extra soft drink a day for a year and gain 15 pounds or more.

So, what makes soda so bad for you?

First, the main ingredient is high fructose corn syrup, which is a thick condensed form of sugar.

Researchers found the sweetener in just one 12-ounce can of regular soda is the equivalent of eating 10-teaspoons of sugar.

A second problem is portion size.

"We think when you have these high sugar items, like a soda, you actually get more hungry, about two or three hours later," says Weight Management Researcher Dr. Ken Fujioka. "As kids have maybe 6 to 8 ounces of soda, now a standard size is 16, 20, 32 ounces. So if you're drinking a soda instead of say water your getting an extra 150, 200 or 300 calories you really don't need."

The American Beverage Association issued the following statement, rebuffing the Harvard report: "Blaming one specific product or ingredient as the root cause of obesity defies common sense. Instead, there are many contributing factors including regular physical activity."

Federal dietary guidelines recommend drinks without added sugar and the World Health Organization advises sugary drinks should make up less than 10-percent of your total daily calories.

New Research from Leading Medical School Shows 100 Pound Weight Loss Possible Without Surgery

Lifestyle Change Brings Dramatic Results

BOSTON, July 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Although bariatric surgery is often recommended as the treatment of choice for many individuals with severe obesity [body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above, or those who need to lose approximately 100 pounds], newly published research shows there is a viable alternative. Results from a study of over 1,000 participants in the HMR Program for Weight Management(TM) (a comprehensive weight-loss program offered in leading hospitals and medical centers across the country) indicate that an intense behavioral treatment is an effective intervention for severely obese individuals, and is associated with substantially less risk than bariatric surgery.

The research, appearing in the advanced online publication International Journal of Obesity July 2006 (http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/0803423a.html ) was led by James W. Anderson, MD, Professor of Medicine and Clinical Nutrition at the University of Kentucky, and Medical Director for the HMR Program at the University of Kentucky. Results for 1,100 people who attended the 12-week educational program ("Completers") showed an average weight loss of 77 pounds. 25% of the group lost 100 pounds or more -- for an average weight loss of 137.4 pounds. Moreover, patients who participated in the HMR Program were able to maintain a significant portion of that weight loss:

    (Averages)             12-week Completers             Lost 100 lbs.
                            (1,100 people)               (268 people)
   Start Weight              308.2 lbs.                  349.2 lbs.
   Total Weight Lost         -77.6 lbs.                 -137.4 lbs.
   Weight Kept off           -50.0 lbs.                  -90.4 lbs.
                          (~1.5 years later)          (~2 years later)

Patients lost weight using HMR meal replacements (low-calorie, portion- controlled shakes and entrees) and in some cases, additional fruits and vegetables. They also attended weekly classes at HMR clinics where they learned and practiced specific lifestyle skills, including daily physical activity. In addition, patients received individual coaching, support, and follow-up via phone calls with trained health educators.

According to Dr. Anderson, "The response to this lifestyle intervention can be compared to bariatric surgery, but without the associated risks." The reported overall surgical mortality rate is around 1%. Approximately 20% of those having surgery experience significant complications. (1,2) Dr. Anderson adds, "Weight loss for all patients completing HMR's 12-week behavioral program is similar to that reported for adjustable gastric banding, with a much lower mortality and adverse event rate."

"Not only are people losing weight through the behavioral intervention, they are learning and practicing healthy lifestyle behaviors, which makes it more likely they will continue these healthy behaviors long-term, something surgery alone does not provide," says Dr. Anderson.

The HMR Program for Weight Management is offered at over 300 medical centers across the country. Diet options are available for those wanting to lose 10-200+ pounds, including the new HMR at Home® with home delivery of weight-loss foods and support materials. For more information, visit http://www.hmrprogram.com or call +1-800-418-1367.

(1,2) Ann Intern Med 2005; 142:547-559, Ann Intern Med 2005; 142:525-531

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Source: Health Management Resources