The National Weight Control Registry: a critique

This article is a critique of the claim that the National Weight Control Registry provides data showing that a significant number of adults in the United States have achieved permanent weight loss. We believe that promoting calorie-restricted dieting for the purpose of weight loss is misleading and futile. We advocate the adoption of a health-at-every-size (HAES) approach to weight management, focusing on the achievement and maintenance of lifestyle changes that improve metabolic indicators of health.     

Smoking,weight standards and “ideal” weight

DIET AND DOMESTIC LIFE IN SOCIETY. Anne Sharman, Janet Theophano, Karen Curtis and Ellen Messer, Eds. Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1991, viii +287 pp., $34.85

WITH BITTER HERBS THEY SHALL EAT IT: Chemical Ecology and the Origins of Human Diet and Medicine by Timothy Johns. Arizona Studies in Human Ecology, University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA. US$40.00 clothbound, 356 pages.

MALARIA VACCINE DEVELOPMENT: Pre‐erythrocytic stages. S.L. Hoffmann and L.J. Martinez Eds. Proceedings of a conference held in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Supplement to Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol. 68, 1990. 196 pages, English only. Sw.fr.35.‐/US$31.50. In developing countries Sw.fr.24.50.

STOP THE NONSENSE: HEALTH WITHOUT FADS Ezra Sohar, M.D. Shapolsky Publishers, Inc., New York, 159 pps. $16.95     

博山地区4780名成年人身高、体重调查及体重指数、肥胖发生率的统计分析(人群肥胖症研究之一)

作者采用较准确的方法,对博山地区20岁以上不同职业的4780人(男3216,女1564),进行了年龄、身高和体重的调查,并对调查结果作了性别、年龄、身高与体重之问关系的相关、回归分析,得出推算标准体重的回归方程式、“正常成年男女身高与体重表”。按公式计算出体重指数,并拟定了20岁以上男女体重指数的正常范围(男0.1933～0.2525,女0.1951～0.2563)和体重超重、肥胖的体重指数界限值。按这个体重指数标准,本次调查结果男性属超重者占7.71％,肥胖占5.22％;女性超重占6.96％,肥胖占4.73％。本调查资料所载博山地区20岁以上人群年龄、身高与体重之间的关系及推算标准体重的方法,对国内其它地区也会有一定参考价值。     

Maternal anthropometric measurements and other factors: relation with birth weight of neonates

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of anthropometric measurements of pregnant women, gestational weight gain, fundal height, and maternal factors, namely age, education, family income, parity along with maternal hemoglobin, on birth weight of neonates. A cross sectional study was performed in Khoy City in north west of Iran. Four hundred and fifty healthy pregnant women in the age between 16-40 years were selected for this study from seven health urban centers and one referral hospital. Findings showed that the mean age, height, fundal height, maternal weight, and gestational weight gain during pregnancy were 26.1 years, 159.1 cm, 32.9 cm, 72.0 kg, 11.8 kg respectively. The mean birth weight of neonates was 3.2 kg and 11% of neonates showed low birth weight. Age, family income, maternal height, weight, gestational weight gain and fundal height were significantly associated with birth weight of neonates. Using binary logistic regression analysis, fundal height, maternal hemoglobin, family income and gestational weight gain of pregnant women could be considered as predictive factors of birth weight of neonates.     

An exploration of the experiences and perceptions of people who have maintained weight loss

Background: In clinical weight‐loss trials, the majority of those who lose weight will regain almost all of it within 5 years, yet there is limited evidence about effective strategies to support weight maintenance. The present study aimed to increase understanding of the experiences of those who have been successful at weight maintenance. Methods: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach. Semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample of 10 participants who had maintained a minimum of 10% weight loss for at least 1 year. Interviews were transcribed and then analysed using a foundational thematic approach based on the Colaizzi method. Results: Participants believed that a more relaxed approach to weight management with realistic, long‐term goals was more appropriate for long‐term control. They had a strong reason to lose weight often with a medical trigger and had elicited support to help them. Most described the presence of saboteurs. Participants took personal responsibility for their weight management and were in tune with their nutrition and activity needs. Self‐monitoring was a strategy commonly used to support this. They described the lack of positive reinforcement in the maintenance phase as a major difficulty. Conclusions: This small‐scale study provides evidence to suggest the importance of a medical prompt to lose weight; planning for how to manage saboteurs and identifying methods of minimising the impact of a reduction in positive reinforcement. It reinforces the importance of many of the strategies known to support the weight‐loss phase.     

Postpartum Weight Change in Relation to Pre-Pregnancy Weight and Gestational Weight Gain in Women in Low-Income Setting: Data from the KITE Cohort in the Northern Part of Ethiopia

(1) Background: Postpartum weight may increase compared to pre-pregnancy due to weight retention or decrease due to weight loss. Both changes could pose deleterious effects on maternal health and subsequent pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to assess postpartum weight change and its associated factors. (2) Methods: A total of 585 women from the KIlte-Awlaelo Tigray Ethiopia (KITE) cohort were included in the analysis. (3) Results: The mean pre-pregnancy body mass index and weight gain during pregnancy were 19.7 kg/m² and 10.8 kg, respectively. At 18 to 24 months postpartum, the weight change ranged from −3.2 to 5.5 kg (mean = 0.42 kg [SD = 1.5]). In addition, 17.8% of women shifted to normal weight and 5.1% to underweight compared to the pre-pregnancy period. A unit increase in weight during pregnancy was associated with higher weight change (β = 0.56 kg, 95% CI [0.52, 0.60]) and increased probability to achieve normal weight (AOR = 1.65, 95% CI [1.37, 2.00]). Food insecurity (AOR = 5.26, 95% CI [1.68, 16.50]), however, was associated with a shift to underweight postpartum. Interestingly, high symptoms of distress (AOR = 0.13, 95% CI [0.03, 0.48]) also negatively impacted a change in weight category. (4) Conclusions: In low-income settings such as northern Ethiopia, higher weight gain and better mental health during pregnancy may help women achieve a better nutritional status after pregnancy and before a possible subsequent pregnancy.     

664例低出生体重儿分析

本文分析１２６２５围产儿中６６４例低出生体重儿（ＬｏｗＢｉｒｔｈＷｅｉｇｈｔＩｎｆａｎｔ，ＬＢＷＩ）的出生体重及产妇情况。     

Self-reported weight and height: implications for obesity research

BACKGROUND: Self-reported weight and height are under- and over-reported, respectively, in epidemiologic studies. This tendency, which may adversely affect study operations, has not been evaluated among subjects being enrolled into a weight-loss program. METHODS: Self-reported weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were compared to measured values in 97 overweight or obese (BMI>27.3) women being enrolled into a randomized, controlled trial of two behavioral interventions for weight loss. The effects of demographic factors, baseline weight, baseline height, and baseline BMI on weight and height reporting were assessed. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between measured and reported weight (mean difference=-3.75 lb, p=0.0001) and height (mean difference=+0.35 in., p=0.0007). The mean difference between measured and reported BMI was -1.14 kg/m(2) (p=0.0001). Unemployed, retired, or disabled women were more likely to under-report their BMI than employed women (p=0.001). Six percent of subjects who were initially considered eligible for the study on the basis of the self-report were eventually excluded from the study because they did not meet the inclusion criterion for BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Obese women who seek weight-loss assistance tend to under-report their weight and over-report their height, suggesting that self-reported data are likely to be inaccurate. Misreporting is apparently influenced by employment and disability and has the potential to complicate recruitment of subjects for research studies.     

Pregnancy-Associated Obesity in Black Women in New York City

Objective: To determine weight gain during pregnancy and weight changes postpartum in first-time mothers delivering at or near term. Methods: At about 2 weeks after delivery, 47 adult, Black and Hispanic women provided information on their prepregnancy weight and height and maximum pregnancy weight. Women reinterviewed at 2 and 6 months after delivery reported their most recent weight measurement and the date of that measurement. This information was used to compute each woman's prepregnancy body mass index, pregnancy weight gain, and weight loss postpartum. Information on infant feeding was also collected at each postpartum visit. Results: About 2/3 of the women and 100% of the overweight and obese women gained excessive weight during pregnancy. Weight gain was most marked in women who started pregnancy overweight or obese. At 2 months postpartum, women were on average almost 18 lb above their prepregnancy weight. No additional maternal weight was lost by 6 months postpartum. Most infants were started on formula by 2 weeks of age. At 2 months of age, 85% were fed formula only and 91% of the infants were on WIC. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate a need for interventions to help women avoid obesity by regulating their pregnancy weight gain, losing weight for a longer period postpartum, and initiating and maintaining exclusive breast-feeding.     

Objectively Assessed Weight Change and All-Cause Mortality among Community-Dwelling Older People

Later life changes in body weight may be associated with an increased risk of mortality in older adults. The objective of this study was to examine whether weight change over four years was associated with a 17-year mortality risk in older adults. Participants were 1664 community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years in the longitudinal Enquete de Sante’ Psychologique-Risques, Incidence et Traitement (ESPRIT) study. Outcomes were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality. Weight change was defined as difference between weight at baseline and 4 years, categorised into: weight stable (±<5% weight change), weight loss (≥5%) and weight gain (≥5%). Association between weight change and mortality risk was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. Over 17 years of follow-up (median 15 years), 565 participants died. Compared to stable weight participants, those with ≥ 5% weight loss had an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.00–1.56, p = 0.05) and CVD mortality (HR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.10–2.14, p = 0.01), but not cancer mortality (HR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.50–1.39, p = 0.49). Weight gain of ≥5% was not associated with increased mortality (HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.76–1.45, p = 0.74). Weight monitoring in older adults could help identify weight loss at its early stages to better target interventions to maintain nutritional reserve and prevent premature mortality.     

产前超声测量多项指标预测胎儿体重的意义

目的:探讨产前超声测量多项指标预测胎儿体重的方法及其意义.方法:以在某院出生的1560例新生儿作为研究对象,在分娩前3天内超声测量胎儿体重、双顶径、腹围和股骨长,分析胎儿体重和各指标之间的关系.结果:1560例单胎足月胎儿,体重(3320.13±512.13)g,双顶径(92.75±4.29)mm,腹围(343.76±22.27)mm,股骨(71.20±3.37)mm.胎儿体重与双顶径、腹围和股骨之间均有相关性,相关系数r在0.672~0.767,且有统计学意义.多因素分析显示新生儿体重与腹围相关性最大,双顶径次之,股骨长最小.通过受试者工作曲线(ROC)分析,利用胎儿腹围、股骨长和双顶径来判定巨大儿的截断值分别为355.00mm、73.50mm和95.50mm, 灵敏度分别为68.8%、68.8%和62.5%, 特异度分别为77.9%、79.2%和76.6%.结论:分娩前超声测量胎儿腹围、股骨长、双顶径可预测新生儿出生体重,腹围大于355mm、股骨大于73.50mm、双顶径大于95.5mm对预测巨大儿有临床价值.     

3034名单胎活产儿出生体重及影响因素

目的:了解山东省某县新生儿出生体重分布及影响因素,为制定相关措施提供依据。方法:利用2005年《医学出生证明》资料,运用SPSS软件计算出生体重的均数和标准差、低出生体重与巨大儿发生率描述出生体重分布;采用单因素分析和无序多分类Logistic回归分析进行统计推断,估计因素对低出生体重和巨大儿发生的调整优势比。结果:3 034名单胎活产儿的平均出生体重为(3 516±470)g,低出生体重发生率为(1.38±0.21)%,巨大儿发生率为(17.90±0.70)%。男婴较女婴重117 g,足月儿较早产儿重700 g,母亲分娩年龄≥30岁组较<30岁组活产儿重136 g。早产是低出生体重的主要原因,调整OR为56.25(27.76,113.99);与巨大儿发生有关的因素为过期产、男婴和母亲年龄≥30岁,调整OR依次为1.72(1.16,2.54)、1.64(1.35,1.98)和1.78(1.47,2.15)。结论:研究地区出生体重分布表现为平均出生体重和巨大儿发生率高、低出生体重发生率低的两高一低的特点,为全国出生体重水平和巨大儿发生率最高的地区之一。出生体重超重是研究地区活产儿出生体重的一个主要问题,值得关注和进一步的研究,年龄≥30岁的产妇和经产妇为重点关注人群。对孕妇进行孕期合理营养指导是减少巨大儿发生的一个可行途径,避免早产是降低研究地区低出生体重的主要措施。     

新生儿出生体重与母亲孕期体重增长相关性研究

目的调查沈阳地区新生儿出生体重及分布状况,探讨新生儿出生体重与母亲孕期体重增长的相关性。方法以人群为基础整群分层抽样调查沈阳市2010年10月1日至2011年9月30日出生的6162例新生儿出生体重分布情况及影响因素,回顾性调查母亲《孕妇保健手册》,获得母亲孕期体重增长指标,同时进行问卷调查,采用单因素分析方法进行统计分析。结果沈阳市新生儿出生体重均值为3399．24g,新生儿低体重发生率为3．55％,巨大儿发生率为10．68％。新生儿出生体重与母亲孕期体重增长呈正相关（r=0．15,P〈0．05）。结论母亲孕期体重增加越多,新生儿出生体重越大。     

婴儿生长发育与儿童单纯性肥胖关系研究

[目的]探讨婴儿期的生长发育和儿童期单纯性肥胖发生的关系. [方法] 对保健门诊1987～1997年545例儿童生长发育随访资料进行统计,分析婴儿期的生长发育和儿童期时发生单纯性肥胖的关系. [结果] 儿童性别.父母文化程度,母乳喂养时间,添加辅食的时间对儿童单纯性肥胖没有显著影响,而婴儿期后6个月平均增重量、出生体重、婴儿期前6个月平均增重量与儿童单纯性肥胖发生的有显著相关性,其OR值分别为2.05、1.91和1.63. [结论]婴儿期后6个月的增重过高,高出生体重及婴儿期前6个月的增重过高是儿童期发生单纯性肥胖的危险因素.     

Is Probiotic Supplementation Useful for the Management of Body Weight and Other Anthropometric Measures in Adults Affected by Overweight and Obesity with Metabolic Related Diseases? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the effectiveness of probiotics in inducing body weight loss in patients with overweight or obesity with related metabolic diseases. The research was carried out on PubMed and Scopus, focusing on studies reporting the effect on anthropometric measures (weight, body mass Index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) after administration of various probiotic strains compared to placebo. Twenty randomized controlled trials, that included 1411 patients, were considered. The meta-analyzed mean differences (MD) for random effects showed no significant decrease in body weight after probiotic supplementation (−0.26 kg [−075, 0.23], p = 0.30), while a significant BMI decrease was found (−0.73 kg/m² [−1.31, −0.16], p = 0.01). For WC and HC, the meta-analyzed MD for random effects showed a significant decrease (WC: −0.71 cm [−1.24; −0.19], p = 0.008 and HC: −0.73 cm [−1.16; −0.30], p = 0.0008). The risk of bias was also evaluated considering a high risk and a low risk according to PRISMA criteria. In conclusion, the results of this meta-analysis highlight a positive trend of probiotics supplementation on the amelioration of anthropometric measures of overweight and obese patients with related metabolic diseases. However, further research is needed before recommending the use of probiotics as a therapeutic strategy for these patients. The focus of the future research should be to evaluate the efficacy of different probiotic strains, the quantities to be administered, and the duration of the intervention.     

MORBID OBESITY—LONG TERM RESULTS OF THERAPEUTIC FASTING

Two hundred and seven morbidly obese patients lost weight during prolonged fasting. Fifty percent attained a near normal body weight. Subsequently all groups regardless of the length of fast, extent of weight loss or age of onset of obesity returned to their prefasting weight. Those patients obese since infancy tended to regain weight which exceeded their prefast weights.     

孕期体重合理增长数对孕产妇、胎儿及新生儿的影响

目的 探讨孕期体重合理增长数对孕产妇、胎儿及新生儿的影响.方法 选择2013年10月至2014年12月于北京市平谷区医院进行孕检并分娩的孕妇274例,将患者按随机数字表法分为两组.研究组137例以孕前身体质量指数(BMI)资料进行分析后进行理想增长体重数的制定,包括合理的膳食及锻炼,使孕妇的体重增长在孕期正常体重范围内.对照组137例进行传统的健康教育讲座,未进行膳食及锻炼的干预,顺其自然增加.探究合理体重的增加对两组间胎儿、孕产妇、新生儿的临床影响.结果 研究组体重增长在标准范围者占96.35％,对照组体重增长在标准范围者占46.72％,研究组显著高于对照组(x2=82.87,P＜0.05).研究组妊娠合并糖尿病、妊娠期高血压、巨大儿、剖宫产、产后大出血发生率分别为2.19％、4.38％、3.65％、18.25％、2.19％,对照组妊娠合并糖尿病、妊娠期高血压、巨大儿、剖宫产、产后大出血发生率分别为7.30％、10.95％、11.68％、38.69％、8.03％,研究组显著低于对照组(x2值分别为3.95、4.17、6.24、14.05、4.81,均P＜0.05).结论 通过合理膳食、有效锻炼以及改善生活方式,使孕妇孕期体重得到了有效控制,降低了分娩后并发症的发生.     

子痫前期患者E-钙黏蛋白的表达及意义

目的:了解黏附分子E-钙黏蛋白(E-cadherin)在子痫前期患者胎盘中的表达情况,探讨其参与子痫前期发病的机制及与胎盘重量、新生儿体重的关系。方法:以60例子痫前期(PE)妇女为研究组,其中轻度子痫前期30例(MPE组),重度子痫前期30例(SPE组)。20例正常妊娠妇女为对照组。采用免疫组化SP法检测两组胎盘组织中E-cadherin的表达水平,用平均灰度半定量表示,用SPSS软件分析其表达结果及其与胎盘重量、新生儿体重的关系。结果:E-cadherin在胎盘中的平均灰度值研究组高于对照组(P<0.01),SPE组高于MPE组(P<0.01)。研究组胎盘重量、新生儿体重低于对照组(P<0.01),SPE组胎盘重量、新生儿体重低于MPE组(P<0.01)。对照组中胎盘E-cadherin的表达与胎盘重量、新生儿体重的相关系数r分别为-0.22、-0.25,MPE组分别为-0.35、-0.44(P<0.01),SPE组分别为-0.47、-0.55(P<0.01)。E-cadherin在胎盘中的平均灰度值新生儿体重<2 500 g者高于≥2 500 g者(P<0.01)。结论:子痫前期患者胎盘中E-cadherin呈高表达,随着病情加重其表达增强,提示其可能参与到子痫前期的发病机制中,并与胎儿生长受限相关。