Effects of dietary protein on the composition of weight loss in post-menopausal women.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a hypocaloric diet higher in protein can prevent the loss of lean mass that is commonly associated with weight loss. DESIGN: An intervention study comparing a hypocaloric diet moderately high in protein to one lower in protein. SETTING: Study measurements were taken at the Wake Forest University General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) and Geriatric Research Center (GRC). PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four post-menopausal, obese women (mean age = 58 +/- 6.6 yrs; mean BMI = 33.0 +/- 3.6 kg/m2). INTERVENTION: Two 20-week hypocaloric diets (both reduced by 2800 kcal/wk) were compared: one maintaining dietary protein intake at 30% of total energy intake (1.2-1.5 g/kg/d; HI PROT), and the other maintaining dietary protein intake at 15% of total energy (0.5-0.7 g/kg/d; LO PROT). The GCRC metabolic kitchen provided lunch and dinner meals which the women picked up 3 days per week and ate outside of the clinic. MEASUREMENTS: Body composition, including total body mass, total lean mass, total fat mass, and appendicular lean mass, assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, was measured before and after the diet interventions. RESULTS: The HI PROT group lost 8.4 +/- 4.5 kg and the LO PROT group lost 11.4 +/- 3.8 kg of body weight (p = 0.11). The mean percentage of total mass lost as lean mass was 17.3% +/- 27.8% and 37.5% +/- 14.6%, respectively (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Maintaining adequate protein intake may reduce lean mass losses associated with voluntary weight loss in older women.

Dialectical metatheory in family therapy.

This paper addresses the controversy in family therapy over basic philosophical issues in terms of a historical opposition between demonstrative and dialectical metatheories. It argues that advances in family therapy are indicative of the growing prominence of dialectical forms of understanding in the social sciences. Several family therapy concepts are explored as representative of the dialectical categories of motion, form, relationship, and transformation.

A neuroheptapeptide influence on cognitive functioning in the elderly.

The heptapeptide core common to melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) was administered as a single subcutaneous dose of 30 mg to 13 elderly human subjects (9 men, 4 women) in a double-blind, cross-over design. Significant improvement was found in the Benton Visual Retention Test after MSH/ACTH 4--10 as compared with administration of saline. This appeared to be greater in men than women. No side effects or laboratory abnormalities were observed. The behavioral results are consistent with our earlier findings in men and rats of improved visual attention after administration of MSH and extend them to the elderly population.