[Analysis of a weight loss program with meal replacement products on weight and biochemical markers in overweight or type I obese patients]. / Análisis de un programa de pérdida de peso con sustitutivos de comidas sobre el control del peso y de parámetros bioquímicos en pacientes con sobrepeso y obesidad grado I.

BACKGROUND: There are scarce data about the efficacy and security of meal replacement products as a strategy to weight loss. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a weight loss program that includes meal replacement products. METHODS: We evaluated the effect of a hypocaloric diet versus a hypocaloric diet that includes meal replacement products in 55 overweight or type I obese patients. Patients were distributed to a control group (hypocaloric diet) or an intervention group (hypocaloric diet with meal replacement products) during 8 weeks. We registered anthropometric data, smoke habit and level of physical activity. We also studied biochemical parameters at the beginning of the study, at 4th week of the study and at the end of the same. RESULTS: The control group lost 3.97 kg, while in the intervention group we observed a loss of 4.44 kg. These differences were not statistically significant between groups. Other anthropometric parameters as waist and hip perimeters diminished also in both groups, without differences between them. We observed also a statistically significant decrease (p=0.041) in the values of triglycerides, without differences between groups again. DISCUSSION: Meal replacement products were as effective and safe to lose weight and to modify other anthropometric parameters in a controlled dietetic program as a conventional dietetic treatment without meal replacement products.

High consumption foods and their influence on energy and protein intake in institutionalized older adults.

BACKGROUND: The elderly, and especially those attending nursing homes, are at great risk from certain nutritional deficiencies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine which food groups present the highest rates of consumption among the institutionalized elderly and study the energy density of each food group and the number of calories and amount of protein in the total diet of each resident. DESIGN: This was a multicentre observational study of a sample of the institutionalized population over the age of 65. The sample of patients was drawn from four Spanish nursing homes (Santa Coloma Gramanet, Barcelona, Madrid and Bilbao). Our final sample comprised a total of 62 individuals, of whom 22 were men and 40 women, aged between 68 and 96 years. METHODS: Dietary data were collected using the double weight method for each main meal (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner), including food type, the quantity of food served and the amount of plate waste for each of the main meals served during 21 days. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: The characteristics of the study population were compared by Student's t-test and χ2 test. The results are expressed in terms of their median values and the interquartile range. To analyse the overall differences between sites, gender and food groups we used Kruskall-Wallis test combined with the Mann-Whitney U-test with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: The food group that was served most was milk products (376.25 g/day). A large amount of potatoes were also served (109.64 g/day) as were sweets and pastries (62.14 g/day). The daily serving of fruit (138.34 g/day) and vegetables (239.47 g/day) was equivalent to no more than that of a daily ration in each case. Milk was the food group with the highest consumption (311 g/day). Most of the energy was provided by groups with a higher energy density like as fats and sauces, sweets and pastries and bread. The mean protein consumption was 82,6 g/day (Table 5) and no significant differences were recorded in this consumption between men and women. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that there is a need to improve the residents' energy intake and to redistribute their energy and protein intake among the various food groups. An alternative to increasing food portions so as to improve energy intake might involve enriching certain food types.

Dietary fibre: influence on body weight, glycemic control and plasma cholesterol profile.

There have been several studies on the effects of dietary fibre on the metabolism. Epidemiologic studies have consistently reported an inverse relationship between dietary fibre and type 2 diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular mortality. This review focuses on observational and experimental studies that examine the effect of different types and sources of dietary fibre on body weight, glucose metabolism and lipid profile. From the available evidence, we conclude that clinical studies consistently show that the intake of viscous dietary fibre decreases the low density lipoprotein cholesterol and postprandial glucose levels, and induces short term satiety. However, few clinical trials have demonstrated that the intake of dietary fibre has a positive effect on the control of diabetes and body weight.