Browsing by Subject "Weight loss"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    A Comparison of a Web-based versus Face-to-Face Social Support-enhanced Weight Loss Program in Nurses: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial
    (2016-05) Sabo, Julie
    Abstract Background: Over one third of the United States population is classified as obese or overweight and obesity rates have remain unchanged over the last decade. Obesity and being overweight is the fifth leading causes of deaths globally. Lifestyle changes involving diet and activity can be difficult to initiate and even more difficult to maintain. Therefore, achieving and maintaining weight loss remains difficult for many overweight and obese people. Preliminary studies have shown success with weight loss programs that use social support methods other than face-to-face, such as individual support via telephone calls or remote personal support via web-based methods, as an adjunct intervention for weight loss. Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the feasibility and efficacy of a web-based (WB) versus face-to-face (F2F) social-support enhanced weight loss intervention. Method: Registered nurses who had a body mass index (BMI) of over 25 kg/m2 were asked to participate. Participants were randomized to either WB or F2F social support- enhanced weight loss intervention. All participants followed the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, and attended 12 weekly sessions with a social support component delivered via web-based or face-to-face. End points for feasibility were attendance, adherence with nutrition diary, and satisfaction level. End points for efficacy were weight, BMI, blood pressure (BP), and waist to hip ratio (WHR), and were measured at weeks one, five, eight, and twelve. Data were analyzed for between group differences using non-parametric tests. Results: A total of nine participants were enrolled in the study. Participants were all females, with a median age of 42.5 years in the F2F group and 36 years for the WB group. There were no differences between groups for the feasibility end points of attendance, adherence, and satisfaction levels. There were no differences between groups in all efficacy endpoints of anthropomorphic and BP measurements (except WHR) for all time points. WHR was significantly different between groups, with better outcomes in the WB group. The median weight loss in the WB group was 2.4 kg, and the F2F group 3.8 kg. The change in BMI for the WB group was 0.80 kg/m2 and for the F2F group 1.54 kg/m2. Conclusions: The similar feasibility endpoints of attendance, adherence, and satisfaction levels suggest that a WB social support-enhanced weight loss intervention may be acceptable and feasible alternative to a F2F social support-enhanced weight loss intervention. Conclusions regarding efficacy cannot be formed due to the small sample size and lack of power to detect clinically meaningful differences between groups. The lack of differences between groups is encouraging, and two participants in the F2F group achieved clinically meaningful weight loss of 4.7 and 14.6 kg. Overall findings of this study are consistent with previous studies. Continued studies in web-based methods of social support as an adjunct intervention for weight loss are needed.
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    Examining Physical Activity Intensity and Continuation in Weight Loss Seeking and Non-Weight Loss Seeking Adult Samples
    (2017-08) Gavin, Kara
    This dissertation consists of three investigations covering topics on physical activity achievement and continuation and its relationship with body weight in two intervention samples. The data for the first two papers come from the Tracking Study weight loss intervention trial, while data for the third paper come from the Stand & Move at Work group-randomized worksite LPA intervention trial. Manuscript 1 examined the relationship between the occurrence of life events, MVPA achievement and weight loss maintenance success following a lifestyle weight loss intervention using a 4-way mediation and moderation decomposition analysis. Findings suggested that the effects of life events and MVPA on weight loss maintenance should be considered as separate effects when considering weight loss maintenance and designing interventions to prevent weight re-gain. Manuscript 2 utilized behavior-tracking logs during a weight loss intervention to identify individuals who may show signs of behavioral disengagement and increased weight. General Estimating Equation (GEE) modeling was used to examine the association between physical activity self-monitoring characteristics and reported MVPA participation and weight measured at 12-month and 24-month follow-up. Results showed various self-monitoring characteristics were associated with MVPA participation and weight at 12- and 24-month time points, suggesting that behavior-tracking characteristics should be used to monitor intervention engagement. Manuscript 3 explored differences in LPA participation by BMI category. Hierarchical models examined the association of BMI category with baseline work time LPA participation, total daily LPA participation, and work time LPA participation over time from baseline to 3 months. At baseline there were no statistical differences in work time LPA participation across BMI categories. At three months, participants with BMI in normal and overweight categories participated in work time LPA longer than participants with BMI in the obese category. The findings of this dissertation inform future intervention design and measurement implications for behavioral science and epidemiology.
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    Methods of restricting forage intake in horses
    (2014-05) Glunk, Emily Clare
    Horses have evolved to be hindgut fermenters, requiring small amounts of forage to be consumed throughout the day [1]. However, due to the recent increase in equine obesity [2-4], it has become necessary to restrict the amount of feedstuffs a horse consumes, often resulting in a restriction of forage intakes. In order to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal system, management strategies should attempt to replicate a horse's natural foraging habits. The objectives of the following studies were: 1) to investigate the effectiveness of decreasing pasture forage intakes via use of a grazing muzzle, and whether the effectiveness could be altered by grass morphology and palatability, 2) to investigate the effectiveness of "slow-feed hay nets" at increasing time to consumption of a preserved forage meal in stalled horses and 3) to observe the effects of increased time to consumption of daily rations on the post-prandial metabolic response. To determine objective 1, a two-year study was designed where four horses were used in a Latin square design in Year 1, while 3 horses were used in a completely randomized design in Year 2. Horses were grazed for 4 hours on monoculture plots four days per month for four months. Initial herbage mass and residual herbage mass measurements were taken to determine forage intakes. For objective 2, 8 horses were used in a replicated Latin square design, with 2 horses assigned to a treatment at a time. There was a control (C) of feeding hay on the ground, as well as three treatments: small-opening net (SN), medium-opening net (MN) and large-opening net (LN). Horses were allowed 4 h to consume their hay meal. Time to consumption and dry matter intake rate were measured using a stopwatch and any orts remaining after the 4 h were collected and weighed. To estimate objective 3, 8 overweight horses were enrolled in a randomized complete block design. Horses were blocked by bodyweight, BCS, and gender. Horses were fed a control diet of hay at 2% BW for a period of 10 days, and were then switched to a restricted diet of hay fed at 1.08% and ration balancer fed once daily at a rate of 0.001% BW. Horses were assigned to one of two treatments: hay fed off the floor (FLOOR) and hay fed in a small-opening hay net (HN). Serial 24 h blood samples were taken on day 0, when horses were still on baseline diet, as well as days 14 and 28. Plasma glucose, insulin, cortisol, and leptin values were estimated.Results of objective 1 found that grazing muzzles were effective at decreasing pasture intakes by 30% (P < 0.0001). Species had no effect on intakes in Year 1 (P = 0.27), but did impact intakes in Year 2 (P = 0.042). Results of objective 2 found that SN and MN were effective at increasing total time to consumption (P < 0.0001) compared to horses on the control and LN, more closely mimicking a horses' natural foraging behavior. Results of objective 3 found that hay nets decreased overall stress of horses on a restricted diet (P < 0.05), however length of sampling and weight loss had a larger impact on post-prandial metabolite. Horses on day 28 of the trial had higher average glucose, insulin and cortisol values, as well as lower AUC cortisol. Increasing time to consumption of forages is a healthy method of decreasing body weight while maintaining healthy post-prandial metabolite values.
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    The Role of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Cognitive Training to Decrease Food-Related Impulsivity Behavior in Individuals With Obesity: a Review and Pilot Study
    (2021-05) Salisbury, Madeleine
    Impulsivity has been implicated in refractory obesity. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) may counterbalance overactive brain reward by enhancing executive function (EF), including impulse control, mitigating loss-of-control eating. Galioto found that EF predicted weight-loss in structured medical weight-loss programs (Galioto 2016). Cognitive training (CT) monotherapy for EF improvement has not shown sufficient therapeutic promise nor has DLPFC-directed transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), but coupled, they may enhance EF. The aim of this study was to determine if tDCS coupled with computerized CT decreased impulsivity in individuals with obesity.
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    Weight loss as an effective alternative treatment for stress urinary incontinence
    (2010-11-02) Alimi, Adebisi
    A patient education tool describing type’s urinary incontinence in women. Obesity is one of the modifiable risk factor of Stress incontinence. There are many treatment options available for obese or overweight women with SUI. The gold standard of SUI management is surgical . However weight loss is an ideal first line option for obese and overweight women with stress incontinence. Additional benefits of weight loss include better risks and cost benefits outcomes over surgical option and improvement of other co morbidities in obese or overweight patients include hypertension, type 2 DM and hyperlipidemia.
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    What Am I Eating? How you can stop the food you eat from becoming extra weight.
    (2010-11-02) Brintnall, Joy
    Standard care of physician counseling on diet changes is not effective in preventing obesity. Physician training or office reminders may be promising in improving weight loss in patients.