Some new research tried to figure out what might help post-menopausal women achieve long-term weight loss. And it turns out that adding produce to their diet didnt show up as especially helpful in the short term, but in the long term it mattered.

The researchers didnt find that eating fried chicken was just fine as long as it came with a side of broccoli. What they found was that some behaviors are hard to maintain forever, and adding produce might be easier than avoiding all fried foods for the long haul.

People are so motivated when they start a weight-loss program. You can say, Im never going to eat another piece of pie, and you see the pounds coming off, Bethany Barone Gibbs, the lead investigator, said in a statement. Eating fruits and vegetables may not make as big a difference in your caloric intake. But that small change can build up and give you a better long-term result, because its not as hard to do as giving up French fries forever.

The study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, looked at overweight post-menopausal women.

Not only does motivation decrease after you start losing weight, there are physiological changes, including a decreased resting metabolic rate. Appetite-related hormones increase. Researchers studying the brain are now finding that you have enhanced rewards and increased motivation to eat when youve lost weight, she says.

For older women, the additional decline in energy expenditure makes maintaining weight loss even tougher. Traditional behavioral treatments for obesity, focused on calories, have had poor long-term results.

A group of 508 women from the Pittsburgh area were divided into two, one group of which met regularly with nutritionists, exercise physiologists and psychologists to reduce fat and caloric intake, eat more produce and grains and exercise regularly.The second group was offered some general health seminars.

The researchers looked at what happened after six months and after four years. At four years, most of the intervention group had lost some weight, compared with about a third of the other group. Barone Gibbs noted that the women all had wanted to lose weight and sought help.

For the six-month mark, the researchers found that weight loss was associated with eating fewer desserts and fried foods, drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, eating more fish and eating out less.

At the four-year mark, some of those things still mattered. But eating more produce and less meat and cheese emerged as important predictors of long-term weight loss.

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Study: Fruits, vegetables may be key to long-term weight loss

Public release date: 28-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Eileen Leahy andjrnlmedia@elsevier.com 732-238-3628 Elsevier Health Sciences

Philadelphia, PA, August 28, 2012 Many people can drop pounds quickly in the early phases of a diet, but studies have found that it is difficult to keep the weight off in the long term. For post-menopausal women, natural declines in energy expenditure could make long-term weight loss even more challenging. A new study finds that in post-menopausal women, some behaviors that are related to weight loss in the short term are not effective or sustainable for the long term. Interventions targeting these behaviors could improve long-term obesity treatment outcomes. The research is published in the September issue of Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Lead investigator Bethany Barone Gibbs, PhD, University of Pittsburgh Department of Health and Physical Activity, explains that a number of factors work against long-term weight loss. "Not only does motivation decrease after you start losing weight, there are physiological changes, including a decreased resting metabolic rate. Appetite-related hormones increase. Researchers studying the brain are now finding that you have enhanced rewards and increased motivation to eat when you've lost weight." Combined with the natural energy expenditure decline in women following menopause, it is extremely difficult for older women to lose weight and maintain weight loss.

Traditional behavioral treatments for obesity, focused on caloric intake, have had poor long-term results. The investigators sought to determine if changes in eating behaviors and selected foods were associated with weight loss at six and 48 months in a group of overweight post-menopausal women. A total of 508 women were randomized to either a Lifestyle Change group or a Health Education group. The Lifestyle Change group met regularly with nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and psychologists throughout the study. Their goals were to reduce fats and caloric intake, increase consumption of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, and participate in regular moderate exercise. The Health Education Group was offered seminars by health professionals on general women's health, but not specifically weight loss.

Investigators found that the eating behaviors associated with weight loss at six months were eating fewer desserts and fried foods, drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, eating more fish, and eating at restaurants less. After four years, they found that eating fewer deserts and drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages continued to be associated with weight loss or maintenance. Eating fewer desserts and drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages were also related to long-term weight loss. However, eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat and cheese emerged as additional important predictors for long-term weight loss. Eating at restaurants declined at 48 months whether or not subjects lost weight. Dr. Barone Gibbs speculates that this may have been related to economic factors and not relevant to the study.

Dr. Barone Gibbs explains that strategies such as eating fewer fried foods may not be sustainable for the long term. "People are so motivated when they start a weight loss program. You can say, 'I'm never going to eat another piece of pie,' and you see the pounds coming off. Eating fruits and vegetables may not make as big a difference in your caloric intake. But that small change can build up and give you a better long-term result, because it's not as hard to do as giving up French fries forever."

The results suggest that decreased consumption of desserts and sugar-sweetened beverages consistently associate with short- and long-term weight loss or maintenance, but increased fruits and vegetables and decreased meat and cheeses are additional factors that may improve long-term weight loss or control. "If the goal is to reduce the burden of obesity, the focus must be on long-term strategies because changes in eating behaviors only associated with short-term weight loss are likely to be ineffective and unsustainable," concludes Dr. Barone Gibbs.

In an audio podcast accompanying the study, Dr. Barone Gibbs discusses the results in depth, including its implications for men and women of all ages and the challenges of self-reporting in research on diets and eating behaviors.

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Is long-term weight loss possible after menopause?

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 23, 2012

hCG Diets / Diet Doc Weight Loss Plans Announces Benefits of an Individualized hCG Diet Plan for Men Over 50.

As males age, they will experience an inevitable drop in testosterone production in the body which results in lower energy, bone and muscle mass, and libido. Diet Doc Weight Loss Plans offers a customized hCG diet plan for men over 50 who need to drop unwanted or unhealthy weight, and increase natural testosterone levels in their bodies.

As men grow older, testosterone levels decrease incrementally, beginning at the age of 30. hCG Diets / Diet Doc Weight Loss Plans recognizes this shift in the male physiology and recommends an individualized hCG diet plan for those males seeking to shed unwanted weight and regain much-needed, naturally produced testosterone. Responsible for maintaining bone mass, muscle mass, energy levels, and sexual functioning, testosterone is also a welcomed byproduct of hCG treatments.

Testosterone has also been found to aid in weight loss, making the hCG weight loss diet the fastest way to lose weight. hCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, is a hormone discovered by an Endocrinologist named A.T.W.Simeons in the 1950s, and when paired with a regulated, low-calorie diet, the hCG diet plan delivers fast weight loss and beneficial side effects. Men over 50 who are obese or trying to lose stubborn weight will also benefit from hCG's ability to help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar, on top of the naturally increased testosterone levels that an aging male may need.

A National Institute of Health (NIH) study conducted by Stephen E Borst and Thomas Mulligan indicated that "In older men, low circulating testosterone is correlated with low muscle strength, with high adiposity, with insulin resistance and with poor cognitive performance." Diet Doc Weight Loss Plans and hCG diets have found that an effective way to naturally manage this drop in testosterone, and lose unwanted extra weight fast can be with prescription hCG treatments. Many men over 50 have sought out testosterone therapy from synthetic sources or over-the-counter supplements with mixed reviews. This is disheartening for many older males, but Diet Doc Weight Loss Plans offers a solution to a rigorous regimen of testosterone treatments. For men looking to shed unwanted weight, a clinically supervised hCG diet offers the necessary weight loss benefits, but with the added positive, naturally-occurring effect of raising the perpetually lowering testosterone levels in older males, safely and without the side effects of traditional high level testosterone replacement therapy. The patient's own body produces more testosterone in response to the hCG treatments. According to Borst and Mulligan, "[traditional] testosterone therapy produces a number of adverse effects, including worsening of sleep apnea, gynecomastia, polycythemia and elevation of PSA." With clinically monitored hCG treatments and Diet Doc Weight Loss Plans' individualized diet plan, males over the age of 50 can lose weight safely and effectively, meanwhile boosting their testosterone without any of the side effects of traditional, and much stronger testosterone treatments.

Roughly 10% to 25% of males age 50 and older have low testosterone. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and referenced by The Endocrine Society states that "men over 50 may not live as long if they have low testosterone." Male patients who are overweight, and over 50 will benefit from the hCG diet plan the most as they gain two-fold: these patients lose weight fast, increasing their overall health, and simultaneously experience an increase in testosterone in the bloodstream which further increases overall health, and according to the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolisim, increases their lifespan. According to the National Institute of Health, the range for normal testosterone in a healthy male is 300 to 1,200 nanograms per deciliter. Traditional testosterone replacement therapy treatments are 300-600mg per week, which can lead to a multitude of adverse side effects. The natural testosterone produced when on the hCG diet is much more subtle, and naturally occurs inside the patient's body in response to presence of hCG. This slight increase is because hCG mimics luteinizing hormone (LH) which stimulates the testicles to produce testosterone. It is common for energy to go up once in ketosis when combined with the potential for some testosterone stimulation. Diet Doc Weight Loss vigorously monitors patients to ensure a safe, medically supervised weight loss experience that produces fast weight loss and natural incremental increase in needed testosterone.

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hCG Diets / Diet Doc Weight Loss Plans Announces Benefits of an Individualized hCG Diet Plan for Men Over 50.

NEW YORK Treating obese people with weight loss surgery dramatically delays or prevents the onset of type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

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"We saw a marked delay (in the development of diabetes) over 15 years," said coauthor Dr. Lars Sjostrom of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. "Some of those surgical patients will probably develop diabetes later. But over a lifetime, there will be a large difference."

Among the 1,658 volunteers who received surgery, mostly stomach stapling, the risk of developing diabetes was about one in 150 per year. The 1,771 people in the control group who received standard care had a risk four times higher: one in 35 per year.

"Most of the previous studies on bariatric surgery have focused on the remission of diabetes. This study is more about preventing diabetes," Ted Adams of the University of Utah, who was not connected with the research, told Reuters Health.

The improvement was seen even though the people who underwent surgery initially had a higher risk of developing diabetes than those in the control group.

"If anything, the surgery group was a bit heavier and had more risk factors than the control group at the start of the study, and still the outcome at 10 years and 15 years was much more favorable in the surgery group," Sjostrom told Reuters Health. "It's favorable in spite of these differences."

The team, which reported its results in the New England Journal of Medicine, also found that a person's starting body mass index - a measure of weight versus height - did not predict whether patients would develop type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar levels at the beginning of the study, before surgery, were better indicators.

Sjostrom said a similar effect has been seen in earlier studies looking at the impact of the surgery on rates of heart attack, stroke, cancer prevention and overall mortality.

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Weight loss surgery helps prevent diabetes

Study: 80% Lower Diabetes Risk 10 Years After Bariatric Surgery

Aug. 22, 2012 -- Weight loss surgery reduced obese patients' 10-year risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 80%, Swedish researchers report.

The study, begun in 1987, already has shown that weight loss surgery, also called bariatric surgery, can improve blood sugar levels in obese patients. The study has also shown that the surgery works much better than diet and exercise in lowering obese patients' risk of heart disease and death.

But now Lars Sjostrom, MD, PhD, of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and colleagues show even greater reductions in obese patients' risk of a first-time diabetes diagnosis.

"Here the risk reduction is much stronger," Sjostrom says. "In the control group, which obtained usual care, 28% of patients developed diabetes over 10 years vs. 7% of the patients in the surgery group. If you look at it 15 years later, it is 38% vs. 13% in the surgery group. These figures correspond to risk reduction of about 80% with bariatric surgery."

In people who already had rising blood-sugar levels, those who underwent weight loss surgery lowered their diabetes risk by 87%. For every 13 such people who underwent surgery, 10 would be free of diabetes after 10 years.

The findings are "provocative and exciting," writes Duke University bariatric surgery expert Danny O. Jacobs, MD, MPH, in an editorial accompanying the report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

However, Sjostrom notes that the study is not a clinical trial. For ethical reasons, patients were not randomly given standard treatment or bariatric surgery -- which carried a 5% risk of death at the time. (Today's techniques are much safer but far from risk free.) Instead, they compared 1,658 obese people without diabetes who chose to undergo bariatric surgery to 1,771 matched obese people who did not want the surgery.

Sjostrom and Jacobs agree that further studies are needed before anyone can recommend weight loss surgery to prevent diabetes.

"There is a wealth of evidence that the operation can certainly lower the insulin requirement for patients with diabetes," Jacobs says. "But it would be a leap of faith to take it to the next level and say that a patient who is obese but not morbidly obese should undergo a surgical procedure to prevent diabetes."

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Weight Loss Surgery Prevents Diabetes