Weight Loss Strategies for Obese Adults: Personalized Weight Management Program vs. Standard Care

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a 32-week personalized Polar weight management program (PWMP) compared with standard care (SC) on body weight, body composition, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness in overweight or obese adults. Research Methods and Procedures: Overweight or obese (29 ± 2 kg/m2) men and women (n = 74) 38 ± 5 years of age were randomly assigned into either PWMP (men = 20, women = 21) or SC (men = 15, women = 18). Both groups managed their own diet and exercise program after receiving the same standardized nutrition and physical activity advice. PWMP also received a weight management system with literature to enable the design of a personalized diet and exercise weight loss program. Body weight and body composition, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured at weeks 0, 16, and 32. Results: Eighty percent of participants completed the 32-week intervention, with a greater proportion of the dropouts being women (PWMP: 2 men vs. 7 women; SC: 2 men vs. 4 women). At 32 weeks, PWMP completers had significantly (p < 0.001) greater losses in body weight [6.2 ± 3.4 vs. 2.6 ± 3.6 (standard deviation) kg], fat mass (5.9 ± 3.4 vs. 2.2 ± 3.6 kg), and waist circumference (4.4 ± 4.5 vs. 1.0 ± 3.6 cm). Weight loss and fat loss were explained by the exercise energy expenditure completed and not by weekly exercise duration. Discussion: More effective weight loss was achieved after treatment with the PWMP compared with SC. The results suggest that the PWMP enables effective weight loss through tools that support self-monitoring without the requirement of more costly approaches to program supervision

Quantifying the Effects of Different Treadmill Training Speeds and Durations on the Health of Rat Knee Joints

Abstract Background Walking and running provide cyclical loading to the knee which is thought essential for joint health within a physiological window. However, exercising outside the physiological window, e.g. excessive cyclical loading, may produce loading conditions that could be detrimental to joint health and lead to injury and, ultimately, osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a stepwise increase in speed and duration of treadmill training on knee joint integrity and to identify the potential threshold for joint damage. Methods Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into four groups: no exercise, moderate duration, high duration, and extra high duration treadmill exercise. The treadmill training consisted of a 12-week progressive program. Following the intervention period, histologic serial sections of the left knee were graded using a modified Mankin Histology Scoring System. Mechanical testing of the tibial plateau cartilage and RT-qPCR analysis of mRNA from the fat pad, patellar tendon, and synovium were performed for the right knee. Kruskal-Wallis testing was used to assess differences between groups for all variables. Results There were no differences in cartilage integrity or mechanical properties between groups and no differences in mRNA from the fat pad and patellar tendon. However, COX-2 mRNA levels in the synovium were lower for all animals in the exercise intervention groups compared to those in the no exercise group. Conclusions Therefore, these exercise protocols did not exceed the joint physiological window and can likely be used safely in aerobic exercise intervention studies without affecting knee joint health

Access to Assets, older people with impaired capacity and financial abuse

This paper draws upon findings from a secondary analysis of suspected financial abuse cases in files of the Guardianship and Administration Tribunal in Queensland, Australia. The paper explores the association between formal and semi-formal asset management arrangements and suspected financial abuse cases. The role of families as formal asset managers is also considered