Spinal Clinic for Obese Out-Patient Project (SCOOP)—A 1 Year Report

Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) appear to be at higher risk of becoming overweight after their injury. This 12 month study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a dietitian-led clinic. Thirty-eight patients with chronic SCI with a body mass index (BMI) range of 26.4 - 46.4 kg/m2 were referred for three consultations over a three month period for dietetic advice covering nutrition, exercise and behaviour change. Body composition was estimated by anthropometric meas-urements of BMI, mid upper-arm circumference (MUAC), triceps-skinfold thickness (TSF), mid-arm muscle circumfer-ence (MAMC) and sitting blood pressure. Nineteen individuals completed the three month intervention. There were sig-nificant reductions in weight (kg: 103.1 v 97.8, P < 0.001), BMI (kg/m2: 35.5 v 34.0, P < 0.001), TSF (mm: 28.3 v 24.7, P = 0.019), and sitting systolic blood pressure (mm Hg: 134 v 101, P = 0.015), and an increase in MAMC (cm: 29.5 v 30.0, P = 0.045). We conclude that a simple dietetic intervention can help individuals with SCI to lose weight without compromising lean body mass. Although the intervention incurred additional cost, it has the potential to decrease long-term healthcare expenditure if patients' outcome and quality of life are improved

Effect of peptide chain length on absorption of egg protein hydrolysates in the normal human jejunum.

The influence of the peptide chain length of partial enzymic hydrolysates of protein on nitrogen and amino acid absorption was studied in 12 subjects using a jejunal perfusion technique. Three hydrolysates of egg white and an equivalent amino acid mixture were perfused at 30 mmol/L and 100 mmol/L in two separate experiments. Two hydrolysates (OH1 and OH2) contained mainly dipeptides and tripeptides, whereas the third (OH3) comprised tripeptide to pentapeptides as judged chromatographically. Nitrogen absorption was significantly slower from the higher chain length mixture, OH3, than from the short chain mixtures, OH1 and OH2, at both concentrations. Similarly, several amino acid residues were absorbed less well from OH3 than from OH1 and OH2. These data demonstrate that the chain length of heterogeneous mixtures of peptides affects absorption of nitrogen and individual amino acid residues, and suggest that brush border hydrolysis of tetrapeptides and pentapeptides limits absorption from enzymic hydrolysates of protein which simulate the composition of the postprandial luminal contents