Evaluation of "one body, one life": a community-based family intervention for the prevention of obesity in children

Service evaluation of a community-based healthy lifestyle programme, designed for families aimed at preventing obesity. Physiological and behaviour measures were recorded at the beginning and end of the programme. Out of a total of 454 participants, 358 (79%) completed. From these completers 293 (64%) were analysed as there was sufficient data. The use of "high visibility recruitment" led to 77% of completers being from Coventry's two most deprived population quintiles. Ethnic minorities were also well represented. There were statistically significant self-reported behaviour changes, with improvements in fruit and vegetables eaten and decrease in consumption of crisps, snacks, and take away foods. There were also significant increases in physical activity. There were small but statistically significant improvements in BMI/BMI percentile for adults and children who started the programme overweight/obese. These results demonstrate the programmes' effectiveness in enabling behaviour change, and attracting participants from deprived communities.

A Review of Men's Health and Masculinity

Men's health is a new and evolving area of specialty that goes beyond men's cancers and sexual activities. Men's health in the 21st century incorporates a broader conceptualization of health, health behaviors, and lifestyle choices. This new focus results from the fact that men continue to lag behind women in life expectancy and in health care use, a situation that is worse for minority men. Understanding how gender socialization and masculine ideology affects men's health is an important step toward providing effective care for men. In this article, the authors review these areas and then discuss each of the top actual causes of death for men: tobacco use, poor diet, alcohol use, and physical inactivity. They then discuss the important issue of steroid use among men. Throughout the review, the authors highlight racial and ethnic differences in health behaviors. Furthermore, they provide empirically supported clinical implications to assist clinicians who see men with health concerns in their practices. Finally, they offer suggestions for creating ways to include men in the health care system in hopes of improving their use.

Lifestyle Management of Obesity: NHANES and Erectile Dysfunction— How to Motivate Change

Weight loss represents a significant goal for improving physical and psychological health. Management to obtain this goal must include gradual changes in both diet and physical activity, incorporating modifiable and reachable goals. Self-monitoring, goal setting, and stimulus control are the framework of any successful plan. Recently, lifestyle recommendations have been added to the Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations Revision put forth by the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee to lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The relationship of erectile dysfunction as a harbinger of occult vascular disease may serve as a motivator to prompt men to make changes in diet and lifestyle, as improvements in body mass index and physical activity are independently associated with improvements in sexual function, as documented by a recent randomized controlled trial.

Behavioral Medicine Review: Weight Control in a Land of Milk and Honey

Obesity and its cardiometabolic comorbidities are on a skyrocketing trajectory with ominous public health implications. Focusing on primary care as a microcosm of the broader obesity crisis, this review discusses considerations for the prevention and management of obesity and its associated risks.

Nutrition Review: Dietary Considerations for Obesity Treatment

Dietary modification is critical in obesity treatment. Energy intake must fall below energy expenditure, but not so low that excess lean tissue is lost, hunger escalates, diet quality declines, and health is compromised. Reductions in energy consumption of 500 to 1000 kilocalories per day should result in appropriate rates of weight loss in most obese patients. Very low-calorie diets are sometimes used when excess body weight poses an acute risk, but such diets carry potential for many complications, and their long-term results are often no better than low-calorie diets. Macronutrient composition is not as important as overall energy defi cit in terms of weight loss, so dieters have some flexibility in choosing combinations that suit their preferences and needs, as long as they promote long-term healthy weight management. Diets with extremes of macronutrients are usually defi cient in micronutrients and are diffi cult to follow for long periods of time, so they should not be advocated. Resources for implementing dietary recommendations include registered dietitians, selected Web sites, and an assortment of products and services. Patients should be guided to resources that are evidence based and do not make unrealistic promises for weight loss. Prevention of recidivism should be built into the treatment plan.

Preventing Obesity in America: Is It Achievable?

The prevalence of obesity has increased significantly in the past 40 years. Although difficult to treat, physicians must continue contributing to the solution by not only advocating for dietary interventions and increased exercise but also should target at-risk populations and promote more prevention strategies for combating obesity. Given the close association with the comorbidities of diabetes and hypertension, obesity is closely linked with the number one killer of all Americans: heart disease. This alone makes obesity an enormous public health threat. General, broad public health strategies for supporting weight loss are also discussed.