01/01/2008

Highlights from the January 2008 Journal of the American Dietetic Association

FOR RELEASE JANUARY 1, 2008

Media contacts:  Jennifer Starkey, Julia Dombrowski   
800/877-1600 ext. 4802, 4769
media@eatright.org

CHICAGO – The January 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association contains articles and research studies you may find of interest. Below is a summary of some of this month’s articles. For more information or to receive a copy of a Journal article, e-mail media@eatright.org.

Diet Instruction by Registered Dietitians Improves Weight-Loss Success
According to researchers at the University of Minnesota, working with a registered dietitian increases your chance of achieving weight-loss success.

The researchers evaluated the outcomes of 26 overweight adults who enrolled in an 11-week weight-loss program. All the participants attended regular weigh-ins, some of which included classes led by a registered dietitian that covered topics like calorie restriction, dietary change, exercise and behavior modification.
The researchers found strong correlations between weight loss and attendance at the RD-instructed classes, but not with weigh-ins that did not include classes.

The researchers conclude: “Frequent dietary instruction by an RD conveying topics related to weight loss was more effective than frequent weigh-in visits alone in promoting weight reduction in our study participants. Our results demonstrate that interaction with and education by an RD significantly improves weight-loss efforts.”

Relationship with Food Affects Weight Gain
Weight gain or loss is not simply a matter of “calories in and calories out,” say researchers at the University of Alabama. A person’s relationship with food plays a vital role, too.

According to the researchers, “Eating has been recognized as a coping mechanism for alleviating and dealing with stress and emotions by either undereating or overeating.” As part of an ongoing “exploration and application of nontraditional variables in the amelioration of the obesity epidemic,” the researchers developed a 24-question Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress questionnaire and distributed it to more than 4,100 faculty and staff members at the University of Alabama, obtaining more than 820 usable responses.

Among the results of the questionnaire, the researchers found people who say they eat in response to emotions and stress are more likely to be overweight or obese. “The EADES Model provides a viable, nontraditional framework for exploring if emotions, stress, appraisal and coping may be related to overweight and obesity,” according to the researchers.

“Dietitians and health-care professionals must move beyond the traditional weight management paradigm of merely altering energy in and energy out to addressing a more comprehensive picture that includes one’s relationship with food. Addressing all of these variables will encompass the underlying reasons for overweight and obesity and identify new models for obesity prevention and treatment that are safe and produce sustainable results.”

Additional research articles in the January Journal of the American Dietetic Association include:

  • The Impact of Portion Size Control for School a la Carte Items: Changes in Kilocalories and Macronutrients Purchased by Middle School Students
  • Reducing the Energy Density of an Entrée Decreases Children’s Energy Intake at Lunch
  • One-Year Ad Libitum Consumption of Diacylglycerol as Part of a Regular Diet Results in Modest Weight Loss in Comparison with Consumption of Triacylglycerol Control Oil in Overweight Japanese Subjects
  • Obesity-Related Hypoferremia Is Not Explained by Differences in Reported Intake of Heme and Non-Heme Iron or Intake of Dietary Factors That Can Affect Iron Absorption
  • Resistant Starch Intakes in the United States
  • Metabolically Obese Normal Weight and Phenotypically Obese Metabolically Normal Youths: CASPIAN Study.

The Journal of the American Dietetic Association is the official research publication of the American Dietetic Association and is the premier peer-reviewed journal in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

With more than 67,000 members the American Dietetic Association is the nation’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being. To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.        

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