Objective The impact of a text messaging‐assisted lifestyle weight loss intervention on weight change among overweight adults in Beijing was examined. Methods It was a 6‐month randomized two arm clinical trial. The control group received a brief advice session after randomization. The intervention group received three group sessions, five coaching calls, and a daily text message prompting participants to follow predetermined lifestyle goals. Results A total of 123 participants were randomized. At 6 months, controls gained 0.24 ± 0.28 kg (0.21% ± 0.38%) (NS) while intervention participants lost 1.6 ± 0.28 kg (2.31% ± 0.38%) (p < 0.0001). Intervention participants decreased waist circumference (WC) (−2.69 ± 0.43 cm, p < 0.0001), percent body fat (%BF) (−0.66% ± 0.19%, p = 0.0007), and systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) significantly (−1.71 ± 1.12/−3.24 ± 0.87 mmHg), while the controls had no change in WC and %BF and increased SBP/DBP by 2.43 ± 1.14/1.20 ± 0.88 mmHg (between groups: p = 0.01/p = 0.0004). Conclusions This text message‐assisted lifestyle intervention was effective in reducing weight, WC, %BF, and improving BP. Coupled with the scalable feature of the intervention, this finding is intriguing in light of the potential reach of the intervention for countries like China where mobile phone penetration is high and the obesity rate continues to rise.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on glucose and lipid metabolism in late diabetic db/db mice, as well as on adiponectin receptors and their signaling molecules, to provide evidence for CGA in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. We randomly divided 16 female db/db mice into db/db-CGA and db/db-control (CON) groups equally; db/m mice were used as control mice. The mice in both the db/db-CGA and db/m-CGA groups were administered 80 mg/kg/d CGA by lavage for 12 weeks, whereas the mice in both CON groups were given equal volumes of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) by lavage. At the end of the intervention, we assessed body fat and the parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism in the plasma, liver and skeletal muscle tissues as well as the levels of aldose reductase (AR) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the kidneys and measured adiponectin receptors and the protein expression of their signaling molecules in liver and muscle tissues. After 12 weeks of intervention, compared with the db/db-CON group, the percentage of body fat, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in the db/db-CGA group were all significantly decreased; TGF-β1 protein expression and AR activity in the kidney were both decreased; and the adiponectin level in visceral adipose was increased. The protein expression of adiponectin receptors (ADPNRs), the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the liver and muscle, and the mRNA and protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α) in the liver were all significantly greater. CGA could lower the levels of fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c during late diabetes and improve kidney fibrosis to some extent through the modulation of adiponectin receptor signaling pathways in db/db mice.

The aim of this paper was to study the effect of long-term supervised exercise-induced weight maintenance on metabolic risk factors and physical fitness in obese children in early puberty. A total of 49 obese children aged 12-14 years were divided into control and exercise groups. The children in the exercise group accepted exercise intervention supervised by a professional sports teacher for 9 of the 12 months. All participants in both groups received health education once every 3 months. Anthropometry and fasting serum lipids, glucose, insulin and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were measured at months 0, 3, 9, 12 of the intervention. Physical fitness was determined before and after intervention. After the intervention (i) BMI was reduced by 0.6 (P < 0.05) in the exercise group, but increased by 0.5 (P < 0.05) in the control group, compared with the pre-intervention level at the end of 9-month intervention; (ii) Triglyceride levels in the exercise group significantly decreased by 23.1% by 3 months (P < 0.05), and by 30.2% after 9 months (P < 0.05), but increased by 50% (P < 0.05) in the control group; high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) decreased more by 35% (P < 0.05) in the controls than in the exercise group (P < 0.05); (iii) Fasting serum glucose, insulin level and HOMA-IR decreased, respectively, by 23.1%, 36.6% and 48.5% in the exercise group at 9 months (P < 0.05), whereas glucose levels increased by 10.9% (P < 0.05) in the control group; (iv) Exercise performance, such as upper- and lower-limb strength, flexibility and endurance, were enhanced by 17.9%, 12.3%, 22.3% and 20.4% (P < 0.01), respectively and (v) At 12 months, i.e. 3 months after terminating the supervised exercise, serum triglycerides, glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR level all returned to the pre-intervention level. Supervised decrement exercise can effectively slow the progress of obesity, improve insulin sensitivity and metabolic risk factors, but once the supervised exercise is stopped, the health benefits weaken or vanish. The key to helping these obese children is for them to cultivate good exercise habits which are sustained throughout their lives.

No abstract

No abstract