ObjectiveTo confirm the adequacy of the formula suggested in the literature and/or to develop appropriate equations for the Brazilian population of immobilized patients based on simple anthropometric measurements. MethodsHospitalized patients were submitted to anthropometry and methods to estimate weight and height of bedridden patients were developed by multiple linear regression. ResultsThree hundred sixty eight persons were evaluated at two hospital centers and five weight-pre-dicting and two height-predicting equations were developed from the measurements ob-tained. Among the new equations developed, the simplest one for weight estimate was: Weight (kg) = 0.5759 x (arm circumference, cm) + 0.5263 x (abdominal circumference, cm) + 1.2452 x (calf circumference, cm) -4.8689 x (Sex, male = 1 and female = 2) -32.9241 (r = 0.94); and the one for height estimate was: Height (cm) = 58.6940 -2.9740 x (Sex) -0.0736 x (age, years) + 0.4958 x (arm length, cm) + 1.1320 x (half-span, cm) (r = 0.88). The estimates thus calculated did not differ significantly from actual measurements, with p = 0.94 and 0.89 and a mean error of 6.0 and 2.1% for weight and height, respectively.

ObjectiveTo measure the energy content of frequently ordered meals from full service and fast food restaurants in five countries and compare values with US data.DesignCross sectional survey.Setting223 meals from 111 randomly selected full service and fast food restaurants serving popular cuisines in Brazil, China, Finland, Ghana, and India were the primary sampling unit; 10 meals from five worksite canteens were also studied in Finland. The observational unit was frequently ordered meals in selected restaurants.Main outcome measureMeal energy content, measured by bomb calorimetry.ResultsCompared with the US, weighted mean energy of restaurant meals was lower only in China (719 (95% confidence interval 646 to 799) kcal versus 1088 (1002 to 1181) kcal; P<0.001). In analysis of variance models, fast food contained 33% less energy than full service meals (P<0.001). In Finland, worksite canteens provided 25% less energy than full service and fast food restaurants (mean 880 (SD 156) versus 1166 (298); P=0.009). Country, restaurant type, number of meal components, and meal weight predicted meal energy in a factorial analysis of variance (R2=0.62, P<0.001). Ninety four per cent of full service meals and 72% of fast food meals contained at least 600 kcal. Modeling indicated that, except in China, consuming current servings of a full service and a fast food meal daily would supply between 70% and 120% of the daily energy requirements for a sedentary woman, without additional meals, drinks, snacks, appetizers, or desserts.ConclusionVery high dietary energy content of both full service and fast food restaurant meals is a widespread phenomenon that is probably supporting global obesity and provides a valid intervention target.

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Dietary restriction (DR) reduces adiposity and improves metabolism in patients with one or more symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Nonetheless, it remains elusive whether the benefits of DR in humans are mediated by calorie or nutrient restriction. This study was conducted to determine whether isocaloric dietary protein restriction is sufficient to confer the beneficial effects of dietary restriction in patients with metabolic syndrome. We performed a prospective, randomized controlled dietary intervention under constant nutritional and medical supervision. Twenty-one individuals diagnosed with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned for caloric restriction (CR; n = 11, diet of 5941 ± 686 KJ per day) or isocaloric dietary protein restriction (PR; n = 10, diet of 8409 ± 2360 KJ per day) and followed for 27 days. Like CR, PR promoted weight loss due to a reduction in adiposity, which was associated with reductions in blood glucose, lipid levels, and blood pressure. More strikingly, both CR and PR improved insulin sensitivity by 62.3% and 93.2%, respectively, after treatment. Fecal microbiome diversity was not affected by the interventions. Adipose tissue bulk RNA-Seq data revealed minor changes elicited by the interventions. After PR, terms related to leukocyte proliferation were enriched among the upregulated genes. Protein restriction is sufficient to confer almost the same clinical outcomes as calorie restriction without the need for a reduction in calorie intake. The isocaloric characteristic of the PR intervention makes this approach a more attractive and less drastic dietary strategy in clinical settings and has more significant potential to be used as adjuvant therapy for people with metabolic syndrome.