Obesity adults

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in most industrialized countries over the last two decades. Many serious diseases, such as stroke, diabetes mellitus and other chronic conditions, are directly related to being overweight (1, 2). The number of adults who are classified as extremely obese tallies in the nullions for the United States alone (3). The number of children that are most likely obese adults for the rest of their lives has tripled in the same time period (3). 

S. F. Solga, A. Horska, S. Hemker, S. Crawford, C. Diggs, A. M. Diehl, F. L. Brancati and J. M. Clark, Hepatic fat and adenosine triphosphate measurement in overweight and obese adults using H and P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Liver Int., 2008, 28, 675-681. 

More recently, Bortolotti et al. (2008) provided evidence to refute this calcium-mediated mechanism of weight loss, presenting results from a placebo-controlled crossover study of 10 obese adults with habitually low calcium intakes (<800 mg/day). Results indicated that dietary supplementation of 800 mg of calcium/day had no effect on circulating plasma free fatty acid concentrations or glycerol turnover. Theoretically, a calcium-mediated stimulation of lipolysis would have resulted in an increase in plasma free fatty acid concentrations and glycerol turnover, thus indicating a need for further research. 

Zemel, M. B., Thompson, W., Milstead, A., Morris, K., and Campbell, P. (2004). Calcium and dairy acceleration of weight and fat loss during energy restriction in obese adults. Obes. Res. 12,582-590. 

Gadde KM, Franciscy DM, Wagner HR 2nd, Krishnan KR (2003) Zonisamide for weight loss in obese adults a randomized controlled trial. Jama 289 1820-1825... 

The chance that an obese child will become an obese adult is estimated to increase from approximately 20% if overweight at age 4 years to approximately 80% if overweight during adolescence (Guo and Chumlea, 1999). Patients who are overweight are at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. 

Twenty-five (25) obese adults and 25 adults age, height, and sex-matched non-obese. Estimations based on previous studies with non-obese showed that the inclusion of 24 subjects per strata (obese, non-obese) would give enough power to allow the detection of a > 20% difference in AUC of Drug XYZ at steady-state with alpha = 0.05 and beta = 0.10. According to the draft guidance for industry by the US FDA 12 subjects is the typical minimum sample size for a bioavailability comparison. This requirement was fulfilled here for each of the sub-strata obese male, non-obese male, obese female, non-obese female. 

Mayer, J., Marshall, N. B., Vitale, J. J., Christensen, J. H., Mashayekhi, M. B. 4 Stare, F. J. Q954) Exercise, food intake and body weight in normal rats and genetically obese adult mice. Am. J. Physiol. 177, 544-548. 

Researchers at Tufts University in Boston decided to put a number of diets to the test. They recruited 160 overweight or obese adults with an average BMI of 35 in a range of 27 to 42. Subjects were put on the Atkins low-carb diet, the Zone diet of combined... 

Ettinger, M. P., T. W. Littlejohn, S. L. Schwartz, S. R. Weiss, H. H. Mcll-wain, S. B. Heymsfield, et al. (2003). Recombinant variant of ciliary neurotrophic factor for weight loss in obese adults a randomized, dose-ranging study. Jama 289(14) 1826-32. 

Heymsfield SB, Segal KR, Hauptman J, et al. Effects of weight loss with orUstat on glucose tolerance and progression to type 2 diabetes in obese adults. Arch Intern Med 2000 160 1321-1326. 

Visser, M., Bouter, L.M., McQuillan, G.M., Wener, M.H., and Harris, T.B. 1999. ElevatedC-reactive protein levels in overweight and obese adults. JAMA 282, 2131-2135. 

For adults (non-obese adults whose serum creatinine is 10mgL or higher and stable [neither increasing nor decreasing] and who do not have chronic renal failure), the Cockcroft-Gault equation is used but adjusted for men and women. For males ... 

Kanatani, A., Fukami, T., MacNeil, D.J., Gottesdiener, K.M., Amatruda, J.M., Kaufman, K.D., and Heymsfield, S.B. (2006) Neuropeptide Y5 receptor antagonism does not induce clinically meaningful weight loss in overweight and obese adults. Cell Metabolism, 4 (4), 275-282. 

Parnell JA, Reimer RA. Weight loss during oligofructose supplementation is associated with decreased ghrelin and increased peptide YY in overweight and obese adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 89 1751-1759. 

The "energy extraction theory" was recently also put to the test in human subjects. Twelve lean and nine obese adult white males were recruited and assigned to either a 2400- or 3400-kcal/day diet for 3 days in a randomized crossover manner, after an initial 3-day period on a weight-maintenance diet. Interestingly, no... 

Lyon M, Wood S, Pelletier X, Donazzolo Y, Gahler R, Bellisle F. Effects of a 3-month supplementation with a novel soluble highly viscous polysaccharide on anthropometry and blood lipids in nondieting overweight or obese adults. / Hum Nutr Dietetics Off J Brit Dietetic Assoc. 2011 24(4) 351-359. 

Skeletal muscle accounts for 457o of the weight of the non-obese adult, and acts as a depository of half or more of the free amino acids present in the body (Munro, 1970). Furthermore, transport of amino acids into muscle and subsequent deposition as muscle protein are under the control of insulin (Munro, 1970). It can be concluded that removal of infused amino acids is to some extent dependent on skeletal muscle. However, in the case of the newborn infant, skeletal muscle accounts for only about 257> of body weight (Miller, 1969) and this must alter the proportion of infused amino acids passing into the musculature. 

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