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Abstract Background The scale of overweight and obesity in the UK places a considerable burden on the NHS. In some areas the NHS has formed partnerships with commercial companies to offer weight management services, but there has been little evaluation of these schemes. This study is an independent audit of the Weight Watchers NHS Referral scheme and evaluates the weight change of obese and overweight adults referred to Weight Watchers (WW) by the NHS. Method Data was obtained from the WW NHS Referral Scheme database for 29,326 referral courses started after 2nd April 2007 and ending before 6th October 2009 [90% female; median age 49 years (IQR 38 - 61 years); median BMI 35.1 kg/m2 (IQR 31.8 - 39.5 kg/m2). Participants received vouchers (funded by the PCT following referral by a healthcare professional) to attend 12 WW meetings. Body weight was measured at WW meetings and relayed to the central database. Results Median weight change for all referrals was -2.8 kg [IQR -5.9 - -0.7 kg] representing -3.1% initial weight. 33% of all courses resulted in loss of ≥5% initial weight. 54% of courses were completed. Median weight change for those completing a first course was -5.4 kg [IQR -7.8 - -3.1 kg] or -5.6% of initial weight. 57% lost ≥5% initial weight. Conclusions A third of all patients who were referred to WW through the WW NHS Referral Scheme and started a 12 session course achieved ≥5% weight loss, which is usually associated with clinical benefits. This is the largest audit of NHS referral to a commercial weight loss programme in the UK and results are comparable with other options for weight loss available through primary care.

Abstract Background Dietary studies differ in design and quality making it difficult to compare results. This study quantifies the prospective association between dietary energy density (DED) and adiposity in children using a meta-analysis method that adjusts for differences in design and quality through eliciting and incorporating expert opinion on the biases and their uncertainty. Method Six prospective studies identified by a previous systematic literature search were included. Differences in study quality and design were considered respectively as internal and external biases and captured in bias checklists. Study results were converted to correlation coefficients; biases were considered either additive or proportional on this scale. The extent and uncertainty of the internal and external biases in each study were elicited in a formal process by five quantitatively-trained assessors and five subject-matter specialists. Biases for each study were combined across assessors using median pooling and results combined across studies by random-effects meta-analysis. Results The unadjusted combined correlation between DED and adiposity change was 0.06 (95%CI 0.01, 0.11; p = 0.013), but with considerable heterogeneity (I2 = 52%). After bias-adjustment the pooled correlation was 0.17 (95%CI - 0.11, 0.45; p = 0.24), and the studies were apparently compatible (I2 = 0%). Conclusions This method allowed quantitative synthesis of the prospective association between DED and adiposity change in children, which is important for the development of evidence-informed policy. Bias adjustment increased the magnitude of the positive association but the widening confidence interval reflects the uncertainty of the assessed biases and implies that higher quality studies are required.

Abstract Background Public health strategies place increasing emphasis on opportunities to promote healthy behaviours within the workplace setting. Previous research has suggested worksite health promotion programmes have positive effects on physical activity and weight loss, yet little is known regarding their effects on dietary behaviour. The aim of this review was to assess the effects of worksite interventions on employee diets. Methods Electronic databases (MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, EMBASE, LexisNexis) were searched for relevant articles published between 1995 and April 2009. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were peer-reviewed English language publications describing a worksite-based health promotion intervention with minimum study duration of eight weeks. All study designs were eligible. Studies had to report one or more diet-related outcome (energy, fat, fruit, or vegetable intakes). Methodological quality was assessed using a checklist that included randomisation methods, use of a control group, and study attrition rates. Results Sixteen studies were included in the review. Eight programmes focussed on employee education, and the remainder targeted change to the worksite environment, either alone or in combination with education. Study methodological quality was moderate. In general, worksite interventions led to positive changes in fruit, vegetable and total fat intake. However, reliance on self-reported methods of dietary assessment means there is a significant risk of bias. No study measured more robust outcomes such as absenteeism, productivity, or healthcare utilisation. Conclusions The findings of this review suggest that worksite health promotion programmes are associated with moderate improvement in dietary intake. The quality of studies to date has been frequently sub-optimal and further, well designed studies are needed in order to reliably determine effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Future programmes to improve employee dietary habits should move beyond individual education and aim to intervene at multiple levels of the worksite environment.

Clinical guidelines recommend weight loss as part of the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but how weight loss affects clinical manifestations of PCOS is unclear. This systematic review summarizes randomized clinical trial findings on the effect of diverse weight loss interventions on metabolic, hormonal, and other clinical markers of PCOS. Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is common in women of reproductive age and is associated with obesity. Clinical guidelines recommend weight loss, but the impact on the clinical manifestations of PCOS is unclear. Purpose: To quantify the effect of weight loss interventions on clinical features of PCOS, compared with usual care. Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane, Web of Science, and trial registries were searched from inception through June 2024. Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials comparing interventions aiming to reduce weight against usual care, including lower-intensity weight loss interventions in people with PCOS. Conversations with people with PCOS informed the outcomes. Data Extraction: Pairs of independent reviewers screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias (RoB). Outcomes included glycemic control (Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance [HOMA-IR], fasting insulin and glucose), hormonal markers (free androgen index [FAI] and other sex hormones), menstrual frequency, hirsutism, and PCOS-related quality of life (QoL). Pooled mean differences were obtained from random-effects meta-analysis with Knapp–Hartung adjustment. Data Synthesis: Primary analyses included 29 comparisons with 1529 participants: 13, 12, and 4 comparisons were judged as high, some, or low RoB, respectively. Twelve used behavioral interventions, 9 used glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) agonists, and 8 used other weight loss medications. Weight loss interventions were associated with significantly greater improvements in HOMA-IR (mean difference, −0.45 [−0.75 to −0.15]; I 2  = 24%), FAI (mean difference, −2.03 [−3.0 to −1.07]; I 2  = 48%), and menstrual frequency (mean difference, 2.64 [0.65 to 4.63]; I 2  = 43%). There was no evidence that weight loss interventions were associated with clinically or statistically significant improvements in hirsutism, QoL, or other sex hormones, which may be due to the limited power of the available data. Limitation: There was high statistical heterogeneity in the interventions, comparators, and outcomes, largely unexplained by sensitivity and subgroup analyses. Conclusion: Weight loss interventions were associated with improvements in some important features of PCOS and should be considered as a routine treatment option for people with PCOS. Primary Funding Source: National Institute for Health and Care Research School for Primary Care Research. (PROSPERO: CRD42022367488) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: For people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight, weight loss increases the likelihood of achieving diabetes remission. The aim here was to draw on the experiences of people living with type 2 diabetes and coaches who deliver type 2 diabetes prevention and remission programmes. This was done to develop a service that increases the proportion of people who achieve remission by identifying an effective weight management service. Research Design and Methods: A qualitative researcher and co‐researcher with type 2 diabetes conducted 37 narrative interviews with adults with type 2 diabetes (October 2022–June 2023) and 16 semi‐structured interviews with health coaches delivering type 2 diabetes programmes in England. Data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Participants were diverse in ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, gender and years since diabetes diagnosis. Results: Four themes were generated relating to moments in a person's diabetes care: (1) coming to terms with diagnosis, (2) lightbulb moments, (3) sustaining change as normal and (4) becoming expert/building confidence. These four themes were united under a high‐level interpretivist theme: 'Same journey, different experience', capturing the mismatch between a linear rigid care pathway described by coaches and the diversity of experience of people living with type 2 diabetes. Conclusions: Coaches and people with type 2 diabetes are aligned on their reports of key moments in adapting to diabetes. Participants' desire for flexibility in their care contrasted with coach reports of rigid service provision. These insights may enable more people with type 2 diabetes to engage and adhere to weight management services aimed at diabetes remission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diet-disease association studies increasingly use dietary patterns (DP) to account for the complexity of the exposure. We assessed if a DP associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality is also associated with colorectal cancer. Methods: We used reduced rank regression on 24-hour recall data to identify DPs, explaining the maximum variation in four nutrient-response variables: energy density, saturated fatty acids, free sugars, and fiber density. Cox proportional hazards models examined prospective associations between DP adherence (coded in a continuous scale as z-scores as well as in quintiles) and incident colorectal cancer. Subgroup analyses were conducted for tumor site, age, and sex. Results: After exclusions, 1,089 colorectal cancer cases occurred in 114,443 participants over a median follow-up of 8.0 years. DP1 was characterized by increased intake of chocolate and confectionery; butter; low-fiber bread; red and processed meats; and alcohol, as well as low intake of fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber cereals. After accounting for confounders, including body mass, there were positive linear associations between DP1 and incident overall colorectal cancer (HR of quintile 5 vs. 1, 1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-1.53, Ptrend = 0.005) and rectal cancer (HR of quintile 5 vs. 1, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-1.96, Ptrend = 0.009) but not for proximal or distal colon cancers. No DP2-colorectal cancer association was observed. Conclusions: A DP previously associated with cardiometabolic disease is also associated with incident colorectal cancer, especially rectal cancers. Impact: These consistent associations of particular food groups with both cardiometabolic disease and this diet-related cancer strengthen the evidence base for holistic population dietary guidelines to prevent ill-health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing consumers with product-specific environmental impact information for food products (ecolabels) may promote more sustainable purchasing, needed to meet global environmental targets. This UK study (N = 1051 participants) investigated the effectiveness of different ecolabels using an experimental online supermarket platform, comparing three labels against control (no label). Significant reductions were found in the environmental impact score (EIS) for all labels compared to control (labels presented: values for four environmental indicators [-3.9 percentiles, 95%CIs: -5.3, -2.6]; a composite score [taking values from A to E; -3.9, 95%CIs: -5.2,-2.5]; or both together [-3.2, 95%CIs: -4.5, -1.9]). Providing ecolabels is a promising intervention to promote the selection of more sustainable products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]