Target Weight (target + weight)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Nocturnal Hemodialysis Is Better Than Quotidian Hemodialysis

HEMODIALYSIS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2003
MP Kooistra
Background. It is unknown whether long nocturnal (6,7 times weekly 6,8 hours) hemodialysis (NHD) is better than frequent short hemodialysis (,daily', quotidian hemodialysis, QHD). Methods. A Dutch NHD pilot study (,Nocturne') started in December 2001. We can now evaluate effects of 4 months NHD in 14 patients. Baseline dialysis frequency was 3.5 or less (3.13 ± 0.23, M ± SD) in group A (n = 8), and 4 or more (5.0 ± 0.89) in group B (n = 6), weekly dialysis time was equal in both groups. Results. Single pool Kt/V, being higher in group B at baseline, increased in both groups (A: 3.1 ± 0.8/week to 9.5 ± 2.3, B: 3.8 ± 1.0 to 10.9 ± 4.1). Baseline nPCR, being higher in group B, increased in both groups (A: 1.0 ± 0.3 g/kg/week to 1.4 ± 0.3, and B: 1.2 ± 0.5 to 1.8 ± 0.5). Baseline albumin was higher in group B, and increased in group A (39.6 ± 3.7 g/l to 43.2 ± 1.5), not in B (41.4 ± 2.3 to 42.8 ± 2.3). Target weight increased only in group A (71.8 ± 10.5 kg to 75.3 ± 11.9), not in B (71.4 ± 25.5 to 71.3 ± 26.7). NHD resulted in normophosphatemia in both groups despite phosphate supplementation and cessation of phosphate binders. PTH decreased in both groups (A: 40.6 ± 38.0 pmol/l to 14.4 ± 11.7, B: 35.6 ± 37.7 to 22.4 ± 41.5). In both groups, pre- and postdialysis mean arterial pressure decreased (A: 106.8 ± 7.9 mmHg to 94.4 ± 12.1 and 97.3 ± 9.5 mmHg to 86.3 ± 8.2, B: 102.2 ± 28.4 to 89.4 ± 9.5 and 90.3 ± 26.8 to 82.7 ± 12.9). Antihypertensives were discontinued or markedly reduced. Fatigue, insomnia, prurigo, restlessness, appetite, physical condition, working ability and quality of life (SF36) improved significantly in both groups. Conclusion. This small pilot study suggests that phosphate and PTH control, blood pressure, uremic symptoms and quality of life improve when conventional hemodialysis or QHD patients switch to NHD. Nutritional parameters improve only in the previously conventionally treated group. [source]


Errors in patient perception of caloric deficit required for weight loss,observations from the Diet Plate Trial,

DIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 5 2010
G. A. Kline
Persons with obesity may be poor estimators of caloric content of food. Health care professionals encourage patients to consult nutritional labels as one strategy to assess and restrict caloric intake. Among subjects enrolled in a weight loss clinical trial, the objective is to determine the accuracy of subjects' estimates of caloric deficit needed to achieve the desired weight loss. A 6-month controlled trial demonstrated efficacy of a portion control tool to induce weight loss in 130 obese people with type 2 diabetes. All subjects had previously received dietary teaching from a dietician and a nurse. At baseline, patients were asked how much weight they would like to lose and to quantitatively estimate the caloric deficit required to achieve this weight loss. The stated amount of weight loss desired ranged from 4.5 to 73 kg, with an average of 26.6 kg (n = 127 respondents). Only 30% of participants were willing to estimate the required caloric deficit to lose their target weight. Subjects' per kilograms estimate of caloric deficit required ranged from 0.7 to 2 000 000 calories/kg with a median of 86 calories/kg. Nearly half of subjects (47.4%) underestimated the total required caloric deficit to achieve their target weight loss by greater than 100 000 calories. Despite attendance at a diabetes education centre, this population of obese individuals had a poor understanding of the quantitative relationship between caloric deficit and weight loss. Educational initiatives focused upon quantitative caloric intake and its impact on weight change may be needed to assist obese patients in setting appropriate weight loss goals and achieving the appropriate daily caloric restriction required for success. [source]


Sex, diet and feeding method-related differences in body condition in the Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

IBIS, Issue 1 2001
SARAH E.A.
Measurements were made of Oystercatcher corpses to find the most reliable measure of body condition in live birds. Total body weight was as accurate as muscle thickness in assessing the weight of the pectoral muscles, a major store of protein reserves. Total body weight was also a good indicator of fat reserves. Wing-length was the most reliable measure of body size. Body condition in live birds was measured as an individual's residual weight derived from a general linear model of (loge) body weight against age, month, (loge) wing-length and time since capture. On the Exe estuary in autumn, there was no significant difference in body condition between same-age Oystercatchers of different diets and feeding methods. In the winter months, however, body condition differed significantly between mussel feeders using different feeding methods, and between mussel feeders and birds that fed on worms and clams. Differences between diet/feeding methods were not the same for each age group. Birds with the highest mean body condition index in adults were mussel hammerers, in immatures mussel stabbers and in juveniles, worm/clam feeders. No significant difference in body condition was found between the sexes in any age group in autumn. In winter, when birds with the same diet/feeding method were considered, females were significantly heavier than males. However, when birds of all diets and feeding methods were combined, weight differences between the sexes were not apparent. We examine reasons why birds with certain diets and feeding methods may be heavier than others in winter, and why females are sometimes heavier than males. We conclude that, in most cases, it is due to differences between birds in their ability to achieve a common target weight. However, we conclude that adult females try to achieve a higher target weight than males, probably as a premigratory and prebreeding strategy. In the light of this, we consider the consequences for adult females, in terms of reproductive success and survival, of specializing in diets and feeding methods associated with lower body weights in winter. [source]


Physical Rehabilitation Alters Body Composition in Chronically Obese Cat

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 2 2008
Sarah K. Abood
Successful weight loss in obese dogs and cats is difficult, and even more so in pets who don't exercise regularly or are inactive. Over the past 10 years, physical rehabilitation (or physio-therapy) as a treatment or wellness modality has been gaining popularity in small animal veterinary practice. This case report describes the use of physical rehabilitation to achieve weight loss and a decreased body condition score in a chronically obese cat. A 7-year old, female-spayed domestic, short-haired cat, weighing 15 lbs, was evaluated by the Nutrition Support Service at Michigan State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital for a weight management consultation. The cat had a history of chronic obesity and the owner reported feeding a variety of reduced or restricted-calorie foods, both canned and dry versions, over the previous 5 years. The home environment included three other cats, none of which were overweight. All cats were fed once daily in the evening; separate food bowls were provided for each cat, but multiple water bowls and litter boxes were shared. A course of 8 weeks of physio-therapy was recommended, with a target weight of 12 lbs identified, to which the owner agreed. Body weight, body condition score and circumference measures of axillary, rib and flank areas were taken at the initial visit, and at 3 weeks and 8 weeks. At the beginning of the 8th week, the cat's body weight had dropped from 15 lbs to 14.2 lbs, and the body condition score shifted down from 9 to 8 out of 9. More dramatically, however, were changes measured in body circumference: from 43 cm to 38.6 cm in the axilla (11% decrease); 50.3 cm to 42.5 cm in the ribs (15.5% decrease); 46 cm to 41 cm in the flank (11% decrease). To the author's knowledge, this is the first report confirming weight loss, reduced body condition score, and altered body composition in a cat as a direct result of physical rehabilitation. [source]


Growth of Stocker Channel Catfish to Large Market Size in Single-Batch Culture

JOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 1 2004
Bartholomew W. Green
Catfish farmers increasingly are producing fish larger than the traditional size of 0.45-0.57 kg/fish in order to meet processing plant requirements for larger fish. Production of larger channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in multiple-batch culture has been investigated in a few studies, but the impact of understocked fingerlings on growth of carry-over fish is unknown. The present study was conducted to quantify growth, feed conversion ratio, net daily yield, and net and total yield of stocker channel catfish grown in single-batch, one-season culture to mean individual weights of 0.60, 0.72, 0.91, or 1.17 kg/fish. Channel catfish (mean weight = 0.26 kg/fish) were stocked into 12 0.1-ha ponds at 11,115 fish/ha. Fish were fed a 32% crude protein floating extruded feed once daily to apparent satiation. When the average weight of the fish population reached the target weight, three randomly selected ponds were harvested. Fish growth was linear in all treatments. Growth rates were similar for fish grown to 0.60, 0.72, and 0.91 kg/fish, and significantly lower (P < 0.05) than for fish grown to 1.17 kg. Variation in individual fish weight increased linearly with increased duration of culture period. Feed conversion ratio averaged 1.9 and did not differ significantly among treatments. The percentage of the fish population at harvest that fell within the 0.57 to 2.04 kg-size range preferred by processing plants increased from 56.6 to 98-5% as the mean weight at harvest increased from 0.60 to 1.17 kg/fish. [source]


Optimal portion control using variable cutter-blade spacing in can-filling

PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, Issue 4 2001
F. Omar
Abstract In the present context, optimal portion control refers to the process of preparing can-filling portions so that the deviation of the portion weight from a specified target weight is minimized. An approach has been developed for achieving this where a batch of objects is placed in a linearly overlapped optimal arrangement and then cut into portions using a series of parallel blades. The parameters of optimization are the arrangement order, orientation and degree of overlap of the objects. The approach has been demonstrated to produce impressive improvements in the application of fish canning. For this application, two approaches of optimal cutting are compared in the present paper. In one approach, the blade spacing is kept fixed and constant at a predetermined value. In the second approach, the blade spacing is varied for each portion after the objects are placed according to the optimal arrangement, where the target weight distribution is allowed to vary within a tolerance interval. The results presented in this paper indicate that the second approach produces a significantly higher percentage of acceptable portions than the first approach. What is presented are results from computer simulations, utilizing true data as measured from actual batches of fish. The paper demonstrates the potential benefit of the optimal portion control approach when applied in an industrial fish-canning process. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]