Positive results for weight management programme
Results of an audit conducted by Lipotrim Pharmacy have shown that a third of obese patients on its pharmacist-led weight management programme were no longer obese at the time of audit, and weight-loss benefits were seen in two-thirds of patients.
The Lipotrim pharmacy programme consists of a total food replacement phase where
only very low calorie, nutrient complete, formula meals are consumed until a
target weight is reached, followed first by a transition phase, where traditional
foods are reintroduced, and then by a maintenance phase during which patients
are educated to choose foods with a low fat content.
Patients visit the pharmacy weekly to be weighed, have their urine tested for
ketones, and collect their week’s supply of food products. The programme
costs patients £30–£40 per week and is now available through
at least 100 community pharmacies in the UK.
Meanwhile, a study has shown that calorie restriction may be effective in lowering
the risk of atherosclerosis. Researchers found that markers of atherosclerosis,
including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and systolic and
diastolic blood pressure, were markedly lower in a group of 18 subjects who had
been on a calorie restricted diet for an average of six years compared with 18
age-matched healthy subjects on typical American diets. The study is due to be
published in the 27 April issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences (www.pnas.org). |
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