Active clinical trials for "Overweight"

Participants will complete a one-month intervention where they are will restrict their daily food intake to an 8-hour time period, i.e., between 1200 to 2000 hours. During the remaining 16-hour intermittent fasting period (2000 to 1200 hours) participants will be allowed to drink zero calorie beverages (diet soda pop, black coffee, tea, water, etc) in order to maintain normal hydration. There will be no attempt to restrict food intake. Rather simply to restrict the time period each day when food is consumed. Participants' body mass, fat mass, and non-fat mass will be monitored non-invasively using a weigh scale and densitometry via air displacement (Bod Pod) at 0, 2 and 4 weeks following the dietary intervention. Also, participants will be interviewed following the final body composition measure to assess whether or not they continued to follow the intermittent fasting approach.

Microalbuminuria and homocysteine levels are shown to be markers for endothelial dysfunction and subclinical organ damage and predictors of cardiovascular risk in several epidemiologic and randomized clinical trials. Carotis intima-media thickness is also found to be elevated in early stages of atherosclerosis. Recent studies have shown correlations between homocysteine, microalbumin levels and carotis intima-media thickness in type 2 diabetics but no data exists for obese or overweight patients who also have metabolic syndrome, in terms of markers of subclinical organ damage. Since obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and since it is known that patients with metabolic syndrome are at higher risk of cardiovascular events, the investigators wanted to examine whether there is an association between homocysteine, microalbumin levels and carotid intima-media thickness in patients with or without metabolic syndrome, who are either overweight or obese.

Dietary pulses, more commonly known as "legumes", are generally recognized as healthy components of the diet. Canada's Food Guide encourages consumptions of meat alternatives, such as beans "more often"; and the dietary guidelines for Americans both recommend consumption of 3 cups of legumes per week. However, there still remain insufficient information on the usefulness of these foods in protecting heart health. To improve evidence-based guidance for non-oil-seed pulse recommendations, the investigators propose to conduct a systematic review of clinical studies to assess the effect of eating pulses in exchange for other foods on measures of heart disease risk and blood sugar control in humans. The systematic review process allows the combining of the results from many small studies in order to arrive at a pooled estimate, similar to a weighted average, of the true effect. The investigators will be able to explore whether eating pulses has different effects between men and women, in different age groups, in people with high or normal sugar or blood fat levels, and whether or not the effect of pulses depends on how much/often they are eaten. The findings of this proposed knowledge synthesis will help improve the health of Canadians through informing recommendations for the general public, as well as those at risk of heart disease and diabetes.

The main objective of the study is to assess the serum levels of progranulin and FAM19A5 protein in adults with metabolic syndrome.

A prospective, multicenter, open-label, post-approval study of the safety and effectiveness of ORBERA36 as a 12-month adjunct to weight reduction for obese adults (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2 and BMI ≤ 50 kg/m2) or for pre-surgical weight reduction in obese and super-obese adults (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 or ≥ 35 kg/m2 with comorbidities).

The Nordic Diet is a dietary pattern rich in traditional Nordic foods, including berries, grains, and fatty fish common in northern Europe. Studies have shown a protective effect of the Nordic Diet on cardiometabolic risk factors, however only select clinical practice guidelines for the management of diabetes (i.e. Diabetes Canada) recommend this dietary pattern. To support the update of the EASD clinical practice guidelines for nutrition therapy, the investigators propose to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and clinical trials to investigate the association between the Nordic Diet, cardiometabolic outcomes and cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality. The findings generated by this proposed knowledge synthesis will help improve the health of consumers through informing evidence-based guidelines and improving health outcomes by educating healthcare providers and patients, stimulating industry innovation, and guiding future research design.

Although there is increasing evidence that low physical fitness is a risk factor for many non-communicable diseases, the early identification of subjects at risk remains inadequate due to the absence of clear anamnestic and clinical criteria. Defining physical fitness. For the same reason, the monitoring of subjects following lifestyle interventions remains suboptimal. The aim of this study is to develop a simple field tool to non-invasively assess global physical fitness in overweight patients participating to a physical activity program. Male and female overweight subjects referred to a physical activity intervention by their primary care physician will be included. Within this program, they will take part to 2 weekly supervised activity sessions during which participants will be instructed by a specialist in adapted physical activity, and 2-3 weekly session of unsupervised physical activity which will be performed according to detailed instructions regarding intensity and duration. In addition, participants will take part to teaching sessions in group of 4-6 patients, addressing the effects of physical activity on metabolism, contra-indications to physical activity, self-monitoring of exercise, and prevention of injuries Their physical fitness will be assessed at inclusion (ie before starting the exercise program) and at the end of the 3-month program. This will be done by calculating a Global Fitness Score (GFS) based on performances attained and cardiovascular responses observed during physical exercises (3 min step test with measurement of heart rate and blood pressure, number of time subject can stand from a chair within 1 min., handgrip strength measure, "reach-test" to assess osteo-articular mobility of back and hips, balance test). Results obtained from this GFS will be compared to maximal power output calculated from a submaximal spirometry at 25, 50, 75 and 100 W M.

Since uncontrolled observational studies first linked fructose to the epidemic of obesity almost a decade ago, it has become a focus of intense concern regarding its role in the obesity epidemic. Despite the uncertainties in the evidence,the recommendations of international health organizations have cautioned against moderate to high intakes fructose-containing sugars, especially those from sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs). To improve the evidence on which nutrition recommendations are based, the investigators propose to study of the effect of fructose-containing sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs)on body weight, by undertaking a systematic synthesis of the data taken from all available clinical studies in humans. This technique has the strength of allowing all of the available data to be pooled together and differences to be explored in groups of different study participants (healthy humans of different sex, weight, and age and in those with diseases which predispose to disturbances in metabolism, such as diabetes) with dietary fructose in different forms, doses, and with differing durations of exposure. The findings generated by this proposed knowledge synthesis will help improve the health of consumers through informing recommendations for the general public, as well as those at risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The purpose of this study is to determine if Facebook can be used as a motivating factor for obese or overweight adolescents in a weight-reduction program.

Vegetarian diets have been associated with a reduced risk of preventable diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These effects may be mediated through direct or indirect pathways. Although the high intakes of nuts, legumes, dietary fibre, whole grains, and unsaturated plant oils have each individually been associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, so too has the displacement of red meats, processed meats, and saturated animal fats. One of the most important considerations in moving from animal-based diets to more plant-based diets is the replacement of animal proteins (e.g. meat, fish, dairy, eggs) with vegetable proteins (e.g. legumes, nuts, and seeds). It is unclear whether this particular replacement alone results in advantages for metabolic and cardiovascular health. To improve evidence-based guidance for dietary guidelines and health claims development, we propose to conduct a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the effect of plant-based protein in exchange for animal protein on blood lipids, glycemic control, blood pressure, body weight, uric acid, markers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and kidney function and injury. The systematic review process allows the combining of the results from many small studies in order to arrive at a pooled estimate, similar to a weighted average, of the true effect. The investigators will be able to explore whether the effects of replacing animal-based protein for plant-based protein hold true across different sexes, age groups, and background disease states and whether the effect depends on the protein source, dose, or background diet. The findings of this proposed knowledge synthesis will help improve the health of Canadians through informing recommendations for the general public, as well as those at risk of heart disease and diabetes.