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Background: Obesity is associated with elevated levels of inflammation and metabolic abnormalities, with increased risk of developing insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, stroke and CVD. Nutrients that can assist in weight loss may also reduce the risk of obesity related co-morbidities., Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether LCn-3PUFA, combined with a reduced energy diet, facilitated weight loss and improvements in blood lipids and inflammatory mediators., Design: A double blind randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups. Both groups followed a low energy diet for 12 weeks, one group consumed 6 × 1 g capsules/d monounsaturated oil (Placebo) (n = 18), the other 6 × 1 g capsules/d LCn-3PUFA (fish oil) (n = 17). Fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements and 3-day food diaries were collected at baseline and post intervention., Results: There was a two-fold increase in plasma levels of EPA and DHA in the fish oil group (p < 0.001). There were no significant difference within and between the placebo and the fish oil groups for weight reduction (3.37% and 4.35% respectively), fat mass reduction (8.95% and 9.76% respectively), or changes in inflammatory biomarkers and blood lipids apart from triglycerides, reduced by 27% in fish oil group (p < 0.05). For fish oil group there were significant correlations between leptin and weight loss (p = 0.01) and leptin and EPA and DHA (p < 0.05 for both)., Conclusion: Dietary LCn-3PUFA supplementation during a weight loss program does not appear to assist weight loss. Poor dietary compliance may be a contributing factor in accurate assessment of the role of these fatty acids in weight loss., (Crown Copyright © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. All rights reserved.)

Obesity has been linked with low levels of ω-3 fatty acids. Generally, intervention studies have failed to establish benefits of supplementation with ω-3PUFA in reducing body weight or fat mass in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate whether supplementation with LCω-3PUFA alone, then consumed concomitantly with a very low energy diet (VLED), facilitated weight loss, improvements in blood lipids and positive changes to inflammatory mediators. This was a double blind randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups. For 4 weeks of prior supplementation, one group consumed 6 × 1 g capsules per day monounsaturated oil (placebo), the other group consumed 6 × 1 g capsules per day LCω-3PUFA (fish oil) each comprising 70 mg EPA and 270 mg DHA, while consuming their usual diet. Each group continued with their supplements for another 4 weeks while both groups followed a VLED regimen (n = 19 placebo, n = 20 fish oil). Fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements and 3-day food diaries were collected at baseline, at 4 weeks and at 8 weeks. At 4 weeks levels of EPA and DHA increased two-fold in the fish oil group (P < 0.001), with no significant changes to anthropometric measurements for either group. At 8 weeks a significant 3-way interaction between time, group and gender was observed for percentage reduction in weight, F(1,35) = 5.55, P = 0.024, and BMI, F(1,35) = 5.3, P = 0.027 with a greater percentage decrease for females in FO compared to PB for weight (-7.21% vs.-5.82%) and BMI (-7.43% vs.-5.91%) respectively (P < 0.05 for both). It would appear that supplementation with LCω-3PUFA had a time dependent effect on weight loss in females.

Obesity is associated with elevated levels of inflammation and metabolic abnormalities which are linked to CVD. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether long-chain n-3 PUFA (LCn-3PUFA), combined with a very-low-energy diet (VLED), facilitated weight loss and weight maintenance, and improvements in blood lipids and inflammatory mediators. This was a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial with two parallel groups. For 14 weeks, one group consumed 6 × 1 g capsules/d of monounsaturated oil (placebo group, PB), and the other group consumed 6 × 1 g capsules/d of LCn-3PUFA (fish oil group, FO), each comprising 70 mg EPA and 270 mg DHA. Both groups were on VLED for 4 weeks (n 14 PB, n 18 FO), which was then followed by 10 weeks of weight maintenance (n 12 PB, n 17 FO). Fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements and 3 d food diaries were collected at baseline, at 4 and 14 weeks. A greater-than-2-fold increase occurred in plasma levels of EPA and DHA in the FO group (P < 0·001). At 4 weeks, the mean weight loss was -6·54 (SD 2·08) kg (-6·9%) for PB and -6·87 (SD 1·83) kg (-7·7%) for FO. At week 14, after the maintenance phase, there was a further mean decrease in weight, -1·57 (SD 3·7) kg (1·85%) for PB and -1·69 (SD 2·32) kg (-1·9%) for FO. Both groups experienced improved metabolic profiles and there was a significant reduction in fat mass for the FO group at week 14 but not for PB. However, it would appear that supplementation with LCn-3PUFA had no significant effect on weight loss or weight maintenance over the 14 weeks.

Background: A major challenge for successful weight management is tailoring weight loss programs to individual needs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether personality traits could be used to match individuals to a compatible weight loss program that would maximize weight loss., Method: Two different weight loss trials were conducted, both with a weight loss greater than 5% the measure of success. Fifty-four individuals, BMI 30-40 kg/m2, either followed a slow, healthy eating weight loss diet (HEWLD) of 5000-6000 kJ/day for 12 weeks (n = 22), or a fast, very low energy diet (VLED) of 3000 kJ/day for 4 weeks (n = 32). Anthropometric measurements were recorded at baseline, at the end of the weight loss period and, for VLED, at the end of 10 weeks of weight maintenance. Personality traits were measured at baseline using the Tangney Self Control Scale plus 3 of the scales from the Five Factor Model - Neuroticism, Conscientiousness and Extraversion., Results: The percentage weight loss was significantly greater in VLED (-7.38%) compared to HEWLD (-4.11%), (p < 0.001). Weight loss in HEWLD was positively correlated with Anxiety, a facet of Neuroticism. Weight loss in VLED was positively correlated with Neuroticism (r = 0.5, p < 0.01), and negatively correlated with Dutifulness and Discipline, facets of Conscientiousness, (p < 0.05 for both). No link was observed between weight loss and the personality trait, Self Control, in either HEWLD or VLED., Conclusion: The personality factor, Neuroticism, was linked to successful weight loss (that is ≥ 5%) with a particular weight loss treatment, suggesting that there is a potential to use measures of personality to identify appropriate weight loss/management strategies for individuals., Trial Registration: Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12611000716965.

Intentional weight loss with a reduction in adipose tissue is associated with an improvement in medical complications linked to obesity. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of two different weight loss diets on obese individuals (BMI 30-40 kg m(-2)) for improvements in anthropometric measurements and blood biomarkers. Study 1 comprised a low energy diet (LED) of 5000-6000 kJ d(-1) for a slow but steady weight loss over 12 weeks. Study 2 comprised a very low energy diet (VLED) of 3000 kJ d(-1) using meal replacements for rapid weight loss over a shorter period of 4 weeks followed by 10 weeks of weight stabilisation to prevent rebound after rapid weight loss. Nutrition information sessions were given to both groups. Fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements and 3-day food diaries were collected at baseline and again at completion of weight loss, at 12 weeks for LED group and 4 weeks for VLED group. Mean weight loss in the LED group (n = 18) was -3.17 kg (-3.7%) compared to a -6.54 kg (-7%) loss in the VLED group (n = 14) (p < 0.001). The VLED group experienced significantly greater reductions in fat mass, -13.9% compared to -8.9% for the LED group (p < 0.05). Significantly greater reductions in blood glucose (p < 0.05), cholesterol and LDL-C (p < 0.01 for both), and waist circumference (p≤ 0.05) were noted in VLED compared to those for LED diet. Short-term, rapid weight loss produced the desired ≥5% weight loss suggested to substantially reduce metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity, and to reduce health risks.