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Biomedical subjects

M Katahn

Publications and source records attributed to M Katahn.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Randomized evaluation of a low fat ad libitum carbohydrate diet for weight reduction.

Restricting dietary fat intake while consuming carbohydrates ad libitum has recently been promoted as a weight loss regimen. Sixty subjects (52 females and eight males) were randomized to low fat ad libitum carbohydrate (low-fat) or low fat with caloric restriction (low-calorie) behaviour modification treatments. Forty-nine subjects completed the 16-20 week programme. Subjects in both groups reported averaging over five exercise sessions per week during treatment. The low-calorie group lost significantly more weight (males 11.8 kg, s.d. 6.4; females 8.2 kg, s.d. 4.2) than the low-fat group (males 8.0 kg, s.d. 1.3; females 3.9 kg, s.d. 3.7). Both groups of subjects lost similar amounts of lean body mass. There was significantly greater loss of body fat in the low-calorie group. A slight reduction in RMR, adjusted for changes in lean body mass, was observed in both groups. Fat intake was reduced from 90 to 30 g per day. Subjects in both groups reduced their total energy intake with the low-calorie group consuming fewer calories per day than the low-fat group. Both groups showed significant and equivalent improvements in eating habits based on microanalysis of eating diaries. Eating in social situations and emotional eating, however, continued to cause adherence problems during treatment for both groups. Follow-up data collected 9-12 months after completion of treatment on 65% of the subjects completing the study showed no significant difference between the two groups in weight losses from baseline (low-fat group 2.6 kg; low-calorie group 5.5 kg).

Adult↗
PubMed1983

The helper-therapy principle applied to weight management specialists.

One hundred twenty applicants to a weight management specialist training program were studied over a 33-month period. Following a nine-month training period, Specialists (N = 29; those leading at least one posttraining weight management group) were compared to Contact Controls (N = 31; persons participating in the weight management program, but not in the helper role) and No Contact Controls (N = 60; those not accepted into the training program and whose only contact with the program was for data collection purposes) in a test of the helper-therapy principle. The major question was, "What are the long-term physical, psychological, and behavioral effects on overweight and formerly overweight individuals involved in helping other persons manage their weight?" Data gathered at 12 and 24 months post-training revealed few differences between the total group of specialists and persons in the two control groups. However, when the data were analyzed by the amount of commitment to the specialist role, it was found that the Higher Involved Specialists (N = 16; those who led two or more weight management groups in the year posttraining) were significantly more likely to lose additional weight (or maintain earlier weight losses), to be more consistent in their adherence to the eating and activity levels advocated by the program, to feel better about themselves and their bodies, and to maintain their levels of general well-being than control subjects or the Lesser Involved Specialists. These latter individuals (N = 13) were significantly the worse for having gone through specialist training, but not fully carrying out the specialist role.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Situational factors contributing to the placebos effect.

The influence of four variables (status of communicator of drug effects, attitude of dentist, attitude of dental technician, and message of drug effects) on the obtainment of placebo effects in an oral surgery clinic was investigated. Dependent variables were (1) rating of pain experienced from mandibular-block injection, (2) pre-post placebo state anxiety, and (3) pre-postplacebo fear of injection. Enthusiastic messages of drug effects produced statistically and clinically significant reductions in postplacebo fear of injection and state anxiety and markedly lower ratings of pain experienced during injection of local anesthetic. Although there was a strong tendency for positive placebo effects to occur when the dental staff was perceived as friendly and supportive, only the attitude factors obtained statistical significance. The status of the communicator accounted for very small portions of the variance.

Adult↗