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Objective Providing portion-controlled prepackaged foods in a behavioral counseling intervention may promote more weight and fat loss than a standard self-selected diet. Methods: The primary aim was to test whether providing portion-controlled prepackaged lunch and dinner entrées within a behavioral weight loss intervention promotes greater weight loss at 12 weeks in overweight/obese adults compared to self-selected foods. Other aims were to examine effects on biological factors, fitness, and meal satisfaction. One-half of those assigned to prepackaged entrées were provided items with a higher protein level (>25% energy) as an exploratory aim. Results Participants (N=183) had a baseline weight of 95.9 (15.6) kg (mean [SD]) and BMI of 33.2 (3.5) kg/m2. Weight data at 12 weeks were available for 180 subjects. Weight loss for regular entrée, higher protein entrée and control groups was 8.6 (3.9), 7.8 (5.1), and 6.0 (4.4)%, respectively (P<0.05, intervention vs. control). Intervention participants lost more body fat than controls (5.7 [3.4] vs. 4.4 [3.3] kg, P<0.05). Conclusions A meal plan incorporating portion-controlled prepackaged entrées promotes greater weight and fat loss than a standard self-selected diet, with comparable meal satisfaction. Initial weight loss predicts long-term weight loss so these results are relevant to likelihood of longer term success.

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Few studies have made distinctions between dietary intake from meals and snacks in relating them to biomarkers. We aimed to examine if snack patterns are associated with biomarkers of glucose metabolism, specifically hemoglobin A1c and HOMA-IR in US adults. Using 24-h dietary recall data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2007-2008, we derived snack patterns using factor analyses. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for biomarkers of glucose metabolism by quintiles of snack pattern scores. Men in the highest quintile of dairy and sugary snack pattern had higher risk of having hemoglobin A1c ≥ 6.5% (AOR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.20-3.51) and HOMA-IR > 3.0 (AOR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.01-2.95) than did those in the lowest quintile. No significant association was found in women between snack patterns and biomarkers of glucose metabolism. Dairy and sugary snack patterns of US men had the greatest association with poor control of glucose metabolism.

MATERIALS & METHODSFood proteins were examined after irradiation. Effects of exposure, headspace gas, buffer, pH, antioxidant, total protein and type, and storage were tested. Decreases in solubility of native protein and formation of high MW polymers were observed. Destruction was greatest at low protein concentrations, high radiation dose (10 kGy) and pH 7. High protein concentration (5lo%), glucose, pH 5-6 and propyl gallate were protective. Ascorbic acid effects were concentration dependent. Nitrogen headspace effect was influenced by antioxidant and was smaller than expected. Propyl gallate plus glucose or SDS helped maintain protein solubility and size at high radiation rates. Marked declines in isoelectric pH consistent with lysine destruction were revealed.