BACKGROUND Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. It is implicated in the development of a variety of chronic disease states and is associated with increased levels of inflammation and oxidative stress. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of Medifast's meal replacement program (MD) on body weight, body composition, and biomarkers of inflammation and oxid...

Aims. We investigated the relationship between circulating amino acid levels and obesity; to what extent weight loss followed by weight maintenance can correct amino acid abnormalities; and whether amino acids are related to weight loss. Methods. Amino acids associated with waist circumference (WC) and BMI were studied in 804 participants from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cardiovascular Cohort (MD...

Few studies have examined the impact of weight history. Extant data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study were used to compare risk factors for normal-weight (body mass index: 18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)) adults with a history of weight loss (n = 775) with those for persons with a history of weight maintenance (n = 5,164). In this 1987-1998 US study, the authors also compared risk factors fo...