Tags

Type your tag names separated by a space and hit enter

Weight loss strategies, stress, and cognitive function: supervised versus unsupervised dieting.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005 Oct; 30(9):908-18.P

Abstract

The early stages of dieting to lose weight have been associated with neuro-psychological impairments. Previous work has not elucidated whether these impairments are a function solely of unsupported or supported dieting. Raised cortico-steroid levels have been implicated as a possible causal mechanism. Healthy, overweight, pre-menopausal women were randomised to one of three conditions in which they dieted either as part of a commercially available weight loss group, dieted without any group support or acted as non-dieting controls for 8 weeks. Testing occurred at baseline and at 1, 4 and 8 weeks post baseline. During each session, participants completed measures of simple reaction time, motor speed, vigilance, immediate verbal recall, visuo-spatial processing and (at Week 1 only) executive function. Cortisol levels were gathered at the beginning and 30 min into each test session, via saliva samples. Also, food intake was self-recorded prior to each session and fasting body weight and percentage body fat were measured at each session. Participants in the unsupported diet condition displayed poorer vigilance performance (p = 0.001) and impaired executive planning function (p = 0.013) (along with a marginally significant trend for poorer visual recall (p = 0.089)) after 1 week of dieting. No such impairments were observed in the other two groups. In addition, the unsupported dieters experienced a significant rise in salivary cortisol levels after 1 week of dieting (p < 0.001). Both dieting groups lost roughly the same amount of body mass (p = 0.011) over the course of the 8 weeks of dieting, although only the unsupported dieters experienced a significant drop in percentage body fat over the course of dieting (p = 0.016). The precise causal nature of the relationship between stress, cortisol, unsupported dieting and cognitive function is, however, uncertain and should be the focus of further research.

Authors+Show Affiliations

Green MW
Neurosciences Research Institute, Aston University, Birmingham, UK. m.w.green@aston.ac.uk
Elliman NA
No affiliation info available
Kretsch MJ
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AdultAnalysis of VarianceDiet, ReducingFemaleHumansHydrocortisoneMemory DisordersMemory, Short-TermNeuropsychological TestsObesityPsychomotor PerformanceSalivaSocial SupportStress, PsychologicalWeight Loss

Pub Type(s)

Clinical Trial
Comparative Study
Journal Article
Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Language

eng

PubMed ID

15970392

Citation

Green, Michael W., et al. "Weight Loss Strategies, Stress, and Cognitive Function: Supervised Versus Unsupervised Dieting." Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 30, no. 9, 2005, pp. 908-18.
Green MW, Elliman NA, Kretsch MJ. Weight loss strategies, stress, and cognitive function: supervised versus unsupervised dieting. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005;30(9):908-18.
Green, M. W., Elliman, N. A., & Kretsch, M. J. (2005). Weight loss strategies, stress, and cognitive function: supervised versus unsupervised dieting. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 30(9), 908-18.
Green MW, Elliman NA, Kretsch MJ. Weight Loss Strategies, Stress, and Cognitive Function: Supervised Versus Unsupervised Dieting. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005;30(9):908-18. PubMed PMID: 15970392.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Weight loss strategies, stress, and cognitive function: supervised versus unsupervised dieting. AU - Green,Michael W, AU - Elliman,Nicola A, AU - Kretsch,Mary J, PY - 2004/07/15/received PY - 2005/04/28/revised PY - 2005/05/03/accepted PY - 2005/6/23/pubmed PY - 2005/12/13/medline PY - 2005/6/23/entrez SP - 908 EP - 18 JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology VL - 30 IS - 9 N2 - The early stages of dieting to lose weight have been associated with neuro-psychological impairments. Previous work has not elucidated whether these impairments are a function solely of unsupported or supported dieting. Raised cortico-steroid levels have been implicated as a possible causal mechanism. Healthy, overweight, pre-menopausal women were randomised to one of three conditions in which they dieted either as part of a commercially available weight loss group, dieted without any group support or acted as non-dieting controls for 8 weeks. Testing occurred at baseline and at 1, 4 and 8 weeks post baseline. During each session, participants completed measures of simple reaction time, motor speed, vigilance, immediate verbal recall, visuo-spatial processing and (at Week 1 only) executive function. Cortisol levels were gathered at the beginning and 30 min into each test session, via saliva samples. Also, food intake was self-recorded prior to each session and fasting body weight and percentage body fat were measured at each session. Participants in the unsupported diet condition displayed poorer vigilance performance (p = 0.001) and impaired executive planning function (p = 0.013) (along with a marginally significant trend for poorer visual recall (p = 0.089)) after 1 week of dieting. No such impairments were observed in the other two groups. In addition, the unsupported dieters experienced a significant rise in salivary cortisol levels after 1 week of dieting (p < 0.001). Both dieting groups lost roughly the same amount of body mass (p = 0.011) over the course of the 8 weeks of dieting, although only the unsupported dieters experienced a significant drop in percentage body fat over the course of dieting (p = 0.016). The precise causal nature of the relationship between stress, cortisol, unsupported dieting and cognitive function is, however, uncertain and should be the focus of further research. SN - 0306-4530 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/15970392/Weight_loss_strategies_stress_and_cognitive_function:_supervised_versus_unsupervised_dieting_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -