Nutrition, weight loss key in mobility-impaired adults

(HealthDay)—Nutrition and weight loss research is needed in adults with mobility-impairing conditions, according to a review published in the December issue of Obesity Reviews.

Matthew A. Plow, Ph.D., of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and colleagues conducted a systematic review of behavioral techniques used in nutrition and weight loss interventions for adults with neurological and musculoskeletal conditions causing mobility impairment.

According to the researchers, there is a need to identify strategies for optimizing energy balance in mobility-impaired adults. Large, robust clinical trials have been conducted to investigate nutrition and weight loss interventions in adults with osteoarthritis. Similar clinical trials in adults with neurological conditions often have small numbers of participants, short-term follow-up, and high rates of attrition. Strategies for behavior change, description and implementation of interventions, and outcome measures varied across the studies.

"Nutrition and weight loss research in adults with mobility-impairing conditions is still in its formative stages, and there is a substantial need to conduct randomized controlled trials," the authors write.