The American Heart Association also recom-
mended a half-hour to an hour of moderate physical
activity on most days. Furthermore, the heart associ-
ation’s guidelines for weight loss are calorie allowan-
ces of 1,200 per day for women and 1,500 for men.
This would produce a loss of one to two pounds per
week. The association said that a weight loss program
should include nutrition education so that people
‘‘embrace a lifetime of healthy eating habits.’’ Those
recommendations paralleled those of the Mayo Clinic
Healthy Weight Program.General acceptance
The Mayo Clinic plan, with its emphasis on fruits
and vegetables-, had not achieved the popularity of the
Mayo Clinic fad diet as of the spring of 2007. Just one-
fourth of American adults ate five or more servings of
fruits and vegetables each day in 2005, according to
‘‘Physical Activity and Good Nutrition: Essential Ele-
ments to Prevent Chronic Diseases and Obesity At A
Glance 2007,’’ a report by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The report
also noted that 24% of adults were not physically
active during their free time. In addition, more than
50% of adults did not do enough activity to gain
health benefits from their efforts.
Some Americans have embraced parts of the
Mayo Clinic plan, according to the 13 favorable cus-
tomer reviews ofMayo Clinic Healthy Weight for
EveryBodyon the Amazon website in April of 2007.
There were no negative reviews.
J.C. from Centennial, Colorado wrote a doctor
recommended gastric bypass because of the reviewer’s
excess weight. J.C. followed the Mayo plan, felt full
and ‘‘wasn’t tempted to wander’’ from it. J.C. ‘s weight
loss on the Mayo program led the doctor to report that
the reviewer was in ‘‘very good health.’’Resources
BOOKS
Hensrud, Donald (ed.)Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for
EveryBody.Mayo Clinic, 2005.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Dietetic Association, 120 South Riverside Plaza,
Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606. (800) 877-1600.<http://
eatright.org>.
American Heart Association National Center, 7272 Green-
ville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231. (800) 242-8721.<http://
http://www.americanheart.org.>.
Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. S.W.,Rochester, MN 55905. (507)
284-2511.<http://www.mayoclinic.com>OTHER
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center
for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Physical Activity and Good Nutrition: Essential Ele-
ments to Prevent Chronic Diseases and Obesity At A
Glance 2007.<http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publica-
tions/aag/dnpa.htm>(April 9, 2007).
Food and Nutrition Information Center National Agricul-
tural Library/USDAWeight Control and Obesity
Resource List for Consumers<http://www.nal.usda.
gov/fnic/pubs/bibs/topics/weight/consumer.html>
(April 11, 2007).
Mayo Clinic.Mayo Clinic Diet: A weight-loss program for
life(2006).
<http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mayo-clinic-diet/
WT00016>(April 7, 2007).
Rolls, Barbara, Ph.D. ‘‘Energy Density and Nutrition in
Weight Control Management.’’Permanente Journal-
Spring 2003.<http://xnet.kp.org/permanentejournal/
spring03/energy.html>(April 11, 2007).
Neighmond, Patricia.Wiggle While You Work: Fidgeting
May Fight Fat.National Public Radio: All Things
Considered, Jan. 27, 2005.<http://www.npr.org/
templates/story/story.php?storyId=4468682>(April
11, 2007.)
U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of
Health and Human Services.Dietary Guidelines for
Americans 2005<http://www.health.gov/dietaryguide-
lines/dga2005/document>(April 9, 2007).Liz SwainMeckel’s diverticulum
Definition
A Meckel’s diverticulum is a small pouch about 2
inches long that develops near the junction of the small
and large intestines. Meckel’s diverticulum occurs due
to an abnormality in early fetal development. It is the
most common birth defect that occurs in the digestive
system.
Fabricius Hildanus first described the birth defect
in 1598, but the condition is named for Johann F.
Meckel, a German anatomist who was the first to
note that the condition occurred during the embryonic
stage of development.Origins
After conception, small ducts and structures
connect the intestines and the stomach. As fetal devel-
opment progresses and the intestines begin to lengthen
and narrow, the ducts smooth out and usually disappearMeckel’s diverticulum