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Comparison of a low carbohydrate and low fat diet for weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults enrolled in a clinical weight management program.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lecheminant, JD; Gibson, CA; Sullivan, DK; Hall, S; Washburn, R; Vernon, MC; Curry, C; Stewart, E; Westman, EC; Donnelly, JE
Published in: Nutr J
November 1, 2007

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that a low carbohydrate (LC) diet may be equally or more effective for short-term weight loss than a traditional low fat (LF) diet; however, less is known about how they compare for weight maintenance. The purpose of this study was to compare body weight (BW) for participants in a clinical weight management program, consuming a LC or LF weight maintenance diet for 6 months following weight loss. METHODS: Fifty-five (29 low carbohydrate diet; 26 low fat diet) overweight/obese middle-aged adults completed a 9 month weight management program that included instruction for behavior, physical activity (PA), and nutrition. For 3 months all participants consumed an identical liquid diet (2177 kJ/day) followed by 1 month of re-feeding with solid foods either low in carbohydrate or low in fat. For the remaining 5 months, participants were prescribed a meal plan low in dietary carbohydrate (~20%) or fat (~30%). BW and carbohydrate or fat grams were collected at each group meeting. Energy and macronutrient intake were assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months. RESULTS: The LC group increased BW from 89.2 +/- 14.4 kg at 3 months to 89.3 +/- 16.1 kg at 9 months (P = 0.84). The LF group decreased BW from 86.3 +/- 12.0 kg at 3 months to 86.0 +/- 14.0 kg at 9 months (P = 0.96). BW was not different between groups during weight maintenance (P = 0.87). Fifty-five percent (16/29) and 50% (13/26) of participants for the LC and LF groups, respectively, continued to decrease their body weight during weight maintenance. CONCLUSION: Following a 3 month liquid diet, the LC and LF diet groups were equally effective for BW maintenance over 6 months; however, there was significant variation in weight change within each group.

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Published In

Nutr J

DOI

EISSN

1475-2891

Publication Date

November 1, 2007

Volume

6

Start / End Page

36

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Weight Loss
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Overweight
  • Obesity
  • Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Dietary Fats
 

Citation

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Lecheminant, J. D., Gibson, C. A., Sullivan, D. K., Hall, S., Washburn, R., Vernon, M. C., … Donnelly, J. E. (2007). Comparison of a low carbohydrate and low fat diet for weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults enrolled in a clinical weight management program. Nutr J, 6, 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-6-36
Lecheminant, James D., Cheryl A. Gibson, Debra K. Sullivan, Sandra Hall, Rik Washburn, Mary C. Vernon, Chelsea Curry, Elizabeth Stewart, Eric C. Westman, and Joseph E. Donnelly. “Comparison of a low carbohydrate and low fat diet for weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults enrolled in a clinical weight management program.Nutr J 6 (November 1, 2007): 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-6-36.
Lecheminant JD, Gibson CA, Sullivan DK, Hall S, Washburn R, Vernon MC, et al. Comparison of a low carbohydrate and low fat diet for weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults enrolled in a clinical weight management program. Nutr J. 2007 Nov 1;6:36.
Lecheminant, James D., et al. “Comparison of a low carbohydrate and low fat diet for weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults enrolled in a clinical weight management program.Nutr J, vol. 6, Nov. 2007, p. 36. Pubmed, doi:10.1186/1475-2891-6-36.
Lecheminant JD, Gibson CA, Sullivan DK, Hall S, Washburn R, Vernon MC, Curry C, Stewart E, Westman EC, Donnelly JE. Comparison of a low carbohydrate and low fat diet for weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults enrolled in a clinical weight management program. Nutr J. 2007 Nov 1;6:36.
Journal cover image

Published In

Nutr J

DOI

EISSN

1475-2891

Publication Date

November 1, 2007

Volume

6

Start / End Page

36

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Weight Loss
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Overweight
  • Obesity
  • Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Dietary Fats