programs : sdpi : e-updates : volume 3, issue 2 : diabetes research round-up

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Heart-Healthy, Reduced-Calorie Diets Combined with Counseling Promote Long-term Weight Loss Heart-healthy diets that reduce calorie intake—regardless of differing amounts of fat, protein, or carbohydrate—can help overweight and obese adults achieve and maintain weight loss, according to a study reported in the February 26, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers from the “Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies” (POUNDS LOST) study found similar weight loss after 6 months and after 2 years among participants assigned to four diets that differed in their proportions of the three major nutrients. The diets were either low or high in total fat (20 or 40 percent of calories) with average or high protein (15 or 25 percent of calories). Carbohydrate content ranged from 35 to 65 percent of calories. The diets all used the same calorie reduction goals and were heart-healthy—low in saturated fat and cholesterol while high in dietary fiber. On average, participants lost 13 pounds at 6 months and maintained a 9-pound loss at 2 years. Participants also reduced their waistlines by 1 to 3 inches by the end of the study. Participants who attended two-thirds of the twice-monthly group counseling sessions over the course of the 2 years lost 22 pounds compared with the average 9-pound loss. In addition, all diets improved risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes at both 6 months and 2 years. These include reduced levels of triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, lowered blood pressure, and increased HDL (good) cholesterol, and lowered fasting insulin levels. Of the 811 study participants, 38 percent were men and 22 percent represented racial and ethnic minorities. Participants did not have diabetes or severe heart disease but could have had other risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. “These results show that as long as people follow a heart-healthy, reduced-calorie diet, it does not matter which nutritional approach they take to achieve and maintain a healthy weight,” said Tammy Brown, Nutrition Consultant for the IHS Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention. “This study not only gives people who need to lose weight the flexibility to choose an approach that they’re most likely to stick to but it also shows how important group counseling sessions such as those offered by SDPI grantees can be in achieving greater weight loss for a longer period of time.”	Main Page Diabetes Research Round-Up SDPI Success Stories Empowering Clinicians to Deliver Quality Diabetes Care Spotlight on: Carleton Albert, Sr. Meet the Staff: Cecelia Shorty Upcoming Events Awards Information Feedback