The goal of this paper is to review the evidence related to the effect of plant-based dietary pattems on obesity and weight loss, includingboth observational and intervention trials. Literature from ...plant-based diets （PBDs） epidemiological and clinical trial research was used toinform this review. In addition, data on dietary quality, adherence, and acceptability were evaluated and are presented. Both clinical trials andobservational research indicate an advantage to adoption of PBDs for preventing overweight and obesity and promoting weight loss. PBDsmay also confer higher levels of diet quality than are observed with other therapeutic diet approaches, with similar levels of adherence andacceptability. Future studies should utilize health behavior theory to inform intervention development and delivery of PBDs studies and newtechnologies to bring interventions to scale for greater public health impact. Research examining PBDs and weight loss is also needed withmore diverse populations, including older adults. Based on the available evidence, PBDs should be considered a viable option for the treat-ment and prevention of overweight and obesity.
Weight change trajectory from diet and lifestyle interventions typically involves rapid weight loss followed by a weight plateau after approximately 6 months. Changing from one weight-loss diet to ...another at the time of the plateau could instigate renewed weight loss. Therefore, our secondary analysis aimed to assess trajectory of weight loss in a 12-month, randomized, cross-over study. Forty-two adults were randomized to eat a healthy low-fat or healthy low-carbohydrate diet for 6 months then switched to the opposite diet for an additional 6 months. Regardless of diet assignment, participants experienced rapid initial weight loss, which slowed between 3 to 6 months. After switching diets at 6 months, weight modestly decreased until 9 months, but at a rate slower than the initial 3 months and slower than the rate from 3 to 6 months. This suggests that the weight loss plateau typically seen at 6 months is physiological and cannot be overcome by simply switching to a different weight-loss diet.
Adherence is a critical factor to consider when interpreting study results from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing one diet to another, but it is frequently not reported by researchers. The ...purpose of this secondary analysis of the Keto-Med randomized trial was to provide a detailed examination and comparison of the adherence to the two study diets (Well Formulated Ketogenic Diet (WFKD) and Mediterranean Plus (Med-Plus)) under the two conditions: all food being provided (delivered) and all food being obtained by individual participants (self-provided). Diet was assessed at six time points including baseline (×1), week 4 of each phase when participants were receiving food deliveries (×2), week 12 of each phase when participants were preparing and providing food on their own (×2), and 12 weeks after participants completed both diet phases and were free to choose their own diet pattern (×1). The adherence scores for WFKD and Med-Plus were developed specifically for this study. Average adherence to the two diet patterns was very similar during both on-study time points of the intervention. Throughout the study, a wide range of adherence was observed among participants-for both diet types and during both the delivery phase and self-provided phase. Insight from this assessment of adherence may aid other researchers when answering the important question of how to improve behavioral adherence during dietary trials. This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT03810378.
Abstract Background Frequently eating fast food has been associated with consuming a diet high in calories, and there is a public perception that fast-casual restaurants (eg, Chipotle) are healthier ...than traditional fast food (eg, McDonald’s). However, research has not examined whether fast-food entrées and fast-casual entrées differ in calorie content. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether the caloric content of entrées at fast-food restaurants differed from that found at fast-casual restaurants. Design This study was a cross-sectional analysis of secondary data. Calorie information from 2014 for lunch and dinner entrées for fast-food and fast-casual restaurants was downloaded from the MenuStat database. Outcome measures Mean calories per entrée between fast-food restaurants and fast-casual restaurants and the proportion of restaurant entrées that fell into different calorie ranges were assessed. Statistical analyses performed A t test was conducted to test the hypothesis that there was no difference between the average calories per entrée at fast-food and fast-casual restaurants. To examine the difference in distribution of entrées in different calorie ranges between fast-food and fast-casual restaurants, χ2 tests were used. Results There were 34 fast-food and 28 fast-casual restaurants included in the analysis (n=3,193 entrées). Fast-casual entrées had significantly more calories per entrée (760±301 kcal) than fast-food entrées (561±268; P <0.0001). A greater proportion of fast-casual entrées compared with fast-food entrées exceeded the median of 640 kcal per entrée ( P <0.0001). Conclusions Although fast-casual entrées contained more calories than fast-food entrées in the study sample, future studies should compare actual purchasing patterns from these restaurants to determine whether the energy content or nutrient density of full meals (ie, entrées with sides and drinks) differs between fast-casual restaurants and fast-food restaurants. Calorie-conscious consumers should consider the calorie content of entrée items before purchase, regardless of restaurant type.
Alternative plant-based meats have grown in popularity with consumers recently and researchers are examining the potential health effects, or risks, from consuming these products. Because there have ...been no studies to date that have specifically assessed the health effects of plant-based meats on biomarkers of inflammation, the purpose of this work was to conduct a secondary analysis of the Study With Appetizing Plantfood – Meat Eating Alternatives Trial (SWAP-MEAT). SWAP-MEAT was a randomised crossover trial that involved generally healthy adults eating 2 or more servings of plant-based meats per day for 8 weeks (i.e. Plant phase) followed by 2 or more servings of animal meats per day for 8 weeks (i.e. Animal phase). Results of linear mixed-effects models indicated only 4 out of 92 biomarkers reached statistical significance. The results were contrary to our hypothesis, since we expected relative improvements in biomarkers of inflammation from the plant-based meats.
Obesity remains a prevalent public health epidemic, and African American (AA) adults are disproportionately affected by obesity more than any other ethnic group, particularly in the Southern region ...of the United States. Addressing poor dietary habits is important for improving obesity rates among AAs, but there has been limited research that has focused on specifically developing culturally tailored interventions. With a recent number of soul food restaurants serving exclusively vegan meals opening up across the country to appeal to AAs and others interested in eating healthier soul foods, there is a unique opportunity to explore how these restaurants might impact AA dietary habits. The purpose of this study was to assess how owners of vegan soul food restaurants located in states within the Black Belt region view their roles as promoters of health in their community and to identify strategies that they use to make plant-based diets (PBDs) more culturally appealing in the AA community. In-depth interviews were conducted with owners (N = 12) of vegan soul food restaurants from seven states. Five themes emerged from the interviews related to (a) the restaurants providing access to vegan meals, (b) restaurant owners educating their customers about vegan diets and healthy eating, (c) using fresh ingredients to make vegan soul foods taste good, (d) addressing limited cooking skills among AAs, and (e) discussing nonhealth reasons to become vegan. The findings indicate there may be future opportunities for health educators to partner with these restaurant owners to improve healthy eating among AAs.
Self-efficacy (SE) and information processing (IP) may be important constructs to target when designing mHealth interventions for weight loss. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship ...between SE and IP with weight loss at six-months as part of the Dietary Interventions Examining Tracking with mobile study, a six-month randomized trial with content delivered remotely via twice-weekly podcasts. Participants were randomized to self-monitor their diet with either a mobile app (n = 42) or wearable Bite Counter device (n = 39). SE was assessed using the Weight Efficacy Life-Style Questionnaire and the IP variables assessed included user control, cognitive load, novelty, elaboration. Regression analysis examined the relationship between weight loss, SE change & IP at six months. Results indicate that elaboration was the strongest predictor of weight loss (ß =−0.423, P = 0.011) among all SE & IP variables and that for every point increase in elaboration, participants lost 0.34 kg body weight.
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