The research found that composition of diet, the sources of calories, can affect physiological adaptations that defend body weight. On a low-glycemic load diet, resting energy expenditure (REE) decreased less than with the low-fat diet, which could amount to several pounds of weight change per year, given this effect would persist over a long term. For comparative purposes, a similar effect on caloric expenditure could be obtained by walking a mile per day (80 kcal/d).
Reduction in glycemic load may aid in the prevention or treatment of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. For example, insulin resistance decreased by more than twice as much with weight loss in the low-glycemic load vs. the low-fat group.
"Composition of diet may impact how dieters respond to weight loss," said lead researcher, Mark Pereira, Ph.D., assistant professor in epidemiology at the University of Minnesota. "On a typical low-fat diet, the participants tended to experience more perceived hunger and a slower metabolic rate, which may make it more difficult to stay on the diet, while those on the low-glycemic load diet did not feel as hungry and had a faster metabolic rate."
Pereira and colleagues at Harvard University designed a randomized parallel-design study of 39 over-weight or obese young adults aged 21 to 40 years who received an energy-restricted diet, either low-glycemic load or low-fat. Participants' body composition, REE, blood cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose and insulin levels were measured and studied before and after 10 percent weigh
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Contact: Jonell Rusinko
jrusinko@umn.edu
612-624-5680
University of Minnesota
23-Nov-2004