Objective: Obesity is the most prevalent chronic disease in the United States with over 70% of the American population suffering from overweight/obesity. Recently, the popularity of plant-based diets has grown, with individuals adopting these diets for ethical, health and environmental reasons. Our aim is to evaluate the effect of a plant-based diet (PBD) on weight loss among patients who are overweight or obese.
Methods: A literature review of PBDs for the treatment of obesity was conducted using PubMed and Scopus. Our search yielded 27 intervention trials (3361 participants) and six metanalyses (9168 participants, 61 trials).
Results: Among the intervention trials evaluated, 75% showed a significant decrease in weight loss in the intervention group, on average -5.0kg (range -1.8 to -12.1kg). Other outcomes included energy intake (-420 Kcal/day), systolic blood pressure (-3.78 mmHg), fasting plasma glucose (-2.0 mmol/L), HbA1c (-0.5%, -3.4 mmol/L), total cholesterol (-0.40 mmol/L), low-density lipoprotein (-0.38 mmol/L), triglyceride levels (+0.13 mmol/L), and fiber intake (+10.8 g/day). The six meta-analyses showed weight loss (average -2.9 kg , range -2.02 kg to -4.1 kg), BMI reduction, and improvements in HbA1c, LDL, and total cholesterol.
Conclusion: PBDs result in significant weight loss and improve metabolic outcomes. PBDs offer a sustainable approach to long-term weight loss maintenance. Healthcare providers should encourage open discussions with their patients regarding their dietary habits to assist them in setting feasible lifestyle goals and consider shared medical appointments to support patients in transitioning to PBDs.
Copyright © 2024 AACE. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.