The Effects of Low-Carbohydrate versus Conventional Weight Loss Diets in Severely Obese Adults: One-Year Follow-up of a

Background: A previous paper reported the 6-month compari-son of weight loss and metabolic changes in obese adults ran-domly assigned to either a low-carbohydrate diet or a conven-tional weight loss diet. Objective: To review the 1-year outcomes between these diets. Design: Randomized trial. Setting: Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Participants: 132 obese adults with a body mass index of 35 kg/m2 or greater; 83 % had diabetes or the metabolic syndrome. Intervention: Participants received counseling to either restrict carbohydrate intake to <30 g per day (low-carbohydrate diet) or to restrict caloric intake by 500 calories per day with <30 % of calories from fat (conventional diet). Measurements: Changes in weight, lipid levels, glycemic con-trol, and insulin sensitivity