An Evaluation of Weight Loss following a Carbohydrate and Fat Restricted Diet With Appetite Suppressant and Dietary Supplementation

BY VIVIENNE MATALON, M.D. An exert from The Barianician Summer 2000 Vol 15, No. 2 Forty-seven adult patients were prescribed a carbohydrate and fat restricted diet supplemented with a natural appetite suppressant, a dietary supplement and a liquid protein drink. In addition, patients at risk for gallbladder disease were given ursodiol (Actigall) 300 mg BID. At baseline, evaluations included a history and physical, and measurements of total body weight (lbs), body fat (%), BMI, lean body mass, water weight and blood pressure. Patients were then seen weekly for 6 months. At each weekly visit, total weight, % body fat, BMI, lean body mass, water weight and BP were noted. At the end of the study, statistically significant differences from baseline to final value were noted for body weight (P<.001), percent body fat (P<.001), BMI (P<.001), lean body mass (P=.001), water weight (P=.01) and both systolic (P=.003) and diastolic (P<.001) blood pressure. Currently, 97 million Americans (36% of the population) are classified as overweight or obese.' Obesity is defined in terms of body mass index (BMI). Individuals with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/ m2 are classified as moderately overweight, with a BMI of 30-39.9 kg/m2 as severely overweight, and with a BMI > 40kg/ m2 as morbidly obese.' Increased body weight contributes to a higher incidence of morbidity and mortality in this group, resulting from at least 30 obesity related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, stroke, osteoarthritis and some cancers.',' Losing even a small amount of weight leads to an improvement in overall health. Therefore, many physicians encourage their overweight patients to undertake changes in diet, exercise and behavior to lose the weight. As a group, Americans understand the value of dieting. The American Society of Bariatric Physicians estimates that at any given time, 33% to 40% of women and 20% to 24% of men are trying to lose weight.' This concentration as a society on 10 x The Bariatridan - Summer 2000 dieting and weight reduction has lead to the proliferation of dietary programs, nutritional supplements, and nutritional recommendations about the best way to lose weight. Many of these recommendations are contradictory and often are espoused without supporting data from rational scientific investigations. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a carbohydrate and fat restricted dietary program supplemented with a natural appetite suppressant, a dietary supplement and a liquid protein drink. The objective of this study was to answer two important questions: does following a nutritionally dense, carbohydrate and fat restrictive diet promote the metabolism of fat, and is the use of apple pectin effective as an appetite suppressant?