Effect of a high-protein, very-low-calorie diet on body composition and anthropometric parameters of obese middle-aged women.

Effects of a very-low-calorie (420 kcal/day), high-protein diet (70 g/day) and realimentation on weight and body composition of 15 obese, middle-aged women were examined in a 4-6 mo study. Mean weight loss was 20.5 kg (1.1 kg/wk). Fat accounted for 83% and lean body mass (LBM) for 17% of total body weight loss. Multiple regression equations estimated from anthropometric measures were developed to predict the body density of obese individuals both before and after weight loss. Best predictors of body density in obese women before and after weight loss were circumference measurements in the trunk area. Nine previously published population specific and generalized equations for predicting body fat in women were not strongly enough correlated with body fat values obtained by densitometry in this study to be of use clinically.