Effects of Specially Designed Energy-Restricted Diet on Anthropometric Parameters and Cardiometabolic Risk in Overweight and Obese Adults: Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study examined the effects of a specially designed energy-restricted diet with alternate carbohydrate intake on body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese adults. The aim was to assess whether the intervention could lead to significant weight loss, improve body composition, and reduce cardiometabolic risks.

METHODS

Sixty-five participants (34 women, 31 men) with an average BMI of 31.8 ± 9.1 kg/m (women) and 34.1 ± 6.4 kg/m (men) participated in a 14-week intervention. The diet included different days of carbohydrate intake and a 20% reduction in total daily energy consumption. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical parameters, including predictive indices of cardiometabolic risk, were determined at baseline and after the intervention.

RESULTS

The intervention resulted in a significant reduction in body weight (mean weight loss of 17%, < 0.001), with 64.6% of participants achieving a weight loss of at least 10%. Muscle mass as a percentage of total body weight increased. Cardiometabolic improvements were observed in fasting blood glucose (from 5.4 to 4.9 mmol/L, < 0.001) and LDL cholesterol (from 3.38 to 2.81 mmol/L, < 0.001). Gender-specific differences were found, particularly in HDL-C, which decreased significantly in women ( = 0.013), while there was a non-significant increase in men. Cardiometabolic indices, including the Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) and the Cardiometabolic Index (CMI), also improved significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

The alternate carbohydrate diet improved body composition, cardiometabolic health, and treatment adherence through metabolic flexibility. However, the short duration of this study and the lack of a control group suggest that further research is needed to assess long-term sustainability.