Comparison of carbohydrate-containing and carbohydrate-restricted hypocaloric diets in the treatment of obesity: effects of appetite and mood.

After a weight-maintaining diet base-line, obese female inpatients were provided with either a carbohydrate-restricted diet (827 kcal; 35% protein, 64% fat, 1% carbohydrate) or a carbohydrate-containing diet (827 kcal; 35% protein, 36% fat, 29% carbohydrate) for 6 wk. When compared with the psychological adjustment during the base-line diet, there was a temporary increase in appetite and a tendency toward dysphoric moods and attitudes during the 1st wk of both treatment diets. After adaptation to the treatment diets, appetite and other psychological states were similar to those during the pretreatment weight-maintaining diet. There was no support for the idea that a carbohydrate-free protein-supplemented fast decreases appetite and elevates mood in comparison with an isocaloric carbohydrate-containing diet. Thus, suppression of appetite alone does not appear to be sufficient reason in itself for using diets of this type.