Initial weight loss on an 800-kcal diet as a predictor of weight loss success after 8 weeks: the Diogenes study

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 64; no. 9; pp. 994 - 999
• Main Authors: Handjieva-Darlenska, T, Handjiev, S, Larsen, T.M, Baak, M.A. van, Jebb, S, Papadaki, A, Pfeiffer, A.F.H, Martinez, J.A, Kunesova, M, Holst, C, Saris, W.H.M, Astrup, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.09.2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/53; 692/699/1702/393; 692/700/565/2072; Adult; Adults; Analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Body fat; Body mass index; Body size; Body weight; Body Weight - physiology; Body weight loss; Caloric Restriction; Clinical Nutrition; Diameters; Diet; Diet therapy; Diet, Reducing; Diogenes Study; Epidemiology; Fat-free body mass; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health aspects; Humans; Hypocaloric diet; Internal Medicine; Low-calorie diet; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; men; Metabolic Diseases; Methods; Nutrient deficiency; Obesity; Obesity - diet therapy; original-article; Overweight; Overweight - diet therapy; Patient outcomes; Physiological aspects; prediction; Predictive Value of Tests; Public Health; Reference Values; Regression models; Sex Factors; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Weight control; Weight loss; Weight Loss - physiology; women; Europe; Denmark; body weight; cut-off value; predictors of weight loss; gender; Diet; Body weight; Weight loss; Prediction; Sex; Metabolic diseases; Corporal biometry; Feeding
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.110

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether pre-treatment subject characteristics and weight change during the first weeks of a low-calorie diet (LCD) can predict weight loss outcomes at the end of a controlled 8-week weight loss period in overweight and obese adults. Subjects: A total of 932 overweight and obese subjects of both genders were included at eight European centers, and underwent an 8-week LCD period. Results: The weight loss at week 8 was positively correlated with initial body weight (Spearman's ρ=0.62), height (ρ=0.43), body mass index (ρ=0.43), waist (ρ=0.48) and hip circumference (ρ=0.33), sagittal diameter (ρ=0.45), fat mass (ρ=0.35) and fat-free mass (ρ=0.52), and gender (ρ=−0.36) (all P<0.01). In the multivariate regression model, adjusted for center, only initial body weight, early weight loss (week 1) and weight loss at week 3 were significant predictors of weight loss outcome at week 8: weight loss (kg) at week 8=0.09+0.046 × baseline body weight (kg)−0.311 × weight loss (kg) at week 1+1.284 × weight loss (kg) at week 3 (R 2=68%, P<0.0001). A weight loss of >or=2.6 kg at week 1 during the LCD period was identified as the optimal cut-off predictor for at least 10 kg weight loss at week 8. Conclusions: This study suggests that initial body weight, early weight loss (week 1) and weight loss at week 3 are predictors of final weight loss during an 8-week LCD, and may be used as early biomarkers of subsequent responses to an LCD diet.