Flexibility and customization played crucial roles in enhancing the weight-loss effectiveness of participants in the Individualized Diet Improvement Program developed by food scientists.
A study revealed that individuals involved in a self-guided dietary education program who achieved the most significant weight loss over a 25-month period tended to consume higher amounts of protein and fiber. The ability to tailor their eating plans and the flexibility in those plans were vital for long-term adherence.
By the end of the first year, an impressive 41% of successful dieters had shed 12.9% of their body weight. In contrast, the rest of the participants managed to lose just over 2% of their initial weight, according to a publication in Obesity Science and Practice.
The dieters were part of the Individualized Diet Improvement Program, which incorporated data visualization tools and intensive nutritional education sessions to enhance participants’ understanding of essential nutrients. This approach empowered them to develop a personalized, safe, and efficient weight-loss strategy, explained Manabu T. Nakamura, a nutrition professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the study’s lead researcher.
Nakamura emphasized, “Flexibility and personalization are essential in shaping robust weight-loss programs that help dieters effectively lose weight and maintain their progress.” He noted that achieving sustainable dietary changes, which vary among individuals, is crucial for sustaining a healthy weight. The iDip method encourages participants to try different dietary variations, with the knowledge and skills gained during the weight loss process forming the basis for long-term maintenance.
The core principles of iDip focus on increasing protein and fiber intake while limiting daily consumption to 1,500 calories or less.
Utilizing dietary guidelines from the Institutes of Medicine, the iDip team developed an innovative two-dimensional data visualization tool. This tool maps the protein and fiber content of foods relative to their calorie count and helps establish target ranges for each meal. Participants began by selecting foods they normally consumed and crafted a personalized plan that aimed for an intake of approximately 80 grams of protein and 20 grams of fiber each day.
By monitoring participants’ eating patterns and weights with Wi-Fi-enabled scales, researchers identified a strong inverse relationship between the amounts of fiber and protein consumed and the degree of weight loss.
Mindy H. Lee, the study’s first author and a former graduate student and registered dietitian-nutritionist for the iDip program, remarked, “The findings strongly indicate that enhancing protein and fiber intake while simultaneously reducing caloric intake is crucial for the safety and effectiveness of weight loss regimes.”
Nakamura highlighted the importance of preserving lean body mass while losing weight, particularly when using weight-loss medications.
“Recently, there has been a surge in the use of injectable weight-loss drugs,” Nakamura noted. “However, relying on these medications with a drastically limited food intake can lead to severe side effects, such as muscle and bone loss, unless protein intake is adequately increased during the weight loss process.”
Out of the 22 individuals who enrolled in the program, nine were men and 13 were women, primarily aged between 30 and 64. Most reported previous attempts to lose weight and had various comorbidities, including 54% with high cholesterol, 50% with skeletal issues, and 36% with hypertension and/or sleep apnea. Several also had diagnoses such as diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cancer, and depression.
The seven participants who reported depression lost a significantly smaller amount of weight—about 2.4% of their initial weight—compared to those without depression, who shed 8.39% of their starting weight. Interestingly, weight loss did not significantly vary among participants with different comorbidities or between genders or age groups.
Analysis of body composition revealed that participants maintained their lean body mass, with an average reduction of 7.1 kilograms of fat mass and minimal muscle mass loss at the six-month mark. Among those who lost more than 5% of their starting weight, 78% of the lost weight was from fat, as noted in the study.
Overall, participants decreased their fat mass from an average of 42.6 kilograms at the start of the program to 35.7 kilograms at the 15-month point. Additionally, they reduced their waist circumference by approximately 7 centimeters at six months and a total of 9 centimeters at 15 months.
Monitoring protein and fiber intake revealed a strong connection between these nutrients and weight loss at the three-month and twelve-month marks.
“The strong correlation suggests that participants able to establish sustainable dietary adjustments within the first three months continued to lose weight in the ensuing months. Conversely, those who struggled to adapt to sustainable eating habits early on hardly succeeded in altering their diets later,” Nakamura explained.
The team speculated that the early weight loss success might have fostered motivation and commitment among some dieters, aiding their program adherence.
This project received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.
Co-authors from the University of Illinois included Dr. Jennie Hsu, a clinical nutrition professor and internist at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine; nutrition and food science professor emeritus John W. Erdman Jr.; medical student Annabelle Shaffer; postdoctoral research associate Catherine C. Applegate at the Beckman Institute; and then-graduate student Nouf W. Alfouzan.
