Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 1998 Jan;21(1):2-8.
doi: 10.2337/diacare.21.1.2.

The effect of short periods of caloric restriction on weight loss and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes

K V Williams  1 , M L Mullen, D E Kelley, R R Wing
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

The effect of short periods of caloric restriction on weight loss and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes

K V Williams et al. Diabetes Care. 1998 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether an intermittent very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) improves weight loss and glycemic control more than moderate caloric restriction alone.

Research design and methods: Individuals with type 2 diabetes (n = 54) who were > or = 20% over ideal body weight participated in a 20-week behavioral weight control program. Subjects were randomized to either a standard behavioral therapy (SBT) group or to one of two VLCD groups. SBT subjects received a 1,500-1,800 kcal/day diet throughout. Both VLCD groups followed a VLCD for 5 consecutive days during week 2, followed by either intermittent VLCD therapy for 1 day/week for 15 weeks (1-day) or for 5 consecutive days every 5 weeks (5-day), with a 1,500-1,800 kcal/day diet at other times.

Results: Both VLCD groups lost more weight than the SBT group over the 20 weeks (P = 0.04). Although the groups did not differ in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) changes at 20 weeks, more subjects in the 5-day group attained a normal HbA1c when compared with the SBT group (P = 0.04). This benefit was independent of the effects of weight loss. The best predictor of overall change in FPG and HbA1c was the FPG response during the first 3 weeks of the program.

Conclusions: Periodic VLCDs improved weight loss in diabetic subjects. A regimen with intermittent 5-day VLCD therapy seemed particularly promising, because more subjects in this group attained a normal HbA1c. Moreover, the glucose response to a 3-week period of diet therapy predicted glycemic response at 20 weeks, and it was a better predictor of the 20-week response than initial or overall weight loss.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

MeSH terms