Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) - Research
The LighterLife VLCD Programme uses a
nutritionally complete, VLCD formula, which allows people to lose
weight quickly and safely. Research into VLCDs suggests:
- VLCDs can be very effective in promoting
weight loss, as well as lowering blood glucose levels.
- VLCDs, with the appropriate follow-up
treatments, can be an effective way of managing long term weight
maintenance.
- Change in body composition during weight loss
provides no evidence of loss of protein in the body.
Listed below are just a few of the many
clinical papers that demonstrate the health benefits and safety of
using very-low-calorie diets in the treatment of obesity.
Voleck et al. Modification of
Lipoproteins by Very Low-Carbohydrate Diets.
Journal of Nutrition. 2005. 135:
1339-1342.
The paper reviews and summarises the latest studies that have
examined the effects of the use of VLCDs on risk factors for
cardiovascular disease.
Conclusion: "Considering the effectiveness of
VLCDs in promoting fat loss and improving the metabolic syndrome,
discounting or condemning their use is unjustified."
Doherty et al. Long-term evaluation on
cardiac function in obese patients treated with a very-low-calorie
diet: a controlled clinical study of patients without underlying
cardiac disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1991;
53:854-8.
This study involved monitoring of cardiac function before, during
and after dietary treatment, comparing patients treated with very
low calorie diet, 1200kcal balanced diet and a control group.
Conclusion: The authors report that there were no
observed significant symptoms, arrhythmias or changes in
cardiac-conduction intervals in obese patients who had followed a
VLCD for 16 weeks and lost over 20kg.
Jebb et al. No evidence of excessive
losses of protein during acute weight loss. Poster Presented at 8th
International Congress on Obesity, Paris September
1998.
This study measured the body composition of patients before and
after rapid weight loss. The results showed the mean proportion of
weight lost as fat was 71.18% which is not significantly different
from the composition of the excess weight.
Conclusion: this analysis of changes in body composition
during weight loss provides no evidence of any significant loss of
protein during acute weight loss.
Capstick et al. Very Low Calorie Diet
(VLCD): A useful alternative in the treatment of the obese NIDDM
patient. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. (1997)
105-111.
The study involved treating a group of patients with type 2
diabetes with VLCD for 12 weeks. The results showed that blood
glucose levels fell rapidly after commencement on VLCD treatment
and at the end of the treatment none of the patients required
insulin therapy and dosage of diabetes medications was
reduced.
Conclusion: "VLCD treatment is very effective in
promoting weight loss as well as lowering blood glucose levels,
despite the considerable reduction in the use of pharmacological
agents". Findings from this paper also suggest that effects of VLCD
on glucose levels may be more than the result of restricted caloric
intake alone.
Saris WHM. Very-Low-Calorie Diets and
Sustained Weight Loss. Obesity Research. 2001 9 suppl 4,
295S.
This study reviews the literature surrounding the use of very low
calorie diets and the long term weight maintenance and success of
this treatment for obesity. The review found evidence that "weight
loss using VLCDs with active follow up weight maintenance program,
including behaviour therapy, nutritional education and exercise,
improves weight maintenance."
Conclusion: "VLCD with active follow-up treatment seems to
be one of the better treatment modalities related to long term
weight maintenance success".
Astrup and Rossner. Lessons from
obesity management programmes: greater initial weight loss improves
long-term maintenance. Obesity Reviews. 2000. 1.
17-19.
The study reviews the literature relating to weight loss and weight
maintenance, which shows that the initial weight loss is
positively, not negatively related to long term weight
maintenance.
Conclusion: This review found that there is evidence to
suggest that a "greater initial weight loss as the first step of a
weight-management programme may result in improved sustained weight
maintenance."
I dropped 4 dress sizes in 4
months
I did lots of research
and I knew it was safe.
Suzanne (read my story)
Maintaining since November
2005
Was size 16, now size 8