Compliance to dietary advice directed towards increasing the carbohydrate to fat ratio of the everyday diet.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects, on food intake, body weight and body composition, of compliance to advice aiming at increasing the carbohydrate to fat ratio of the everyday diet without imposing voluntary restriction on the amount of food consumed.


METHODS
Eight moderately overweight women (body mass index > 27 kg/m2, relative body fat mass > 30%) received dietary advice during a 2 month period. Additionally, each evening the subjects had to consume a meal artificially enriched with 13C-glucose in order to assess their compliance from the 13CO2 enrichment in expired air.


METHODS
Dietary intakes, body weight, body composition and individual compliance.


RESULTS
The energy derived from fat decreased from 44 +/- 1% to 31 +/- 1% and the proportion of carbohydrate increased from 38 +/- 2% to 50 +/- 1%, whereas the absolute carbohydrate intake remained constant (182 +/- 18 g/d). Energy intake decreased by 1569 +/- 520 kJ/d. There was a net loss of fat mass (1.7 +/- 0.7 kg, P = 0.016) with fat free mass maintenance. Dietary compliance ranged from 20 to 93% (mean: 60 +/- 8%) and was positively correlated to the loss of body fat mass.


CONCLUSIONS
Advice aiming at increasing diet's carbohydrate to fat ratio induces a loss of fat mass with fat-free mass maintenance.
Lyon
X H
XH
Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Di Vetta
V
V
Milon
H
H
Jéquier
E
E
Schutz
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D001481:Basal Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002153:Calorimetry, Indirect; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000592:standards*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005947:Glucose