Results of soy-based meal replacement formula on weight, anthropometry, serum lipids & blood pressure during a 40-week clinical weight loss trial.
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the intermediate-term health outcomes associated with a soy-based meal replacement, and to compare the weight loss efficacy of two distinct patterns of caloric restriction.


METHODS
Ninety overweight/obese (28 < BMI < or = 41 kg/m2) adults received a single session of dietary counseling and were randomized to either 12 weeks at 1200 kcal/day, 16 weeks at 1500 kcal/d and 12 weeks at 1800 kcal/d (i.e., the 12/15/18 diet group), or 28 weeks at 1500 kcal/d and 12 weeks at 1800 kcal/d (i.e., the 15/18 diet group). Weight, body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure and serum lipid concentrations were measured at 4-week intervals throughout the 40-week trial.


RESULTS
Subjects in both treatments showed statistically significant improvements in outcomes. A regression model for weight change suggests that subjects with larger baseline weights tended to lose more weight and subjects in the 12/15/18 group tended to experience, on average, an additional 0.9 kg of weight loss compared with subjects in the 15/18 group.


CONCLUSIONS
Both treatments using the soy-based meal replacement program were associated with significant and comparable weight loss and improvements on selected health variables.
Fontaine
Kevin R
KR
Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. kfontai1@jhmi.edu
Yang
Dongyan
D
Gadbury
Gary L
GL
Heshka
Stanley
S
Schwartz
Linda G
LG
Murugesan
Radha
R
Kraker
Jennifer L
JL
Heo
Moonseong
M
Heymsfield
Steven B
SB
Allison
David B
DB