A multicomponent intervention reduces body weight and cardiovascular risk at a GEICO corporate site.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a multicomponent nutrition intervention program at a corporate site reduces body weight and improves other cardiovascular risk factors in overweight individuals.


METHODS
Prospective clinical intervention study.


METHODS
Employees of the Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) (N = 113), aged 21 to 65 years, with a body mass index > or =25 kg/m(2) and/or previous diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
A 22-week intervention including a low-fat, vegan diet.


METHODS
Changes in body weight, anthropometric measures, blood pressure, lipid profile, and dietary intake.


METHODS
Multivariate analyses of variance were calculated for clinical and nutrient measures, followed by univariate analyses of variance, to determine the significance of differences between groups in changes over time.


RESULTS
Intervention-group participants experienced greater weight changes compared with control-group participants (mean, -5.1 [SE, .6] kg vs. + .1 [SE, .6] kg, p < .0001), as well as greater changes in waist circumference (mean, -4.7 [SE, .6] cm vs. + .8 [SE, .6] cm, p < .0001) and waistratiohip ratio (mean, -.006 [SE, .003] vs. + .014 [SE, .005], p = .0007). Weight loss of 5% of body weight was more frequently observed in the intervention group (48.5%) compared with the control group (11.1%) (chi(2)[1, N = 113] = 16.99, p < .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Among individuals volunteering for a 22-week worksite research study, an intervention using a low-fat, vegan diet effectively reduced body weight and waist circumference.
Ferdowsian
Hope R
HR
Department of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA. hferdowsian@washingtonccr.org
Barnard
Neal D
ND
Hoover
Valerie J
VJ
Katcher
Heather I
HI
Levin
Susan M
SM
Green
Amber A
AA
Cohen
Joshua L
JL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000178:diet therapy*; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D050177:Overweight / Q000178:diet therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult