Caloric restriction induces changes in insulin and body weight measurements that are inversely associated with subsequent weight regain.
BACKGROUND
Successful weight maintenance following weight loss is challenging for many people. Identifying predictors of longer-term success will help target clinical resources more effectively. To date, focus has been predominantly on the identification of predictors of weight loss. The goal of the current study was to determine if changes in anthropometric and clinical parameters during acute weight loss are associated with subsequent weight regain.


METHODS
The study consisted of an 8-week low calorie diet (LCD) followed by a 6-month weight maintenance phase. Anthropometric and clinical parameters were analyzed before and after the LCD in the 285 participants (112 men, 173 women) who regained weight during the weight maintenance phase. Mixed model ANOVA, Spearman correlation, and linear regression were used to study the relationships between clinical measurements and weight regain.


RESULTS
Gender differences were observed for body weight and several clinical parameters at both baseline and during the LCD-induced weight loss phase. LCD-induced changes in BMI (Spearman's ρ = 0.22, p = 0.0002) were inversely associated with weight regain in both men and women. LCD-induced changes in fasting insulin (ρ = 0.18, p = 0.0043) and HOMA-IR (ρ = 0.19, p = 0.0023) were also associated independently with weight regain in both genders. The aforementioned associations remained statistically significant in regression models taking account of variables known to independently influence body weight.


CONCLUSIONS
LCD-induced changes in BMI, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR are inversely associated with weight regain in the 6-month period following weight loss.
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Monica H T
MH
Wong
Claus
C
Holst
Arne
A
Astrup
Teodora
T
Handjieva-Darlenska
Susan A
SA
Jebb
Anthony
A
Kafatos
Marie
M
Kunesova
Thomas M
TM
Larsen
J Alfredo
JA
Martinez
Andreas F H
AF
Pfeiffer
Marleen A
MA
van Baak
Wim H M
WH
Saris
Paul D
PD
McNicholas
David M
DM
Mutch
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D015430:Weight Gain; D015431:Weight Loss
D007328:Insulin