OBJECTIVE: This study examined the efficacy of a commercially available, portion-controlled diet (PCD) on body weight and HbA1c over 6 months in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: One-hundred participants with a mean +/- SD age of 55.6 +/- 10.6 year, body weight of 102.9 +/- 18.4kg and HbA1c of 7.7 +/- 1.3% were randomly assigned to a 9-session group lifestyle intervention that included a PCD or to a 9-session group program of diabetes self-management education (DSME). Participants in the two groups were prescribed the same goals for energy intake (1,250 to 1,550kcal per day) and physical activity (200min per week). RESULTS: While both groups produced significant improvements in weight and HbA1c after 6 months of treatment, PCD participants lost 7.3kg (95% confidence interval (CI) -5.8 to -8.8kg), compared with 2.2kg (95% CI -0.7 to -3.7kg) in the DSME group (p < 0.0001). Significantly more PCD than DSME participants lost 5% of initial weight (54.0% versus 14.0%, p < 0.0001) and 10% (26.0% versus 6.0%, p < 0.0001). HbA1c declined by 0.7% (95% CI -0.4 to -1.0%) in the PCD group, compared with 0.4% (95% CI -0.1 to -0.7%) in DSME (p < 0.026). Across both groups, larger weight losses were associated with greater reductions in HbA1c (r = 0.52, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that a commercially available portion-controlled meal plan can induce clinically meaningful improvements in weight and glycemic control in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. These data have implications for the management of obesity in primary care, as now provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• PubMed Central
• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher