Weight loss benefits linked to higher protein and fiber consumption, research flags

22 Aug 2024 --- Participants in a dietary education program who lost the most weight in a one-year program consumed higher amounts of protein and fiber, according to a recent study. Within this group, 41% of all 22 participants lost 12.9% of their body weight after a year, while unsuccessful dieters lost slightly over 2%.

The researchers say this underscores the importance of personalized, flexible programs to help dieters adhere to their plans. 

The participants joined the Individualized Diet Improvement Program (iDip), which uses visualization tools and intensive dietary education sessions to increase participants’ knowledge of critical nutrients so they can create a personalized, safe and effective weight loss plan. 

“Flexibility and personalization are key in creating programs that optimize dieters’ success at losing weight and keeping it off,” says Manabu T. Nakamura, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, US, and research leader.

“Sustainable dietary change, which varies from person to person, must be achieved to maintain a healthy weight. The iDip approach allows participants to experiment with various dietary iterations, and the knowledge and skills they develop while losing weight serve as the foundation for sustainable maintenance.”

The weight loss program focuses on increasing protein and fiber consumption while eating up to 1,500 calories daily. 

Protein and fiber

For all 22 study participants, the iDip team created a unique, two-dimensional quantitative data visualization tool that plots foods’ protein and fiber densities per calorie. The tool also provides a target range for each meal. The program included 19 dietary education sessions and prescribed homework in the one-year weight loss program. 

The study participants created an individualized plan based on the foods they typically eat. They increased their protein intake to around 80 g and their fiber intake to 20 g daily.

The researchers tracked participants’ eating habits and weights through Wi-Fi-enabled scales. They found strong inverse correlations between fiber and protein consumption percentages and weight loss at three and 12 months. 

“The strong correlation suggests that participants who were able to develop sustainable dietary changes within the first three months kept losing weight in the subsequent months, whereas those who had difficulty implementing sustainable dietary patterns early on rarely succeeded in changing their diet in the later months,” highlights Nakamura.

Nutrition companies also recognize the need for protein in weight loss. For example, Nestlé has developed a range of high-protein portion-aligned foods that can complement people’s diets on weight loss medication. Nutrition Insight also recently sat down with IFF to discuss the company’s expanding range of nutrient-dense weight management solutions. 

The iDip team created a tool that plots foods’ protein and fiber densities per calorie and a target range per meal.Weight loss results

The study, published in Obesity Science & Practice, included nine men and 13 women aged 30–64. All participants had reported making two or more prior attempts to lose weight. 

The participants also had several health issues — high cholesterol (54.6%), skeletal problems (50%), hypertension (36.4%), sleep apnea (36,4%) and depression (31.8%). They also reported diagnoses of diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cancer. 

On average, participants lost 6.49% of their body weight after 12 months. Of the nine participants who lost over 5% of their initial body weight, two reached a 25 kg/m2 body mass index. For this group, the researchers assessed that 78% of their lost weight was fat. 

Participants with depression lost significantly little weight, 2.4% of their starting weight, compared to 8.39% for people without depression. At the same time, the researchers found that weight loss did not differ significantly among participants with other health issues, age or gender. 

Lean body mass

The participants also reduced their fat mass. On average, this changed from 42.6 kg at baseline to 35.7 kg three months after completing the program. 

At the same time, they preserved their lean body mass in both successful and unsuccessful weight loss. Nakamura highlights this is crucial while losing weight, especially when using weight-loss drugs.

“Recently, the popularity of injectable weight loss medications has been increasing,” he cautions. “However, using these medications when food intake is minimal will cause serious side effects of muscle and bone loss unless protein intake is increased during weight loss.”

Researchers underscore the importance of dietary quality in people using anti-obesity drugs. Earlier this year, medical experts developed a list of evidence-based nutritional recommendations to assist healthcare professionals in treating patients using such medications. 

By Jolanda van Hal