The Role of Macronutrient Content in the Diet for Weight Management

Abstract

Diets to treat obesity have been in existence since Hippocrates treated obesity some 2500 years ago. There are currently a wide variety of diets and a common misconception that a single magical diet can cure overweight and obesity. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses indicate that all diets work when adhered to and that initial weight loss can predict the amount of weight lost and maintained for up to 4 years. Individual preferences are thus key in selecting a diet. There are emerging data pinpointing genetic variability in the metabolic responses to variation in macronutrient intake.

Keywords: Balanced-deficit diets; High-protein diets; Low carbohydrate diets; Low-fat diets; Macronutrients; Mediterranean diets; Very-low-calorie diets; Weight loss.