Initial weight loss on an 800-kcal diet as a predictor of weight loss success after 8 weeks: The Diogenes study
Handjieva-Darlenska T., Handjiev S., Larsen TM., Van Baak MA., Jebb S., Papadaki A., Pfeiffer AFH., Martinez JA., Kunesova M., Holst C., Saris WHM., Astrup A.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether pre-treatment subject characteristics and weight change during the first weeks of a low-calorie diet (LCD) can predict weight loss outcomes at the end of a controlled 8-week weight loss period in overweight and obese adults. Subjects: A total of 932 overweight and obese subjects of both genders were included at eight European centers, and underwent an 8-week LCD period. Results: The weight loss at week 8 was positively correlated with initial body weight (Spearman's =ρ0.62), height (=ρ0.43), body mass index (=ρ0.43), waist (=ρ0.48) and hip circumference (=ρ0.33), sagittal diameter (=ρ0.45), fat mass (=ρ0.35) and fat-free mass (=ρ0.52), and gender (=ρ-0.36) (all