Research
Energy balance
Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD) produce substantial short-term weight loss (10-17 kg) but suffer from gradual attenuation and weight regain over time unless supported by behavioral interventions.
VLCDs are powerful for rapid short-term loss but require medical supervision and a structured reintroduction phase. Without behavioral support, the weight loss is likely to be partially regained over time.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Research on very low calorie diets consistently demonstrates substantial short-term reductions in body weight... weight loss typically ranges from approximately 10 to 17 kg... After 12 months, average weight loss was 10.3 kg, compared to 6.4 kg in groups receiving behavioral programs alone. After 24 months these values decreased to 4.2 and 2.8 kg...
Why this rating
Based on narrative review of multiple studies with heterogeneity and limited long-term follow-up.
Source
Dietary and Behavioral Strategies for Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance: A Narrative Review
Tomasz Żurawski et al. · Nutrients · 2025
DOI 10.3390/nu18010012
narrative_reviewCited 4×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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