Research
Energy balance
Very-low-calorie diets (VLCD, 400-800 kcal/d) under medical supervision produce approximately 20 kg of weight loss in 12-16 weeks, but long-term maintenance is poor without additional behavioral or exercise interventions.
VLCDs (400-800 kcal) can produce rapid weight loss (~20kg in 3-4 months) but require medical supervision. They are not a standalone long-term solution; combining them with behavior therapy or exercise significantly improves the chance of keeping the weight off.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Patients treated under medical supervision using a very-low-calorie diet (400 to 800 kcal/d) lose approximately 20 kg in 12 to 16 weeks and maintain one half to two thirds of this loss in the following year.
Why this rating
Based on randomized clinical trials and follow-up data.
Source
Treatment of Obesity by Moderate and Severe Caloric Restriction: Results of Clinical Research Trials
Thomas A. Wadden · Annals of Internal Medicine · 1993
DOI 10.7326/0003-4819-119-7_part_2-199310011-00012
narrative_reviewCited 475×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Moderate caloric restriction (1200-1500 kcal/d) combined with behavior modification produces an average short-term weight loss of 8.5 kg over 20 weeks, though patients typically regain one-third of this loss within one year.Good
- Continuing care (maintenance therapy) and regular exercise significantly improve the long-term maintenance of weight loss after both moderate and severe caloric restriction.Good
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