Research
Energy balance
A comprehensive behavioral intervention including nutrition education and exercise improves cardiometabolic risk factors (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, CRP, systolic blood pressure) and body composition (lean mass, body fat, VO2max) over 12 months, regardless of whether the diet is lower-fat or moderate-fat.
Improving your diet and exercise habits not only helps with weight loss but also significantly improves your cholesterol, blood pressure, and overall heart health. These benefits are achieved regardless of whether you choose a lower-fat or moderate-fat diet, as long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased (−3.4 mg/dL and −3.8 mg/dL; P < 0.05), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased (1.9 mg/dL; P < 0.05) in both groups at 12 months.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with biochemical and anthropometric measurements.
Source
The Weight Optimization Revamping Lifestyle using the Dietary Guidelines (WORLD) Study: Sustained Weight Loss Over 12 Months
Tricia Psota et al. · Obesity · 2020
DOI 10.1002/oby.22824
rct · n=101Cited 9×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- A 12-month behavioral weight-loss intervention combining energy-restricted diets (20% or 35% fat) with nutrition education and exercise produces sustained weight loss and improved cardiometabolic markers, regardless of whether the diet is lower-fat or moderate-fat.Good
- Higher diet quality, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), is associated with greater weight loss in the early stages (4 months) of a weight-loss intervention, regardless of macronutrient distribution.Good
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