Research
Macro partitioning
Obese individuals should consume at least 1 g/kg ideal body weight of protein per day to support muscle mass, with higher amounts recommended for high-risk groups.
Eat at least 1 gram of protein per kilogram of your ideal body weight every day. If you are older, sick, or losing weight rapidly, you may need even more. Combine this with exercise for best results.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
It therefore seems that routinely recommending and ensuring adequate protein intake of 1 g/kg ideal body weight per day as recommended intake in healthy non-geriatric populations is reasonable and safe, with higher amounts for high-risk patient groups in the absence of contraindications (see paragraph below).
Why this rating
Based on guidelines and expert groups cited.
Source
Sarcopenic Obesity: Time to Meet the Challenge
Rocco Barazzoni et al. · Obesity Facts · 2018
DOI 10.1159/000490361
narrative_reviewCited 228×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Obese individuals with low skeletal muscle mass or function (sarcopenic obesity) face significantly higher risks of frailty, disability, and mortality compared to non-obese counterparts with similar muscle alterations.Good
- Weight loss therapies, including bariatric surgery and hypocaloric diets, inevitably lead to skeletal muscle catabolism, particularly during rapid weight loss phases.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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