Adherence
Combining high adherence to a macronutrient-restricted diet (low-carb or low-fat) with high dietary quality yields significantly greater weight loss than either factor alone or low adherence/quality.
If you are following a low-carb or low-fat diet, your weight loss success depends heavily on two things: how closely you stick to the diet (adherence) and how nutritious the food is (quality). Simply cutting carbs or fat without focusing on whole foods and dietary quality may not lead to significant weight loss. To maximize results, aim for both high adherence to your chosen macronutrient limits and high dietary quality (e.g., high Healthy Eating Index score).
Within both HLC and HLF diet arms, 12-mo decrease in BMI was significantly greater in HQ/HA subgroups relative to LQ/LA subgroups. Neither HQ nor HA alone were significantly different than LQ/LA subgroups. Results of this analysis support the combination of dietary adherence and high-quality diets for weight loss.
Why this rating
Secondary analysis of a robust RCT (DIETFITS) with a large sample size (N=448), though post-hoc subgrouping introduces some interpretive complexity.
Source
Association of dietary adherence and dietary quality with weight loss success among those following low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets: a secondary analysis of the DIETFITS randomized clinical trial
Michelle E. Hauser et al. · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · 2023
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