Research
Energy balance
Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs) produce rapid weight loss (15-25% in 3-6 months) but are associated with high attrition and significant weight regain (>50%) at 1-2 year follow-ups.
VLCDs can help you lose weight quickly (15-25% in a few months), but they are hard to sustain. Most people regain more than half the weight within 1-2 years if they don't have a structured plan to transition to normal food and maintain lifestyle changes. Use VLCDs only under medical supervision and as part of a broader program.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Medically supervised VLCD programs found that patients who completed treatment experienced 15% to 25% weight loss at three to six months. However, attrition rates, cost, and regaining more than 50% of weight lost were found to be higher at one and two year follow-up evaluations.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple studies cited in the review.
Source
Tipping the scales: Provider perspectives on a multi-disciplinary approach to obesity
Dellyse Bright et al. · Experimental Biology and Medicine · 2019
DOI 10.1177/1535370219825639
narrative_reviewCited 7×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Behavioral therapies, specifically Motivational Interviewing (MI) and self-monitoring (food diaries, weight logs), are critical components for improving adherence and weight loss success in multidisciplinary programs.Good
- Multidisciplinary weight management programs (WMPs) combining physician oversight, diet, exercise, and behavioral therapy are feasible and effective for obesity treatment in primary care, addressing the gap between patient need and current care models.Moderate
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