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Macronutrient Content of the Diet: What Do We Know About Energy Balance and Weight Maintenance?

  • Obesity Treatment (CM Apovian, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

The 2013 AHA/ACC Clinical Guideline for the Management of Overweight and Obesity recommends a reduced energy diet for weight loss regardless of the macronutrient content. However, diet composition may affect the maintenance of weight loss. In general, a healthful dietary pattern with reduced portion sizes, low energy dense foods, and physical activity are successful for many. Certain populations, such as those with insulin resistance, may find reductions in carbohydrate and higher levels of unsaturated fats to be more effective and promote greater adherence. Of importance is that metabolic adaptations following weight loss also may impact weight loss maintenance and should be considered in the transition from weight loss to weight stabilization. Thus, weight loss and weight maintenance strategies are both important in an intervention for sustaining long-term behavior change.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, 110 Chandlee Lab, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Jennifer A. Fleming & Penny M. Kris-Etherton

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  1. Jennifer A. Fleming
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  2. Penny M. Kris-Etherton
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Correspondence to Penny M. Kris-Etherton.

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Jennifer A. Fleming and Penny M. Kris-Etherton declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Obesity Treatment

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Fleming, J.A., Kris-Etherton, P.M. Macronutrient Content of the Diet: What Do We Know About Energy Balance and Weight Maintenance?. Curr Obes Rep 5, 208–213 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-016-0209-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-016-0209-8

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