2019-06-01_Healthy_Food_Guide_UK_(2)

results.Ina health-centre-based

studyknownastheDROPLET

trial, 278 obeseadultsfollowedan

810kcalmealreplacementplan

foreightweeks,followedbythe

reintroductionoffood.A practice

nursegaveweeklybehavioural

supportfor 12 weeks,followed

bymonthlysupportforthree

months.Participantslost,on

average,almost11kgcompared

withjust3kgamongthosewho

received‘slowandsteady’

weightlossadvice.TheVLCD

volunteersalsoshowedgreater

improvementsinmarkersthat

determinecardiovascular and

metabolicrisk.

A desiretoimprovehealthis in

fact the main reason for following

What’sinvolved?

Followinga VLCDusuallymeans

consumingaround800kcala day.

It generallyinvolvessubstituting

regularfoodformealreplacement

productssuchasshakes,soupsor

barsovera limitedperiodof time

• usuallyupto 12 weeks.
  VLCDsfirstbecamepopularin
  the1970s,butquicklyfelloutof
  fashionaftertheywerefoundto
  haveinsufficientamountsof
  electrolytes,vitamins,mineralsand
  good-qualityprotein.Indeed,there
  weremorethan 60 deathslinked
  toirregularheartbeatsinpeople
  whoconsumedtheproducts for an
  averageoffourmonths.
  Fortunately,thisis nolonger
  a problem.TheEuropeanFood
  SafetyAuthorityprovidesclear
  adviceonsuitablenutrient
  levelsfortotaldietreplacement
  productstoensurethey’re
  safewhenconsumedbyobese
  peopleastheonlysource
  ofnutritionforuptoseveral
  months.It recommendsa daily
  minimumof600kcal,75gprotein
  (witha maximumof105g),and
  30gcarbohydrate,aswellas
  minimumamountsforessential
  fatsandmanyvitaminsand
  minerals.Inmostcases,these
  areclosetotheamounts
  recommended for UK adults.

Who arethey

suitablefor?

VLCDsareintendedforobese

peoplewitha BodyMassIndex

(BMI)of 30 ormore– they’re

unsuitableif yousimplywantto

shifta littleweight.Because

they’resorestrictive,they’reoften

seenasa ‘lastresort’forthose

whohavestruggledtolose

weight.Infact,guidelinesfrom

theNationalInstituteforHealth

andCareExcellence(NICE)state

thatVLCDsshouldn’tbeused

routinelyandshouldbepartofa

largerweight-managementplan.

Yettheirpotentialasa routine

treatmentforobesityhasrecently

been studied with promising

Anyone

witha BMI

below 30

Pregnantor

breastfeeding

women

Children

or

teenagers

Thosewith

a history

ofeating

disorders

Peoplewith

certain

medical

conditions

aVLCD.AccordingtotheNHS,

theymayberecommendedif

someoneneedshelptolose

weightbeforesurgery,orto

managea healthconditionor

prepare for fertility treatment.

Whytheywork

Asyou’dexpect,studiesusually

showbiggerweightlosses

withVLCDsthanwithmore

moderatecalorierestrictions.

Forexample,ina reviewofsix

studies,adultslostanaverage

of16kgover 12 weeks.

Despitetheirrestrictivenature,

adherencetoVLCDsis surprisingly

high,possiblybecausedieters

find it so motivating to lose such

VLCDS ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR...

34 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDEJUNE 2019