DOES PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL DIETARY INFORMATION AFFECT ACTUAL OR ONLY REPORTED COMPLIANCE TO A LOW-FAT DIET OVER 12 WEEKS IN HYPERLIPIDEMIC INDIVIDUALS - REPORT OF A PILOT-STUDY

This randomized controlled pilot study was designed to measure the eff ect of additional dietary information on change in reported percentage energy from fat (% fat), total daily energy intake (TDEI), body mass index (BMI) and serum cholesterol in 13 hyperlipidaemic subjects, refe rred from the Cardiology Unit of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, over 12 w eeks. At baseline (visit 1), % fat and TDEI were assessed using a vali dated food frequency questionnaire (Paisley et al., 1996), and BMI and fasting lipids were measured. 'Standard' low-fat dietary advice was g iven to all patients. Subjects were randomized at 4 weeks (visit 2) to receive either further 'standard' dietary advice (control group) or f urther 'standard' dietary advice plus an additional information packag e (intervention group). At 12 weeks (visit 3), % fat, TDEI, BMI and fa sting lipids were reassessed. Both groups reported a significant reduc tion in % fat; a 23% reduction (P = 0.00) in the intervention group, a nd an 11% reduction (P = 0.005) in the control group. However, there w as no significant difference in the reported % fat at the end of the s tudy between the two groups (P = 0.57). Plasma cholesterol was not sig nificantly reduced in either the intervention or the control group (me an 7.3-6.7 mmol/l, 7.2-6.6 mmol/l, respectively). Reported energy inta ke was significantly reduced in both groups, but the extent of energy reduction was not reflected in the degree of weight lost. These result s suggest that the provision of additional dietary information affects reported rather than actual compliance to a low-fat diet.