COMPLIANCE TO DIETARY ADVICE DIRECTED TOWARDS INCREASING THE CARBOHYDRATE TO FAT RATIO OF THE EVERYDAY DIET

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects, on food intake, body weight and body composition, of compliance to advice aiming at increasing the carbohy drate to fat ratio of the everyday diet without imposing voluntary res triction on the amount of food consumed. DESIGN: Eight moderately over weight women (body mass index > 27 kg/m(2), relative body fat mass > 3 0%) received dietary advice during a 2 month period. Additionally, eac h evening the subjects had to consume a meal artificially enriched wit h C-13-glucose in order to assess their compliance from the (CO2)-C-13 enrichment in expired air. MEASUREMENTS: Dietary intakes, body weight , body composition and individual compliance. RESULTS: The energy deri ved from fat decreased from 44 +/- 1% to 31 +/- 1% and the proportion of carbohydrate increased from 38 +/- 2% to 50 +/- 1%, whereas the abs olute carbohydrate intake remained constant (182 +/- 18 g/d). Energy i ntake decreased by 1569 +/- 520 kJ/d. There was a net loss of fat mass (1.7 +/- 0.7 kg, P = 0.016) with fat free mass maintenance. Dietary c ompliance ranged from 20 to 93% (mean: 60 +/- 8%) and was positively c orrelated to the loss of body fat mass. CONCLUSION: Advice aiming at i ncreasing diet's carbohydrate to fat ratio induces a loss of fat mass with fat-free mass maintenance.