Randomised controlled trial of novel, simple, and well supervised weight reducing diets in outpatients

Objectives To investigate the contribution of novelty and simplicity to com pliance with a low energy diet among obese outpatients. Design Three arm randomised trial for 16 weeks. Setting NHS hospital obesity clinic. Subjects 45 patients aged over 17 years with a body mass index > 27 who wer e not diabetic, pregnant, or lactating. Interventions Conventional 3.4 MJ diet (control), isoenergetic novel diet o f milk only, or milk plus one designated food daily. Follow up visit every 4 weeks, Main outcome measure Weight loss. Results Mean weight loss (kg) after 16 weeks on control, milk only, and mil k plus diets was 1.7 (95% confidence interval - 0.3 to 3.7), 9.4 (5.9 to 12 .9), and 7.0 (2.7 to 11.3) respectively, Weight loss on the novel diets was significantly greater than on the control diet. Conclusions Dietary treatment can achieve as much weight loss in obese outp atients over 16 weeks as has been reported for the most successful drug tre atment, but compliance with the prescribed diet is poor unless the diet is novel and simple.