Control of Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors by a Low Calorie‐Moderate Carbohydrates Diet in Mexicans

Abstract

Obesity (O) is a multifactorial disorder and is associates with the development of several chronic diseases. The metabolic syndrome (MS) is diagnosed when three or more than any factors like dislipidemia, hyperglicemia, hypertension or central obesity are presented. Some studies associated the carbohydrate intake with the development of obesity and the MS has been reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a low calorie‐ moderate carbohydrate diet (40% energy) on obesity and the MS in people from Mexico for 8 weeks. 156 subjects participated in the study, however only 29 finished it. Every week, the participants came for the recommended diet used within the intervention and the anthropometric and clinical parameters were measured. Blood sample were drowning at points 0, 4 and 8 weeks of the study which were used to analyze the biochemical parameters. Anthropometric, clinical and biochemical parameters were measured by using standardized methods. Participants lost 14.4 pounds average during the whole intervention, 8.4 cm of waist circumference and 2.5 of BMI. 21.4 and 17.8% reduced hypertension and glucose respectively. 32.1% reduced total cholesterol, 32.1% reduced LDL‐C concentrations and triacylglycerides and 28.6% increased their HDL‐C. Low calorie‐moderate carbohydrate diet (40% energy) is very useful in the control of obesity and the factors related to the MS, and also it resulted very convenient for Mexican since, carbohydrates are an important part of their cultural dietary habits.FOUNDED BY PROFAPI‐UAS 2006