The role of celebrity diets versus medical nutrition therapy in type 2 diabetes

Abstract

With global obesity affecting 475 million people worldwide, the continued popularity of celebrity or fad diets is not surprising. Evidence for their sustainability and long-term positive benefits on weight loss and cardiometabolic risk is, however, limited. Modest weight loss of 5-10% in overweight or obesity is associated with improvements in blood lipids, glycemia, and insulin resistance. As overweight and obesity are the main risk factors for Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), medical nutrition therapy based on a balanced, reduced total energy diet, tailored to the individual, is recommended by the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes UK and transcultural diabetes-specific nutrition algrorithm (tDNA) guidelines.