PCRM Clinical Research

A Brief Report on PCRM's Weight Loss Study

Overweight is increasingly common in the United States. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, the prevalence of overweight among adults, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of at least 27.8 kg/m2 for men and 27.3 for women, rose from 25 percent to 33 percent between 1976 and 1991.

Loss of excess weight may reduce the risk of certain cancers and improve blood pressure, serum lipids, and glycemic control, among other health benefits. However, most current medical approaches to overweight are based on restriction of energy intake. Long-term adherence is complicated by the tendency of such diets to cause hunger and to depress resting metabolic rate (RMR) for several weeks following refeeding.

Typically, an individual treated with a 1,200-calorie diet and behavior modification loses 0.4 to 0.5 kg per week, or approximately 8.5 kg in a 20-week treatment program, yet one-third of this weight will have been regained within the following year. Between 85 and 90 percent of those losing weight regain all lost weight within two years.

Because of the need for better methods of weight loss, PCRM has initiated a study comparing two diets—the National Cholesterol Education Program Step II diet and a low-fat, vegan diet—for their effects on body weight and metabolism. In 2000 and 2001, 59 women completed the initial phase of the trial, and results will be submitted shortly for publication.

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