Effectiveness of South Asian Food Pattern in Calorie Restriction Diet among Young Adults with Overweight and Obesity in Dhaka City
Description
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among young adults is emerging in Dhaka city, therefore, diet-based strategy for the reduction of the excess weight is observed as an effective way to improve health and well-being. An exploratory study aims to investigate the effects of calorie-restriction diet in weight reduction by implying the local South Asian dietary pattern. 120 young adults aged 18-35 year with overweight and obesity from Dhaka city were randomized where 60 participants were in a case group following a calorie-restriction diet with South Asian food pattern, and the rest in a control group followed an ad libitum diet for 8 weeks. Participants underwent weight measurement at two weeks' intervals to determine the change in body weight with continuous weight loss motivation and rearranged meal plans to avoid repetition. Mean 2.47 kg (95% CI: 1.94, 3.01; p< .001) weight reduction in case (n= 58; 2 dropouts) group and mean 0.313 kg (95% CI: -0.36,0.053; p< 0.142) weight gain in control [n=60] group was observed. The Body Mass Index dropped from mean 26.68 kg/m2 (95% CI: 26.02,27.34; p< .001) to 25.65 kg/m2 (95% CI: 24.99,26.32; p< .001) in the case group. The results of this study of weight reduction intervention provide primary evidence of successful weight loss by following local food patterns. It is an attempt to evaluate the feasibility of South Asian diet in established dietary regime. Further studies on different biochemical parameters and long-term trials in the South Asian region is recommended.