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Increased Protein And Reduced Fat Has No Significant Effect On Weight Loss Among Type 2 Diabetics

Type 2 diabetics do not increase their weight loss to any significant degree while following a low-fat diet with an increased protein - carbohydrate ratio, nor does the diet soften the drop in resting energy expenditure.

Clinicians from University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia questioned how a high protein diet, in comparison with a low-protein diet, would effect the weight of patients with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, they investigated how resting energy expenditure (REE), and the thermic effect of food (TEF) affected patients during moderate energy restriction.

The patients received either a high protein diet (28 percent protein and 42 percent carbohydrates) or a low-protein diet (16 percent protein and 55 percent carbohydrate), over eight weeks of energy restriction when they were restricted to 1,600 kcal/daily, and four weeks of energy balance.

Patients were weighed, and their body composition and resting energy expenditure was measured. Over a period of two hours, clinicians also determined the TEF response to either diet at the first and 12-week.

Their mean weight loss was 4.6 ± 0.4 kg of which 4.5 ± 0.4 kg was fat. There was, however, no dietary effect. The TEF was greater after a high protein meal, in comparison with the low protein meal at both 0 and 12 weeks. REE and TEF were reduced similarly with both high and low protein diets.
Diabetes Care 2002 Vol 25 pp 652-657. "Effects of Energy-Restricted Diets Containing Increased Protein on Weight Loss, Resting Energy Expenditure, and the Thermic Effect of Feeding in Type 2 Diabetes"

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