A Randomized Trial of Improved Weight Loss With a Prepared Meal Plan in Overweight and Obese Patients

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Abstract
RATES OF obesity and overweight in the United States are at an all-time high, affecting an estimated 97 million adults, or roughly 55% of persons aged 20 years or older.1 The medical risks of excess body weight are well documented, with primary risk manifest in the morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. For overweight individuals with or at high risk of developing these conditions, weight reduction remains the first-line treatment strategy; even modest weight loss has been shown to decrease plasma lipid levels and high blood pressure and, in diabetic patients, to improve glycemic control.2-4 However, realization of the health benefits of weight loss requires long-term compliance with therapeutic diets, and it is well established that the difficulties inherent in dietary compliance are a major cause of the failure of most weight reduction efforts.