Success on a weight-loss diet can be predicted by measuring a person’s blood sugar and fasting insulin levels, according to a study presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting in San Diego.
The international study examined data from six studies of different diets designed to improve nutrition. It found that those biomarkers consistently predicted losing weight and keeping it off.
A fiber-rich diet without calorie restrictions is successful for many with prediabetes, the study found. Carbohydrate and fat intake should be adjusted according to fasting insulin levels.
“Remarkably, for many patients, use of these biomarkers can lead to a six- to seven-fold greater weight loss,” said study leader Arne Astrup. He is head of the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
The study also included researchers from the University of Colorado, Tufts University, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBER OBN) and Gelesis, Inc.
And for the diets to really stick, they can’t be temporary, but part of a changed lifestyle that people can embrace without feeling deprived.