The aim of the proposed study is to provide important data on weight loss efficacy in overweight and obese adolescents on an isocaloric higher protein diet vs a lower protein diet utilizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) MyPlate nutrition guide. The investigators hypothesize that the higher protein diet will result in greater weight loss due to increased satiety and better dietary adherence.
Aim 1 is to test the efficacy of a personalized higher protein weight loss intervention compared to a lower protein intervention which use the USDA MyPlate nutrition guide. It is hypothesized that participants randomly assigned to the higher protein dietary treatment will lose more weight based on BMI-Z score over 12 weeks compared to participants in the lower dietary protein treatment. Aim 2 is to test if changes in subjective ratings of appetite differ by dietary treatment (i.e. protein intake). It is hypothesized that participants in the higher protein intervention will report a decrease in hunger and an increase in fullness compared to participants in the lower protein intervention. Aim 3 is to test if change in the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) measured at the rate limiting step of glutamine fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT) and glycosylation measured as O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) transferase (OGT) differ by dietary treatment. It is hypothesized that participants randomly assigned to the higher protein dietary treatment will have decreased change from baseline levels of GFAT and glycosylation (OGT) due to decreased carbohydrate intake compared to the lower protein treatment. Exploratory Aims: As exploratory aims, the investigators will test if the higher protein or lower protein dietary treatments differentially alter glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides (markers of the metabolic syndrome).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
32
Participants will receive an intervention specifically designed for adolescents and their group assignment that relies on nutrition education, nutritional counseling, social cognitive therapy, behavioral strategies, self-monitoring, portion size reduction, and increased physical activity. Participants will get an individualized dietary meal plan. Dietary counseling will be based on the MyPlate guidelines with extra attention and focus on appropriate protein food choice. Also in accordance to the MyPlate guidelines, all participants will be instructed to increase physical activity to 60 minutes a day as aerobic physical activity.
The higher protein group will be instructed to consume 30% of energy as protein, with 25% and 45% of energy from fat and carbohydrate, respectively.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
BMI Z-Score
Time frame: up to Week 12
Subjective Ratings of Appetite
Time frame: Baseline and Week 12
Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway
glutamine fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT) and glycosylation measured as O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) transferase (OGT) measurement
Time frame: Baseline and Week 12
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The lower protein group will be instructed to consume 15% of energy as protein, with 25% and 60% of energy from fat and carbohydrate, respectively.