Effect of a post-dinner snack and partial meal replacement program on weight loss

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to examine whether providing a structured post-dinner snack would enhance weight loss among obese night snackers participating in a novel partial meal replacement (PMR) program and to examine the efficacy of that program. Sixty adults (age 18–65 years; body mass index ≥30 kg/m²), 29 randomized to the ‘post-dinner snack’ and 32 to the ‘no snack’ groups, completed the 8-week program. Both groups showed improvements in weight (−4.23 kg, P < 0.0001), body mass index (−1.48 kg/m², P < 0.0001), body fat (−1.36%, P < 00.0001), waist circumference (−6.40 cm, P < 0.0001), and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (−2.72 mmol/l, P < 0.01), and on a night snacking question (−1.31, P < 0.0001). The ‘post-dinner snack’ group did not show significantly greater weight loss outcomes than the ‘no snack’ group either before or after taking compliance into consideration. Providing a structured post-dinner snack along with a PMR program did not enhance weight loss treatment outcomes; however, the PMR program produced beneficial weight loss changes for obese night snackers.

• Night snacking
• obesity
• ready-to-eat cereal
• body mass index
• weight management

Notes

1. Presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Nutrition, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, October 2003.