Major shortcomings associated with sustainable weight loss include difficulty following low-calorie diets and the body’s ability to regain weight easily.

A recent study, published in the October 2019 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, provides new information that dietary fiber intake, independent of macronutrient and caloric intake, may help overcome these obstacles. The study team, led by Derek Miketinas (Texas Woman’s University; Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University) and colleagues, evaluated the role of dietary fiber, other nutrients, and individual characteristics as predictors of weight loss and dietary adherence in overweight or obese adults who followed low-calorie diets for 6 months. 

Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 energy-restricted diets. The compositions of the 4 diets were 1) low-fat, average-protein; 2) low-fat, high-protein; 3) high-fat, average-protein; and 4) high-fat, high protein. All diets were designed to include at least 20 grams of dietary fiber, daily. Each participant’s diet reflected a 750 Calorie per day reduction in energy needs. Measurements were taken at the start of the trial and 6 months later.  Nutrient intake, including total fiber, was estimated from food records and dietary recalls.

The results from this analysis are consistent with other studies that found dietary fiber could be helpful for those seeking to lose weight. Change in fiber intake from the beginning of the study to 6 months was the strongest predictor of weight loss. On average, an increase of fiber by 4 grams per day over what participants consumed before the study was associated with an additional 3 ¼ pounds of weight loss over 6 months.  This association between fiber intake and weight loss was not different between diet-types. 

Additionally, participants who met their fiber goals were also more likely to adhere to their assigned diet.  Results of this study strongly suggest that dietary fiber intake is an integral component of a successful dietary weight loss intervention that involves calorie restriction.

Reference: Miketinas DC, Bray GA, Beyl RA, Ryan DH, Sacks FM, Champagne CM.   Fiber Intake Predicts Weight Loss and Dietary Adherence in Adults Consuming Calorie-Restricted Diets: The POUNDS Lost (Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies) Study. The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 149, Issue 10, October 2019, Pages 1742–1748, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxz117

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Kathy Beerman, PhD

Dr. Kathy Beerman teaches in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University. The author of several published articles, she is interested in research that focuses on the efficacy of a novel approach to treating iron deficiency anemia in rural regions of Guatemala and Ecuador. Dr. Beerman teaches an undergraduate nutrition course for health majors, as well as a course that prepares students to participate in a 10-day medical mission to Guatemala. Since joining the faculty at Washington State University in 1990, she has been the recipient of several teaching awards (the Burlington Northern Faculty Meritorious Achievement in Teaching Award, the R.M. Wade Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Instruction). More recently, she received the CAS Outstanding Achievement Award in International Activities (2017) and the President’s Award for Leadership (2018). Other scholarly activities include co-author of two introductory nutrition textbooks (Nutritional Sciences: From Fundamentals to Food and NUTR).