Psychological Responses of Obese Type II Diabetic Subjects to Very-Low-Calorie Diet

Abstract

Objective Very-low-calorie diets have been shown to produce dramatic improvements in glycemic control in obese subjects with non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes. There have been no studies of the psychological responses of diabetic subjects to these diets. Research Design and Methods This study examined changes in hunger, depression, and anxiety in 33 obese type II diabetic subjects who were randomly assigned to behavior modification programs that used either a balanced diet of 4185–6277 J∕day (1000–1500 cal∕day) throughout or included an 8-wk period of a very-low-calorie diet (1674 J∕day or 400 cal∕day of lean meat, fish, or fowl). Subjects completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Spielberger State Anxiety Questionnaire, and self-report measures of hunger frequently throughout the 20-wk program. Results Both groups experienced significant improvements in depressive symptomatology, anxiety, and lessening of hunger during the course of the program, with no significant differences observed between the balanced diet and the very-low-calorie diet groups. Conclusions Very-low-calorie diets, used in the context of a behavioral weight-control program, result in reductions in hunger and improvements in mood state comparable to those observed on more moderate weight-loss regimens.