Whole-Food Plant-Based Lifestyle Program and Decreased Obesity

Abstract

Failure of weight-loss programs is high. We evaluated a whole-food plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle program. We investigated the obesity indices of 151 healthy adults who were on our ongoing, community-based program for the short (0.5 to ≤2 years), medium (2 to ≤5 years), or long term (5 to 10 years). Body composition indices were measured by medically approved bioimpedance. Body composition changes were favorable for all 3 groups and both genders. There were no differences in body composition between the males for all 3 groups, while there were lower body mass (BM), body mass index (BMI), and muscle mass in females on long-term versus short-term programs. All participants experienced a decrease in BMI (−2.5 kg/m2), BM (−7.1 kg), and body fat percentage (−6.4%; P < .001 for all). The reductions for those with a baseline BMI of obese, overweight, and normal were −5.6, −2.4, and −0.9 kg/m2 for BMI, −16.1, −7.1, and −2.5 kg for total BM, and −9.5%, −6.6%, and −4.8% for body fat percentage (baseline vs current; P < .001 for all). A total of 86% of parents of underage children introduced the WFPB lifestyle to children. Our WFPB lifestyle program provides a long-term reversal of obesity.