CONCLUSIONS Pasta in the context of low-GI dietary patterns does not adversely affect adiposity and even reduces body weight and BMI compared with higher-GI dietary patterns .
OBJECTIVE Carbohydrate staples such as pasta have been implicated in the obesity epidemic .
It is unclear whether pasta contributes to weight gain or like other low-glycaemic index ( GI ) foods contributes to weight loss .
We synthesis ed the evidence of the effect of pasta on measures of adiposity .
The effect of dietary glycemic index on weight maintenance in overweight subjects: a pilot study.
Evidence suggests that a low-glycemic index ( LGI ) diet has a satiating effect and thus may enhance weight maintenance following weight loss . This study was conducted at Hammersmith Hospital , London , UK , and assessed the effect of altering diet GI on weight-loss maintenance . It consisted of a weight-loss phase and a 4-month r and omized weight maintenance phase . Subjects were seen monthly to assess dietary compliance and anthropometrics . Appetite was assessed bimonthly by  visual analogue scales while meal challenge postpr and  ial insulin and glucose concentrations  were assessed before and after the intervention . Following a median weight loss of 6.1 ( interquartile range : 5.2 - 7.1 ) % body weight , subjects were r and omized to a high-glycemic index ( HGI ) ( n = 19 ) or LGI ( n = 23 ) diet . Dietary composition differed only in GI ( HGI group : 63.7 + /- 9.4 ; LGI group : 49.7 + /- 5.7 , P < 0.001 ) and glycemic load ( HGI group : 136.8 + /- 56.3 ; LGI group : 89.7 + /- 27.5 , P < 0.001 ) . Groups did not differ in body weight ( weight change over 4 months , HGI group : 0.3 + /- 1.9 kg ; LGI group : -0.7 + /- 2.9 kg , P = 0.3 ) or other anthropometric measurements . This pilot study suggests that in the setting of healthy eating , changing the diet GI does not appear to significantly affect weight maintenance
CONCLUSIONS Pasta in the context of low-GI dietary patterns does not adversely affect adiposity and even reduces body weight and BMI compared with higher-GI dietary patterns .
OBJECTIVE Carbohydrate staples such as pasta have been implicated in the obesity epidemic .
It is unclear whether pasta contributes to weight gain or like other low-glycaemic index ( GI ) foods contributes to weight loss .
We synthesis ed the evidence of the effect of pasta on measures of adiposity .