Effectiveness of Changing Dietary Fat on Weight Loss
Condition: Overweight
MeSH terms: Overweight; Weight Loss
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will compare two energy reduced diets; one diet will include one Haas avocado/day
      while the other diet will follow the usual American dietary pattern. All subjects will
      receive a dietary plan that reduces their usual intake by 500kcal/day with the same
      percentage of fat, protein and carbohydrates. The results from this study may help to explain
      if eating one Haas avocado/day can achieve at least equivalent weight loss when compared to
      the usual American diet.
    

Detailed description: 
      Overweight and obesity in the United States and other industrialized countries represents a
      significant and growing health problem. Individuals who are overweight or obese increase
      their risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes (T2D), and the metabolic syndrome.
      Obesity affects both genders and every ethnicity in the United States. The prevalence of
      obesity in the United States is currently 32.2% in adult men and 35.5% in adult women. The
      most recent evidence indicates that 33.8% of adults, over 66 million American adults, are
      obese (30 million men and 36 million women) while an additional 74 million (42 million men
      and 32 million women) are overweight. The prevalence of obesity has grown a shocking 40% over
      the last 30 years.

      These problems are truly global in nature. In European countries obesity ranges from 20-30%
      of the population and is even higher in Australia, South America, and Polynesia. The World
      Health Organization estimates that there will be over 1.5 billion obese individuals worldwide
      by 2020 if current trends continue.

      Calorie controlled diets have routinely been demonstrated to help in both short and long-term
      weight reduction in individuals who are overweight or obese. In particular, hypocaloric
      diets, with a calorie reduction of 500 kcals per day have been shown in numerous studies to
      result in safe and effective weight loss.

      It is important for individuals who are following weight loss programs to maintain healthy
      nutritional patterns, to maintain or improve their dietary quality. Haas avocados can play a
      significant role as part of a healthy weight loss program and help individuals not only
      improve their dietary quality, but also lower their risk of chronic diseases such as CHD,
      T2D, and the metabolic syndrome. Avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, dietary fiber, and
      a variety of other important phytochemicals such as lutein, vitamin E, niacin and folate.
      Despite these multiple nutritional benefits, myths exist that avocados may be fattening due
      to their fat and calorie content and therefore, should be avoided by people trying to lose
      weight.

      The current research trial is designed to compare two energy reduced (hypocaloric) diets. One
      diet will include one Hass avocado/day, while achieving a 500 kcal/day energy reduction. The
      other diet will follow a usual American diet pattern, but will also include an energy
      restriction of 500 kcals/day. Parameters to be explored include weight loss, satiety, dietary
      quality, changes in body composition and risk factors for chronic disease.
    

Intervention name(s): Haas Avocado; Dietary Counseling
Intervention type(s): Other; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Hypocaloric weight loss diet; Dietary Counseling
Other intervention name(s): Avocado
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other