Diet CompositionEffect of Diet Composition on Weight Change and Metabolic Parameters

This study will assess the effect of high protein (HP) and high carbohydrate (HC) diets on weight loss and other metabolic parameters.

Rationale: The prevalence of obesity is on the rise in the US. The health hazards of obesity have been well established. The detrimental effects of obesity on cardiovascular, metabolic and psychological parameters as well as the excess cost to the national health budget are astounding. One way of treatment and prevention of obesity has been the use of diet and exercise. In the absence of well-established superiority of one diet over another, different scientifically unproven diets are in common use. A palatable diet providing satiety as well as all essential nutrients may go a long way in treating over-weight individuals. Another factor has been the long-term adherence to such weight loss regimens, which in general have been poor. Protein diets have been known to provide greater satiety and reduced energy intake than carbohydrate diets, but definite long-term studies are sparse. For this study the investigators will recruit and study 24 normal, pre-menopausal obese women (12 on HP diet and 12 on HC diet), and compare their weight loss and changes in metabolic parameters between the two diets.