Effects of a Milk-Based Meal Replacement Program on Weight and Metabolic Characteristics in Adults with Severe Obesity.

Low energy meal replacement regimens can induce short-term weight loss in patients with severe obesity, but usually require specially formulated dietary supplements. We sought to determine the effects of a milk-based meal replacement program on anthropometric and metabolic characteristics in adults with severe obesity. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients attending our hospital-based bariatric medicine service who completed a 24-week program consisting of eight weeks of milk-based meal replacement followed by weight stabilisation and maintenance phases. Patients were seen fortnightly by the bariatric physician, nurse and dietitian. We assessed changes in anthropometric and metabolic outcomes in completers at 0, 8, 16 and 24 weeks. Of 105 program completers available for follow-up, 53.3% were female. Mean age was 51.1±11.2 years. Body weight decreased from 144.0±27.6 kg at baseline to 121.1±25.0 kg at 24 weeks ( These preliminary findings suggest that completion of a 24-week milk-based meal replacement program has large effects on important outcomes in adults with severe obesity. However, attrition was high. Prospective assessment of the efficacy, safety, durability and cost-effectiveness of this intervention seems warranted.

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© 2020 Rafey et al.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

MFR, CFM, RA, KK, HG, NB, PMO, CC, RM, MH and MO have no relevant conflicts to declare. CD and FMF have received honoraria, travel grants, unrestricted educational grants and served on advisory boards for Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi-Aventis, Astra Zeneca, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen and Novartis. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.