Dietary glycemic index and obesity
Open accessAbstract
Obesity is among the most important medical problems in America today. Currently, approximately 1 in 4 children and 1 in 2 adults are overweight, prevalence rates that have increased by 50% since the 1960s. In an attempt to combat this problem, the Federal government and various official medical agencies have advocated decreasing intake of total fat and sugar, while increasing consumption of "complex carbohydrate." Despite a recent reduction in fat consumption to near the recommended 30% of total energy, rates of obesity have continued to rise, suggesting that other dietary factors may play a critical role in body weight regulation. One such factor may be glycemic index. This review examines the physiologic effects of glycemic index and argues for the need for controlled clinical trials of a low glycemic index diet in the treatment of obesity.
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Most but not all acute studies in humans report reduced hunger or energy intake in the late postprandial state after low- compared with high-GI meals.
“Most but not all acute studies in humans report reduced hunger or energy intake in the late postprandial state after low- compared with high-GI meals (31, 99).”
From The carbohydrate-insulin model: A physiological perspective on the obesity pandemic (2021) · cites this paper as [99]
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Should obese patients be counselled to follow a low‐glycaemic index diet? Yes
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- Authors
- Ludwig, D. S.
- Affiliations
- Boston Children's Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ludwig, David S.
- ORCID
- Ludwig, David S.
- Venue
- The Journal of Nutrition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2000-02
- Volume
- 130
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 280S-283S
- ISSN
- 0022-3166 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2131606578
- Cited by
- 521
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 25
- FWCI
- 2.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5k08dk002440-02)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (1K08DK02440)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Food composition and properties
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diet, Metabolism, and Disease
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Diet and metabolism studies
- Keywords
- glycemic index, obesity, low glycemic index diet, body weight regulation, dietary fat, dietary sugar, complex carbohydrates, obesity treatment, clinical trials
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Blood Glucose, Energy Intake, Child, Clinical Trials as Topic, Diet, Dietary Carbohydrates, Energy Metabolism, Food, Humans, Obesity, Satiation, United States
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