Meal replacement shakes help low-income patient lose 7% of bodyweight

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Monday, May 17, 2010 11:55 am Email this article
Replacing two meal with SlimFast meal replacement shakes causes an average weight loss of 7 percent of bodyweight in morbidly obese low-income patients according to a new study from researchers at the University of California Los Angeles. Subjects: 51 women, 12 men, 49-years-old, BMI of 40

The study involved 51 women and 12 men who were low-income patients.

On average they were 49-years-old and had a body mass index (BMI) of 40.

72% Hispanic, 25% white, 3% black

Of the patients, 72 percent were Hispanic, 25 percent were white, and 3 percent were black.

Obesity-related health problems

Forty-five percent had hypertension, 50 percent had diabetes, 34 percent had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), 51 percent had osteoarthritis, and 48 percent had elevated cholesterol levels.

Comment: Meal replacement shakes work

A number of studies have found that meal replacement shakes work.

Meal replacement shakes: 15 lbs in three months

One study found that people following the Scan Diet meal replacement formula which included use of soy-based meal replacement shakes lost an average of 15 pounds in three months.

Meal replacement shakes: 15 lbs after one year

Another study found that replacing two meals per day with meal replacement shakes caused an average weight loss of 15 pounds after one year.

Meal replacement shakes: 24 lbs in five months

Another study found that women lost an average of 24 pounds after five months.

Meal replacement shakes: 20 lbs in six months

Yet another study found that people lost an average of 20 pounds after six months.

Meal replacement shakes: 18-23 lbs difference after 5 years

An analysis found that after five years, women using meal replacement shakes were 18 pounds lighter than women who did not use them, and men who used them were an average of 23 pounds lighter than men who did not.

Dr. Piatek uses meal replacement shakes to break weight loss plateaus

Dr. Jay Piatek uses meal replacement shakes to help patients break through plateaus during weight loss.

Dr. Piatek: 3 shakes per day for 1-2 weeks causes weight loss of 2-3 lbs per week

Here is how Dr. Piatek uses meal replacement shakes.

“Piatek:?????? The easiest way is to have them drink a shake before their main meal of the day to kill their appetite. It reduces their intake by 500 to 800 calories per meal. Another way is to use 3 shakes per day for a week or two—one for breakfast, one for lunch and one before dinner. Some people use this technique one week a month. Using three shakes per day causes a weight loss of 2 or 3 pounds per week.”

Dr. Piatek: 5 shakes per day for 1-2 weeks causes weight loss of 5 lbs per week

“Another way is to use 5 shakes per day in place of meals for a week or two,” Dr. Piatek continued. “This causes a weight loss of about 5 pounds per week. The only time that I allow patients to use them longer than a week or two is diabetics who are taking medicines that are making them fat. I let them use the HMR shakes in stead of eating until the lose 15 or 20 pounds which lets them get off of their diabetes medicine. This is one exception where I do focus on weight in the short-term.”

How Dr. Piatek prefers HRM meal replacement shakes

Dr. Piatek prefers high-protein meal replacement shakes from Health Management Resources (HRM). Dr. Jerry Darm said the same thing about HMR—???I???ve looked at the Optifast and Medifast, but I consider HMR???s program to be the best√????? I think their shakes are the best, and believe me, I???ve tried a lot of different ones.??? (ORU, Mar 99).

HRM meal replacement shakes: 70 fewer calories and twice the protein compared to SlimFast

Dr. Piatek noted that HRM shakes have “70 fewer calories and twice as much protein as SlimFast—15 grams versus 7 grams—and they taste much, much better.”

HRM contact information

HMR can be reached at

Health Management Resources
59 Temple Place, Suite 704
Boston, MA 02111
(800) 418-1367 Toll-Free phone
(617) 357-9876 phone
(617) 357-9690 fax
http://www.yourbetterhealth.com/

REFERENCE

Huerta S, Li Z, Li H, Hu M, Yu C, Heber D. Feasibility of a partial meal replacement plan for weight loss in low-income patients. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004 Oct 5. (Published early on-line.)

AUTHOR’S CORRESPONDENCE

S. Huerta
UCLA Center for Human Nutrition
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Los Angeles, CA, USA

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