Overweight and surgical procedures: a proposal for a compatible dietary regimen

The very low calorie protein diet essentially supplies a low content of carbohydrates and lipids, and a higher protein intake to produce a rapid weight loss.AIM:This study aims at evaluating the effect of a high protein low calorie diet on glycaemia, creatinine, triglycerides, cholesterol, VLDL, HLDL, systolic and diastolic blood pressure.MATERIALS AND METHODS:We have selected 30 surgical patients with a body mass index equal to 30-50 who underwent a high protein low calorie diet for 40 days a s a complications-preventive strategy before operation. The calories supplied have been in the range of 800-1200 accordingly to the individual workload and urgent need to lose weight.RESULTS:After a diet of 40 days, all the patients showed a definite weight loss and significant glycaemia, creatinine, triglycerides, cholesterol, VLDL and HLDL improvement. In the hypertensive patients, systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly.DISCUSSION:The very low calorie diet is quite effective to lose [corrected] weight before surgical procedures. This dietary regimen, from a physiological perspective, improves electrolyte balance supporting lean mass preservation and reducing the patient's weakness and hunger,without any wound healing impairiment or weakness. Therefore it is an excellent preventive measure against overweight-due complications and it is advisable and safe as prophylactic measure.