Table 5.

Summary of the characteristics of diverse diet therapies

Diet therapy	Characteristic
Low energy diet	Energy intake reduction by 500-1,000 kcal per day
	This enables the consumption of a nutritionally appropriate meal.
	0.5−1.0 kg/week of weight loss is expected.
	A maximum effect on weight loss may be attained within 6 months, with a gradual decrease thereafter.
Very low energy diet	Energy restriction to 800 kcal/day or less
	Rapid weight loss is possible in a short period of time, but there is no significant difference in the long-term compared to a low energy diet.
	Medical supervision is necessary to prevent serious medical outcomes.
	Should be accompanied by interventions for long-term lifestyle improvements.
Very low carbohydrate diet	Limit carbohydrate consumption to less than 130 g/day or 30% of total energy (restrict to less than 50 g or 10% of total energy at start and increase gradually)
	Initial weight loss effect is greater than with a low energy diet, but the long-term effect is either similar or minimally better.
	This may improve serum triglyceride level but also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease due to elevation of LDL cholesterol.
Low carbohydrate diet	Limit carbohydrate consumption to 40%−45% of total energy typically
	Initial weight loss effect is greater than the low energy diet, but the long-term effect is either similar or minimally better.
	This may improve serum triglyceride level but also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease due to elevation of LDL cholesterol.
High protein diet	Usual protein intake of 25%−30% of total energy
	Helpful to prevent excessive carbohydrate intake, loss of lean mass, and maintain an appropriate protein nutrition status
	Effective for weight loss/maintenance compared to a low energy diet but not to a large extent
Intermittent energy restriction	Alternative dietary approach to the conventional continuous energy-restricted diet
	- Intermittent fasting: an eating pattern that alternates between periods of fasting and non-fasting days
	- Time-restricted diet: a type of eating pattern that allows eating within a particular window of time each day
	There is no significant or minimal difference in the degree of weight loss compared to continuous energy restriction methods.
	There is limited evidence on the long-term effects of this diet type on obesity.

LDL, low-density lipoprotein.