Table 2.
Selected systematic reviews and meta-analyses comparing macronutrient diets for weight loss effectiveness.
| Reference | Sample Size | Duration | Comparison | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hooper et al. (2012) [49] | 73,589 adults with normal weight, overweight or obesity | 6 m–7.5 years | Low fat (>30%) vs. Normal Fat | Low fat diets produced greater weight loss by 1.57 kg (95% CI −2.0 to −1.2 kg) |
| Wycherley et al. (2012) [50] | 1063 adults, BMI status not specified | >12 weeks | High protein (27–35%) vs. Low fat | High protein diets produced greater weight loss by 0.79 kg (95% CI −1.5 to −0.08 kg) |
| Ajala et al. (2013) [51] | 3073 adults with normal weight, overweight or obesity with or without diabetes | >6 months | Low carbohydrate vs. Mediterranean diet vs. High protein | Mediterranean diet and low carbohydrate diets produced greater weight loss than high protein by 1.84 and 0.69 kg respectively |
| Bueno et al. (2013) [52] | 1415 adults, BMI status not specified | ≥12 months | Very low carbohydrate (<50 g) vs. low fat (<30%, energy restricted) | Very low carbohydrate diets achieved greater weight loss by 0.91 (95% CI −1.65 to −0.17 kg) |
| Naude et al. (2014) [53] | 3209 adults with overweight or obesity with or without diabetes | >12 weeks | Low carbohydrate vs. isocaloric balanced diets | No difference |
| Clifton et al. (2014) [54] | 3492 adults with overweight or obesity | >12 months | High protein (>25%) vs. usual diet | High protein diets produced greater weight loss by 1 kg |
| Tobias et al. (2015) [55] | 68,128 adults, BMI status not specified | ≥12 months | Low fat vs. usual diets, low carbohydrate, high fat | Low carbohydrate diets produced greater weight loss by 1.15 kg (95% CI −0.52 to −1.79) |
| Boaz et al. (2015) [56] | 1161 adults with normal weight, overweight or obesity | >12 weeks | Low carbohydrate vs. Low fat | No difference |
| Mansoor et al. (2016) [57] | 1369 adults, BMI status not specified | ≥6 months | Low fat vs. low carbohydrates | Low carbohydrate diets produced greater weight loss by 2.17 kg (95% CI −0.99 to −3.36 kg) |
| Ge et al. (2020) [58] | 21,942 adults with overweight or obesity | 6–12 m | 14 popular diets including low fat, low carbohydrate, Mediterranean Diet | Low carbohydrate and low-fat diets produced similar weight loss, greater than Mediterranean diet |