A Systematic Review of Interventions for Obesity Among Adults With Food Insecurity.
Randy Bach, Anna Hui, Ariana M Chao
PMID 38048488WHAT IT FOUND
Only five trials tested weight loss interventions in adults with obesity and food insecurity, and results were mixed.
Counseling helped some, but food subsidies alone did not reliably cause weight loss. Clinicians cannot yet recommend a specific effective strategy for this population.
Key findings
01Evidence is extremely limited, with only five studies identified that evaluated non-pharmacological weight loss interventions in adults with food insecurity and obesity.
02Interventions combining counseling with food access strategies showed mixed weight loss results; one trial found significant BMI reduction, while another found no difference compared to control.
03When comparing outcomes between food-insecure and food-secure participants in lifestyle interventions, results were inconsistent, with one study showing no difference and another showing reduced weight loss for food-insecure individuals.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only five studies were identified, providing a very small evidence base. The studies were too heterogeneous in design and intervention type to combine their results statistically. Methods for measuring and identifying food insecurity varied across the included studies, which may explain some differences in outcomes. No study assessed whether the severity of food insecurity modified weight loss outcomes. Most studies did not tailor interventions specifically to address food insecurity, limiting the ability to determine if such tailoring is necessary for efficacy.
Declared interests
None reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that providing food subsidies alone leads to weight loss. One trial showed that subsidies without specific lifestyle modification counseling were insufficient to achieve a caloric deficit for weight loss.