LOW-FAT VEGAN DIET CUTS CALORIE INTAKE WITHOUT REDUCING FOOD VOLUME

A randomised clinical trial found that adults following a low-fat vegan diet lost weight whilst eating roughly the same amount of food by weight as they had previously. Participants assigned to the diet were not required to count calories or follow a calorie limit, but were instead free to eat until satisfied. According to research published in JAMA Network Open, meals on the low-fat vegan diet contained approximately 30% fewer calories per gram than participants' usual food.

The 16-week trial involved adults classified as overweight. One group followed an unrestricted low-fat vegan diet centred on fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, whilst a control group continued eating as usual. Neither group received a calorie target. Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and lead author of the study, attributed the weight loss to energy density. Plant foods are rich in water and fibre, allowing people to consume larger volumes of food whilst taking in fewer total calories.

The findings suggest that food composition rather than portion control or willpower may be the primary factor in weight loss for people following plant-based diets. The research addresses a common question about plant-based eating by demonstrating that weight loss can occur without intentional calorie restriction or hunger.