Effectiveness of the Low-Carbohydrate Diet and Intermittent Fasting Program for Loss of Body Weight, Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference among Senior High School Students with Overnutrition
Keywords:
senior high school student, overnutrition, intermittent fasting, low-carbohydrate dietAbstract
Adolescent overnutrition is a major public health concern that increases the long-term risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. This quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a low-carbohydrate diet and an intermittent fasting program to reduce body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference among senior high school students aged 15–18 years with overnutrition at a high school in Wang Thong District, Phitsanulok Province. Fifty-six participants were equally allocated by simple randomization to both the experimental group (n=28) and the control group (n=28). The intervention consisted of a 12-week trial of a low-carbohydrate diet and intermittent fasting program, conducted from January to April 2024. The instruments for the data collection included 1) a digital bodyweight scale, 2) a height measurement, 3) a waist circumference measurement, and 4) a data record form. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics, the Chi-square, Fisher's exact, Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank, paired-samples t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test. The study results showed statistically significant reductions (all p≤0.001) in average body weight of 2.18 kg, average body mass index of 0.77 kg/m2, and average waist circumference of 1.18 cm in the experimental group compared with the control group who continued their usual diet at the end of the trial. Therefore, this program can be effectively applied as a measure for managing overnutrition among Thai adolescents in schools.
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