TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of a low-calorie diet on depressive symptoms in individuals with overweight or obesity
T2 - A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies
AU - Applewhite, Briana
AU - Penninx, Brenda W J H
AU - Young, Allan H
AU - Schmidt, Ulrike
AU - Himmerich, Hubertus
AU - Keeler, Johanna L
N1 - Funding Information:
Briana Applewhite, Hubertus Himmerich, Ulrike Schmidt and Allan Young received salary support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) and KCL. Johanna Keeler received a PhD stipend from the Medical Research Council (MRC; reference number: MR/N013700/1). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the MRC, NHS, NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2023/12/12
Y1 - 2023/12/12
N2 - Background Individuals with overweight or obesity are at a high risk for so-called 'atypical' or immunometabolic depression, with associated neurovegetative symptoms including overeating, fatigue, weight gain, and a poor metabolic profile evidenced e.g. by dyslipidemia or hyperglycemia. Research has generated preliminary evidence for a low-calorie diet (LCD) in reducing depressive symptoms. The aim of the current systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine this evidence to determine whether a LCD reduces depressive symptoms in people with overweight or obesity. Methods Eligible studies were identified through PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and PsycINFO until August 2023. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were derived using random-effects meta-analyses for (1) pre-post LCD comparisons of depression outcomes, and (2) LCD v. no-diet-control group comparisons of depression outcomes. Results A total of 25 studies were included in the pre-post meta-analysis, finding that depression scores were significantly lower following a LCD (SMD = -0.47), which was not significantly moderated by the addition of exercise or behavioral therapy as a non-diet adjunct. Meta-regressions indicated that a higher baseline BMI and greater weight reduction were associated with a greater reduction in depression scores. The intervention-control meta-analysis (n = 4) found that overweight or obese participants adhering to a LCD showed a nominally lower depression score compared with those given no intervention (SMD = -0.29). Conclusions There is evidence that LCDs may reduce depressive symptoms in people with overweight or obesity in the short term. Future well-controlled intervention studies, including a non-active control group, and longer-term follow-ups, are warranted in order to make more definitive conclusions.
AB - Background Individuals with overweight or obesity are at a high risk for so-called 'atypical' or immunometabolic depression, with associated neurovegetative symptoms including overeating, fatigue, weight gain, and a poor metabolic profile evidenced e.g. by dyslipidemia or hyperglycemia. Research has generated preliminary evidence for a low-calorie diet (LCD) in reducing depressive symptoms. The aim of the current systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine this evidence to determine whether a LCD reduces depressive symptoms in people with overweight or obesity. Methods Eligible studies were identified through PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and PsycINFO until August 2023. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were derived using random-effects meta-analyses for (1) pre-post LCD comparisons of depression outcomes, and (2) LCD v. no-diet-control group comparisons of depression outcomes. Results A total of 25 studies were included in the pre-post meta-analysis, finding that depression scores were significantly lower following a LCD (SMD = -0.47), which was not significantly moderated by the addition of exercise or behavioral therapy as a non-diet adjunct. Meta-regressions indicated that a higher baseline BMI and greater weight reduction were associated with a greater reduction in depression scores. The intervention-control meta-analysis (n = 4) found that overweight or obese participants adhering to a LCD showed a nominally lower depression score compared with those given no intervention (SMD = -0.29). Conclusions There is evidence that LCDs may reduce depressive symptoms in people with overweight or obesity in the short term. Future well-controlled intervention studies, including a non-active control group, and longer-term follow-ups, are warranted in order to make more definitive conclusions.
KW - depression
KW - diet
KW - low-calorie diet
KW - obesity
KW - overweight
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85179984683&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0033291723003586
DO - 10.1017/S0033291723003586
M3 - Article
C2 - 38248138
AN - SCOPUS:85179984683
SN - 0033-2917
SP - 1
JO - Psychological Medicine
JF - Psychological Medicine
ER -