Abstract

Nutrition counseling and dietary intervention are essential to obesity management because weight reduction is the consequence of negative energy balance. The first step of the nutrition counseling in patients with obesity is thorough evaluation of the nutritional status. During the nutritional evaluation, amount of energy consumption, dietary habits, and medical and socioeconomic factors influencing diets should be evaluated. Diet interventions including low calorie diet, low fat diet, low carbohydrate diet, and high protein diet are all effective in weight reduction as long as decrease in energy consumption is accompanied. Amount of energy restriction and choice of diet interventions should be individualized based the medical condition and characteristics of each patient.