An 18-month Trial of a Low Glycemic Load Diet

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 to 35 years
• Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2
• Access to a working telephone
• Conversant in English
• Written medical clearance from a primary care physician or nurse practitioner, ruling out any pre-existing or complicating medical condition

Exclusion Criteria:

• Body weight >300 lbs
• Major medical illness (heart, kidney or liver disease; diabetes; cancer; endocrinopathy; psychiatric illness) or other active medical problem
• An obesity-associated genetic syndrome (e.g., Prader-Willi)
• An abnormal screening laboratory test (ALT, creatinine, BUN, hematocrit)
• Fasting blood glucose ≥ 126 mg/dl)
• Taking any prescription medication that affects body weight (glucocorticoids, neuropsychiatric agents), blood pressure, or serum cholesterol concentrations
• Currently smoking (1 cigarette during any of the last 7 days)
• Previous diagnosis of an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge-eating disorder)
• If female, not pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next 18 months and not lactating
• Failure to complete the pre-enrollment visits