Intensive low calorie diet eyed for Maori, Pacific Islanders

An intensive low-calorie diet that's proven an effective weight slasher for obese diabetic patients is now being eyed for affected Maori and Pacific Islanders and bariatric surgery patients.
The Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD), developed by weight-loss company Optifast and presently used locally by obese diabetic patients with co-morbidities, has been recommended for use in Wairarapa Hospital's bariatric service.
"The goal is to continue to use the VLCD as another method for weight loss in those patients referred for management of obesity or in those patients where obesity impacts directly on their health," dietitian team leader Michelle Dowman reported to the hospital advisory committee this week.
"Patients who have been referred specifically for work-up towards bariatric surgery will be required to use the VLCD as another means to reduce weight."
She said work-up would take nine to 12 months and it was expected patients would have tried all other methods to reduce weight before they were considered suitable for surgery.
"Patients who lose weight successfully using other methods, including the VLCD, will be discharged back to their GP."
A recommendation was also put to the committee to consider a partial subsidy of the diet for Maori and Pacific Islanders who met the selection criteria but could not afford it.
The DHB's diabetes team first trialed the diet in 2007 for patients with body mass indexes greater than 40, or greater than 35 and with co-morbidities.
"Originally it was specifically used for patients with diabetes but this has been extended to include other co-morbidities," Ms Dowman reported to the committee.
"Other selection criteria included severity of the disease, medication and motivation."
To date, 35 women and 25 men have either completed or are in the process of finishing the three to six-week weight-reducing phase.
A further eight patients had started the regime but stopped after a week as they felt they could not cope with the severity of the programme, Ms Dowman said.
"Initially there was a high demand to use the product in the community because more patients could access a reasonably effective weight loss regime than could access bariatric surgery. The product is inexpensive and through patient word of mouth patients heard how successful it was."
Figures for Maori showed nine men had taken up the diet, losing an average of 15.6kg each, while the 13 women had lost an average of 12.2kg each. The total amount lost by all was 817kg, she said.