Protein, Fiber, and Meal Rhythm for Satiety in Obesity

Deep-research Food-as-Medicine article on obesity, asking whether a plate built with more protein, more viscous fiber, and a steadier meal rhythm changes fullness, intake, and weight in human studies. NCHS Data Brief 508 (NHANES August 2021-August 2023, measured) reports obesity in 40.3% of U.S. adults age 20 and older, 46.4% at ages 40-59, and severe obesity in 9.4%. Protein raised acute fullness in pooled randomized trials (hunger -7 mm and fullness +10 mm on visual analogue scales; Kohanmoo 2020, PMID 32768415), while long-term appetite results were inconclusive. In 19 adults, raising protein from 15% to 30% of energy was followed over 12 weeks of free eating by intake -441 kcal/day and weight -4.9 kg (Weigle 2005, PMID 16002798), a large result from a small sequential trial. In 27 men losing weight, higher protein (25% vs 14% of energy) raised daily fullness (511 vs 243 mm.15 h) and 3 vs 6 eating occasions did not improve appetite (Leidy 2011, PMID 20847729). Viscous fiber pooled across 62 trials (n=3,877) was followed by weight -0.33 kg (95% CI -0.51 to -0.14; Jovanovski 2020, PMID 31897475); fiber from food at 25-29 g/day sat in the strongest benefit range of a Lancet series of 185 prospective studies and 58 trials (Reynolds 2019, PMID 30638909); and viscous fibers reduced appetite in 59% vs 14% of comparisons (Wanders 2011, PMID 21676152). No product is named or recommended. Evidence grade: MODERATE. Educational article from the Buddha Ayurvedic School of Medicine: https://buddha.hospital