Value Added Abstract
Shagun Bindlish
Abstract
Obesity is a fast-growing progressive disorder characterized by imbalance of energy intake andexpenditure. As the epidemic of obesity continues to grow globally, 42.4% of population in USin 2017-2018 was either overweight or obese. Weight gain has become a major challenge sincecalories have become more readily available along with the sedentary lifestyle. Abundance ofhormone that signals hunger, availability of palatable foods, gut microbiome is directly related tothe genetics and the environmental factors. With the increasing incidence of chronic illnessesrelated to obesity, it is necessary to develop an accepted blueprint of how nutrition and exercisecan be modified based on individual needs. Despite considerable research, there is a continueddebate regarding the energy content and the optimal macronutrient distribution for promotinghealthy and effective weight loss. Low-fat and low carbohydrate diets are widely accepted as thestandard of care for patients; however, their effectiveness has been recently challenged, partlybecause the prevalence of obesity continues to rise despite the reduction in fat or carbohydrate intake. With the emerging social media touting the availability of multiple weight loss programs,people are unable to choose and understand what is right for them to maintain healthy weight. Inthis presentation, I will highlight and address the pros and cons of using variety of dietaryintervention in this challenging domain with emphasis on benefits of plant-based diet and itseffect in gut microbiome. My goal is to increase awareness among health care providers aboutthe benefit of various diets by predicting individual responses to diet and exercise intervention