Compliance with a low calorie diet for two weeks and concurrent and subsequent mood changes

Area of Science:

• Dietary Science
• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• The Cambridge Diet is a popular weight-loss plan.
• Understanding adherence and psychological effects is crucial for diet success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate adherence to the Cambridge Diet.
• To examine psychological changes during the diet.
• To identify predictors of diet compliance.

Main Methods:

• 100 participants intending to use the Cambridge Diet completed questionnaires on demographics, eating behaviors, and psychological states.
• 47 participants completed daily mood assessments (Profile of Mood States, Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist) for 14 days.
• Psychological measures included Beck Depression Inventory and Locus of Control Scale.

Main Results:

• A slight decrease in depression was observed in participants who completed the study.
• Full compliance with the two-week Cambridge Diet was achieved by approximately 20% of participants.
• No demographic, behavioral, or psychological factors reliably predicted adherence to the diet.

Conclusions:

• The Cambridge Diet may have a modest positive impact on mood.
• Adherence to the Cambridge Diet is challenging, with low compliance rates.
• Predictors of adherence remain elusive, suggesting multifactorial influences on diet success.