Nutritional advice for patients with obesity and prediabetes

South Asians are more prone to obesity and prediabetes due to a combination of non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors. While non-modifiable factors are largely unchangeable, addressing modifiable factors particularly dietary patterns is crucial for intervention. As South Asian dietary practices differ substantially from other populations, international dietary recommendations may not always be appropriate. Therefore, this review synthesizes South Asian-specific nutrition advice. Evidence was drawn from interventional studies involving South Asians identified through a systematic search, and from country-specific guidelines, recommendations, and consensus statements from South Asian countries. In total, 10 interventional studies and 14 guidelines were included. The main recommendations included a reduction of total energy intake by approximately 15% or 500 kcal/day, carbohydrate intake ranging from 49% to 65% of total energy, fat intake of, 19-32%, protein intake of 15-19%, incorporation of pre-meal nut consumption and achieving a target weight loss of .5-7%.