Effects of Consumption of Energy-Restricted Lunch Boxes and Nutrition Education on Nutritional Status among Overweight and Obese Students and Staff of the Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University, Thailand

Abstract

Objective: To study the effect of providing energy-restricted lunch boxes (ERLB) and provision of nutrition education (NE) to overweight and obese students and staff of the Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University on weight loss. Methods: This research was a randomized clinical trial conducted for 4 weeks between November – December 2019 at VRU. The participants were over weight and obese VRU students and staff. Participants were divided into 2 groups consisting of i) a group that received only ERLB, and ii) a group that received ERLB along with NE. The participants in both groups were given an ERLB which was suitable to their energy requirement for 4 weeks (400, 500, and 600 kcal). Nutritional status and nutrition knowledge were determined at baseline and week 4. Results: Of 30 participants, 22 (73.3%) staff and 8 (26.7%) students aged between 18-59 years. The group that received the ERLB+NE had 16 participants while the group that received only the ERLB had 14 participants. The results showed that a group that received ERLB+NE significantly reduced waist circumference (p-value 0.017), body weight (p-value <0.001), percentage body fat (p-value 0.004), muscle mass (p-value 0.013), body mass index (p-value < 0.001), and visceral fat (p-value 0.003), while the group that received only ERLB did not show any change in body weight and other. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that energy restriction together with nutrition education is effective in reducing weight and other weight-related indicators such as waist circumference, body weight, percentage body fat, muscle mass, body mass index, and visceral fat.