Weight loss, improved physical performance, cognitive function, eating behavior, and metabolic profile in a 12-week ketogenic diet in obese adults

The ketogenic diet (KD) is being increasingly promoted as a strategy to fight obesity. Although the KD is effective for weight loss and weight control, comprehensive determination of its relationship with biochemical, physiological and psychological changes is still largely unexplored. We hypothesized that a 12-week KD (12KD) would significantly affect body weight, physical performance, cognitive function, eating behaviors, the metabolic and hormonal profile in obese adults, although differently in men and women. In an uncontrolled intervention, 35 sedentary obese adults (13 men, 25 women), aged 37 ± 7 years with a BMI 36.1 ± 5.6 kg/m2 underwent a 12KD between March 2017 and June 2017 at the University of Primorska. The 12KD resulted in decreased appetite, significant weight loss of participants (−18 ± 9 kg men vs. -11 ± 3 kg women; P