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Low-Calorie Diets

Meaning

Low-calorie diets (LCDs) are structured nutritional regimens that involve a deliberate and controlled reduction in daily energy intake significantly below the individual’s total energy expenditure. Clinically, these diets are primarily prescribed for the purpose of achieving a negative energy balance, leading to a reduction in body weight and adipose tissue mass. The therapeutic goal often extends to improving cardiometabolic markers and reversing features of metabolic syndrome.