ABSTRACT
Obesity is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases and is responsible for millions of deaths worldwide. Diet is the most important lifestyle factor influencing body weight together with physical activity. In response to the growing need to address excess weight, a wide range of dietary strategies that promise rapid and easy weight loss have emerged attracting public attention and generating considerable debate. Besides them, only a few dietary models have been investigated for their potential role in body weight reduction and other health markers. In this chapter, different dietary approaches have been categorized according to their main characteristics: traditional patterns, diets based on macronutrient modifications, plant-based diets, time-restricted and intermittent fasting diets, and diets with therapeutical aims. In terms of body weight, the results showed very modest differences between the different dietary approaches. Taking into consideration their effect on overall health and their feasibility, traditional diets such as the Mediterranean diet and plant-based diets were found to be the most effective in the long-term course.
