Effects of a high-protein diet and calcium caseinate supplementation on satiety perception and weight in Children with overweight and obesity: a randomized clinical trial

Summary: Background & Aims: Overweight and obesity in children are a public health problem worldwide. There are few studies about nutritional interventions with different diet macronutrient distribution and their potential application in regulating food consumption in this age group. This study aimed to assess the impact of a high protein diet over satiety, energy intake, and body composition in children diagnosed with overweight (Ov) or obesity (Ob). Methods: School-age children (6–10 years) diagnosed Ov or Ob were randomized to receive three different dietary interventions for two months: standard diet (SD), high protein (HP) diet, and HP diet with calcium caseinate (HPC); BMI (Z-score and percentiles), body composition, indirect calorimetry (REEIC), energy intake (24-h recall questionnaire) and satiety (visual analog scale) were evaluated before and two-months after intervention. Results: Sixty-four children diagnosed with overweight (12.5%) and obesity (87.5%) were evaluated. There were no changes in the perception of satiety between groups (p>0.05). There was a tendency for a reduction in waist circumference in the HPC group after treatment (p=0.05). There were no significant differences in body composition, and children's growth was homogeneous between groups. However, intragroup Z-score values for BMI were significantly reduced in all groups (p