To analyze the dietary habits, energy intake and expenditure, anthropometrics, and body composition of the outpatients visiting the weight loss clinic of Beijing Hospital.

We prospectively enrolled 89 consecutive patients with body mass index (BMI)≥24 kg/m² from November 2014 to August 2015 in the weight loss clinic of Beijing Hospital. There were 35 male and 54 female, with the mean age of (45.8±16.4) years. We divided them into two groups: the diabetes group (n=35) and the non-diabetes group (n=54), and compared the dietary habits, energy intake and expenditure, anthropometrics and body composition between the two groups.

Regardless of diabetes, the overweight and obese patients all ate fast, mostly finishing a meal in about 10 minutes. They preferred Chinese food and meat, and disliked hot food. The frequency of dinning out in the non-diabetes group (3-5 times per week) was higher than that in the diabetes group (1-2 times per week). Compared with the diabetes group, the non-diabetes group had higher fat-to-energy ratio [(34.9±7.6)% vs. (30.8±5.9)%], but lower carbohydrate intake [(232.2±59.7)g vs. (283.6±89.5)g], carbohydrate-to-energy ratio [(47.9±8.3)% vs. (53.4±7.1)%], and the ratio of resting metabolic rate to body weight [(66.9±9.6)kJ/(d·kg) vs. (71.1±7.9)kJ/(d·kg)] (all P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in total energy intake, protein intake, high quality protein intake, fat intake, protein-to-energy ratio, and resting metabolic rate (all P>0.05). Anthropometrics showed that the mean BMI of the patients was (32.8±4.4)kg/m^2, with the maximum being 53.5 kg/m². The hip circumference [(117.15±9.9)cm vs. (111.1±8.2)cm], upper arm circumference [(36.4±3.8)cm vs. (34.0±3.3)cm], and triceps skinfold thickness [(36.1±8.9)mm vs. (31.6±8.8)mm] were larger in the non-diabetes group than in the diabetes group (all P<0.05), but the mean age was lower in the non-diabetes group [(41.7±16.9) years vs. (52.9±13.1) years) (P=0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, neck circumference, and bilateral hand grip strength (all P>0.05). According to body composition analysis, the body weight [(94.8±18.3)kg vs. (86.9±17.2)kg], body fat mass [(39.7±11.3)kg vs. (33.5±8.9)kg], body fat percentage [(41.7±6.5)% vs. (38.5±6.7)%], and visceral fat area [(145.3±24.8)cm²vs. (130.7±27.5)cm²] were larger in the non-diabetes group than in the diabetes group (all P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in BMI and skeletal muscle mass (both P>0.05).

Compared with diabetes patients, overweight and obese non-diabetes patients may be younger, having worse dietary habits, and having larger body fat mass, body fat percentage, and visceral fat area.

Overweight; Obesity; Dietary habits; Energy intake and expenditure; Anthropometrics; Body composition