Abstract
Background/Objectives: The increasing problem of excess body weight and the resulting dyslipidemia among children and adolescents is a serious health challenge that may have long-term consequences. In this context, the search continues for an optimal diet that will support both body weight normalization and improvement in lipid parameters. In the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and lipid disorders, limiting highly processed foods and replacing them with natural, minimally processed options lower in fat, saturated fatty acids (SFA), cholesterol, sugar, and salt is recommended. This study aimed to assess the quality and nutritional value of the low-glycemic index (LGI) diet and standard (ST) diet. Methods: Both diets were based on the principal recommendation of the Cardiovascular Health Integrated Lifestyle Diet-2 (CHILD-2). The Diet Quality Index (DQI) was used to assess the diet quality. Moreover, the nutritional value of the diet was assessed before and after 8 weeks of intervention. The study included 40 patients aged 8-16 years with excess body weight and dyslipidemia who completed the entire nutritional intervention. Results: This study demonstrated that both LGI and ST diets were effective in improving diet quality. The nutritional intervention led to an almost 2-fold reduction in the mean DQI score in the LGI diet group and almost 1.5-fold reduction in the ST diet group (significant differences between groups). No participants were classified into a lower diet quality category than at baseline. The percentage of participants with minimum moderate diet quality reached 100% in the LGI diet group and 44% in the ST diet group. Changes in nutritional value were similar in the LGI and ST diet groups. Both interventions resulted in a significant increase in protein and fiber consumption, as well as a decrease in cholesterol, SFA, and sodium. A greater improvement in diet quality was significantly associated with lower fat and SFA, as well as higher vitamin C intake, in both groups; specifically, it was also associated with reduced cholesterol and sugar intake in the LGI diet group, and reduced sodium intake in the ST diet group. Conclusions: These results suggest that in the dietary therapy of children and adolescents with excess body weight and dyslipidemia, the quality of the diet is crucial, as it is associated with beneficial changes in nutritional value, which may have a positive impact on patient health. To achieve this, however, constant and consistent cooperation with a dietitian is necessary to help implement appropriate dietary recommendations in practice. Further long-term, larger-scale studies are needed.