The Impact of Daily Nut-Based Snacks and PreMeal Fruit Intake on Weight of Overweight Female Adolescents in East Java, Indonesia

Background: The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents, especially in low- and middle-income countries, highlights the need for effective, culturally adaptable interventions. Fruits consumed before meals and nut-based snacks are associated with enhanced satiety, better metabolic profiles, and improved weight management. However, limited evidence exists on their combined impact in structured communal settings like Islamic boarding schools in East Java, Indonesia.Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted enrolling ۱۰۰ overweight female adolescents (aged ۱۳-۱۸ years) living in an Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia. Participants were randomly assigned to four groups of control receiving dietary education alone, and three intervention groups (T۱, T۲, T۳) receiving education plus daily mixednuts (۱۵, ۲۰ and ۲۵ g) and fruit (۲۰۰-۳۰۰ g) with low, moderate, or high glycemic index (GI), consumed prior to meals for ۲۸ days. Body weight and dietary intake (energy, fat, carbohydrates, protein, fiber) were assessed at baseline, day ۱۴, and day ۲۸.Results: All intervention groups showed significant weight reduction over ۲۸ days (p<۰.۰۰۱), with the greatest decrease in T۳ (high-GI fruit). Energy, fat, carbohydrate, protein, and fiber intakes increased significantly in T۱- T۳ groups in comparison to the control group (p<۰.۰۰۱). Fiber intake increased ۲.۵ times from baseline, indicating an improved diet quality.Conclusion: A combined approach using pre-meal fruits of varying GI and nut-based snacks, paired with nutritional education could effectively reduce body weight and improve macronutrient intake in overweight adolescents. This culturally appropriate strategy can be feasible for addressing adolescent obesity in Islamic boarding schools.

کلیدواژه ها:

Snack ، Fruit ، Overweight ، Female ، Adolescent