The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the balance between host health and obesity. The composition of the gut microbiota can be influenced by external factors, among which diet plays a key role. As the source of dietary protein is important to achieve weight loss and gut microbiota modulation, in the literature there is increasing evidence to suggest consuming more plant proteins than animal proteins. In this review, a literature search of clinical trials published until February 2023 was conducted to examine the effect of different macronutrients and dietary patterns on the gut microbiota in subjects with overweight and obesity. Several studies have shown that a higher intake of animal protein, as well as the Western diet, can lead to a decrease in beneficial gut bacteria and an increase in harmful ones typical of obesity. On the other hand, diets rich in plant proteins, such as the Mediterranean diet, lead to a significant increase in anti-inflammatory butyrate-producing bacteria, bacterial diversity and a reduction in pro-inflammatory bacteria. Therefore, since diets rich in fiber, plant protein, and an adequate amount of unsaturated fat may help to beneficially modulate the gut microbiota involved in weight loss, further studies are needed.

The best nutritional strategy to fight the rise in obesity remains a debated issue. The Mediterranean diet (MD) and the Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic diet (VLCKD) are effective at helping people lose body weight (BW) and fat mass (FM) while preserving fat-free mass (FFM). This study aimed to evaluate the time these two diets took to reach a loss of 5% of the initial BW and how body composition was affected. We randomized 268 subjects with obesity or overweight in two arms, MD and VLCKD, for a maximum of 3 months or until they reached 5% BW loss. This result was achieved after one month of VLCKD and 3 months of MD. Both diets were effective in terms of BW (p < 0.0001) and FM loss (p < 0.0001), but the MD reached a higher reduction in both waist circumference (p = 0.0010) and FM (p = 0.0006) and a greater increase in total body water (p = 0.0017) and FFM (p = 0.0373) than VLCKD. The population was also stratified according to gender, age, and BMI. These two nutritional protocols are both effective in improving anthropometrical parameters and body composition, but they take different time spans to reach the goal. Therefore, professionals should evaluate which is the most suitable according to each patient’s health status.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic, progressive, immune-mediated diseases of the intestinal tract. The main subtypes of IBDs are Chron’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The etiology is still unclear, but there are genetic, environmental and host-related factors that contribute to the development of these diseases. Recent literature has shown that dietary therapy is the cornerstone of IBD treatment in terms of management of symptoms, relapse and care of the pathology. IBD patients show that microbiota dysbiosis and diet, especially dietary fiber, can modulate its composition. These patients are more at risk of energy protein malnutrition than the general population and are deficient in micronutrients. So far, no dietary component is considered responsible for IBD and there is not a specific therapeutic diet for it. The aim of this review is to evaluate the role of dietary fibers in CD and UC and help health professionals in the nutritional management of these pathologies. Further studies are necessary to determine the appropriate amount and type of fiber to suggest in the case of IBD to ameliorate psychosocial conditions and patients’ quality of life.

Childhood obesity is a global public health problem. Worldwide, 41 million children under 5 years and 340 million children and adolescents between 5 and 19 years are overweight. In addition, the recent COVID-19 epidemic has further amplified this social phenomenon. Obesity is a condition associated with various comorbidities, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The pathophysiology of NAFLD in obesity is intricate and involves the interaction and dysregulation of several mechanisms, such as insulin resistance, cytokine signaling, and alteration of the gut microbiota. NAFLD is defined as the presence of hepatic steatosis in more than 5% of hepatocytes, evaluated by histological analysis. It can evolve from hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and end-stage liver failure. Body weight reduction through lifestyle modification remains the first-line intervention for the management of pediatric NAFLD. Indeed, studies suggest that diets low in fat and sugar and conversely rich in dietary fibers promote the improvement of metabolic parameters. This review aims to evaluate the existing relationship between obesity and NAFLD in the pediatric population and to assess the dietary patterns and nutritional supplementations that can be recommended to prevent and manage obesity and its comorbidities.

Background/Objectives: Emotional eating refers to the tendency to eat in response to emotions rather than physiological hunger and has been associated with changes in food choices and difficulties in dietary self-regulation. Whether emotional eating influences adherence to the Mediterranean diet remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between emotional eating and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 245 adults completed the Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) and the MEDI-LITE questionnaire to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Participants were classified into three emotional eating categories (NO EE, LEE, EE) and stratified by BMI (normal weight vs. overweight). Results: Higher EEQ scores were associated with greater disinhibition, stronger food preferences, and a higher sense of guilt in both BMI categories. However, adherence to the Mediterranean diet did not differ significantly across emotional eating groups, and overall MEDI-LITE scores were low in the entire sample. Correlations between emotional eating subscales and specific food groups were weak and did not show a consistent pattern. Conclusions: Emotional eating was associated with psychological and behavioral aspects of eating but was not related to adherence to the Mediterranean diet in this population. The uniformly low adherence to the Mediterranean diet may have attenuated potential associations. Further studies using more detailed dietary assessment tools and longitudinal designs are needed to clarify how emotional eating influences food choices over time.

Background: Preschool age is a critical yet underexplored period for the early emergence of dietary behaviours and excess weight. Children aged 3–5 years are largely excluded from national nutrition surveillance systems, limiting the timely identification of excess weight and related behavioural patterns. Fair Play a Tavola was conceived to integrate nutrition education with anthropometric screening in preschool settings, providing an early epidemiological overview of lifestyle behaviours and excess weight in preschool children. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional observational study was conducted between October 2023 and February 2025 in 57 preschools in Lazio, Italy. Approximately 5,000 children aged 3–5 years participated in play-based, multisensory-nutrition-education activities, while anthropometric and questionnaire-based analyses were conducted in a subsample with complete data. Anthropometric measurements and a multilingual parent-reported questionnaire assessed growth parameters, dietary habits, physical activity, screen time, sleep, and family characteristics. BMI categories were defined according to WHO 2006–2007 standards. Results: The final analytical sample included 1,542 children (48% female; mean age 4.4 ± 0.9 years), of whom 38% showed excess weight (17% at risk of overweight, 14% overweight, 7% obesity). Waist circumference increased progressively across BMI categories ( p < 0.0001), and higher BMI was associated with higher birth weight and higher parental BMI. Parents frequently underestimated their child's weight status, particularly in overweight categories. Physical activity levels were generally low across the cohort, while children with obesity reported higher video game use. Dietary differences across BMI groups were limited but significant for selected food categories, including fish, eggs, processed meats, and fast food. Across the entire population, adherence to national dietary recommendations ( CREA 2018 ) for fruits, vegetables, cereals, and yogurt was consistently low. Conclusions: Differences in anthropometric measures and selected parent-reported behaviors were observed across BMI-defined categories. In this cross-sectional study, anthropometric screening conducted within preschool settings allowed the descriptive characterization of excess weight and related behavioural patterns at an early developmental stage. Given the partial participation rates and the absence of longitudinal follow-up, findings should be interpreted descriptively. Further longitudinal and intervention-based studies are required to determine long-term impact and preventive effectiveness.