New data from researchers in the gastroenterology division of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Massachusetts finds that celiac disease patients who follow a gluten-free diet are less likely to be obese than the general population.

The study, which evaluated 1,018 patients from the Beth Israel Celiac Disease Center, looked at body mass index (BMI) at the point of diagnosis and then at follow-up of approximately 40 months after starting a gluten-free diet. The researchers found that when compared to the general population, celiac disease patients were considerably less obese, but that over time on a gluten-free diet their BMI went up.

In lieu of their findings, the researchers concluded that nutritional counseling should be strongly encouraged for patients with celiac disease who are beginning a gluten-free diet to learn the ups and downs of a nutritionally balanced diet.

Read more about the research at: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/759355