OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effect and safety of treatment with low-calorie formula diet on renal function and proteinuria in obese patients with diabetic nephropathy. DESIGN: Prospective study on safety and efficacy of a 4-week low-calorie (11-19 kcal/kg/day) normal-protein (0.9-1.2 g/kg/ day) diet partly supplemented with formula diet. SUBJECTS: In all, 22 obese patients with diabetic nephropathy (BMI: 30.475.3 kg/m 2 , HbA1c: 7.171.4%, serum creatinine: 172.4757.5 mmol/l, urinary protein: 3.372.6 g/day). RESULTS: The mean body weight decreased by 6.273.0 kg. The mean systolic blood pressure, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, urinary protein, and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine decreased significantly by 7.5712.7 mmHg, 41.6723.9 mmol/l, 1.5071.61 mmol/l, 1.871.7 g/day, and 3.173.6 ng/mg creatinine, respectively. No patient had increased serum creatinine and urinary protein. Mean creatinine clearance (40.6717.9 to 46.1714.6 ml/s/1.73 m 2 ) and serum albumin showed no significant changes. Dserum creatinine and Durinary protein correlated with Dbody weight (r ¼ 0.62 and 0.49, respectively) and Dvisceral fat area (r ¼ 0.58 and 0.58, respectively), but did not correlate with Dsystolic blood pressure, Dfasting blood glucose and Dsubcutaneous fat area. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that weight reduction using formula diet might improve renal function and proteinuria safely for a short term in obese patients with diabetic nephropathy.