Do I have you sitting at the edge of your chair now in anticipation? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but there were no real winners in these two recent studies, or should I say– no real “losers.”
In one article, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers sought to determine weight loss outcomes for popular diets plans such as Atkins, Zone, Weight Watchers, and Nutrisystem.
They looked at 48 clinical trials including 7,286 individuals and compared weight loss at 6 months and 12 months for those on the diets vs no diet.
The results:
Compared to no diet, the low-carbohydrate diets had a median difference in weight loss of 19.2 lb. at 6 months, and 16 lb. at 12 months.
Low-fat diets had a mean difference of 17.6 lb. at 6 months, and 16 lb. at 12 months.
The conclusion:
Significant weight loss was observed with any low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet.
Another study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reported the results of a year-long evaluation of low-carbohydrate vs low-fat diets with 148 participants.
The low-carb folks were instructed to consume less than 40 grams of carb/day; the low-fat participants were to keep fat at less than 30% of calories. Both groups received dietary counseling and ate one meal replacement per day.
The results:
At 12 months, the low-carb dieters lost an average of 11.7 lb. compared to an average of 4 lb. for the low-fat folks. Also, the first group achieved better blood lipid numbers and more fat loss.
The conclusion:
The low-carbohydrate diet was more effective for weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor reduction than the low-fat diet.
While these studies seem contradictory, it’s important to remember that, in some ways, they’re comparing apples to oranges (oh no, more carbs!). In the first study, both calories and diet composition would have been changed, whereas in the second, participants were told to change the composition of the diet, not to watch calories.
Yoni Freedhoff, MD, author of The Diet Fix, wrote an excellent analysis of the Annals study, noting that, among other things, the low-carb diet wasn’t really low carb, and the low-fat diet really wasn’t low fat (the recommendation for all adults being a diet with 20 – 35% fat).
Also, a low-carb diet will include more fat and protein, both taking longer to digest than carbohydrates, thereby increasing satiety and leading to less food consumption.
The bottom line:
- Calories do count.
- If you’ve been reading my blogs and newsletters, you know that carbohydrates found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are extremely beneficial.
- Find a food plan you love, because whether it’s low-fat or low-carbohydrate, you’ll lose weight.
- But to keep the weight off (and that’s the tricky part, isn’t it?), you’ll have to continue being mindful of calories and incorporate movement into your daily routine–for the rest of your life.
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