|
The best diet for weight loss is still intensely debated and there has been very few well conducted studies which looked at this issue. Is a high protein diet better, or high carb or a high fat diet better?
A recent study looked at this very issue and received a lot of good attention.
What were the strengths of the weight loss study?
- Large number of participants:
There were 811 participants from diverse backgrounds irrespective of age, income, geography and included a large percentage of men. Obviously the largest RCT related to weight loss diets.- High rate of retention: The people who dropped out of the study were low which was a serious problem in other weight loss studies.
- Long Duration: The diet lasted for 2 years which is the longest trial for randomized weight loss trial.
- Compliance accessed: Compliance was assessed by objective markers .For example, urinary nitrogen excretion was used to asses adherence to the protein intake.
- Intense Treatment: Treatment included individual and group instructional sessions to promote adherence.
What was the design of the study?
Eight hundred and eleven participants were randomly assigned to four different diets:
- 20% fat, 15% protein, and 65% carbs; Low-fat,average-protein
- 20% fat, 25% protein, and 55% carbs; Low-fat, high-protein
- 40% fat, 15% protein, and 45% carbs; High Fat, Average Protein
- 40% fat, 25% protein, and 35% carbs.High Fat High Protein
All of the diets had an average calorie deficit of 750 calories from the patients’ aggregate baseline caloric intake. Participants followed the diets for two years, during which time they were also expected to engage in 90 minutes of moderate exercise each week, keep a daily food diary, fill out a Web-based tool that monitored how closely their intake adhered to their assigned diet, and attend group and individual sessions to promote adherence
What were the results of the study?All the diets were equally successful in promoting moderate weight loss and maintaining this loss for over 2 years. Weight loss averaged 3-4 years after 2 years.
Practical Recommendations- Any diet which emphasizes calorie restriction will work and the specific amount of protein, fat or carbs of the diet does not matter.
- Diets should be tailored to the person based on their individual and cultural preferences than based on nutritional recommendations for long term success.
- Behavioral strategies maybe more important in weight loss diets than their composition.
该贴已经同步到 jacky的微博 |
评分
-
查看全部评分
|