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Two decades after the debate began on which diet is best for weight loss, a conclusion is starting to come into focus. And the winner is . . . not low-carb, not low-fat, not high protein but . . . any diet.
That is, any diet that is low in calories and saturated fats and high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables -- and that an individual can stick with for a lifetime -- is a reasonable choice for people who need to lose weight. That's the conclusion of a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, representing the longest, largest and most rigorous test of several popular diet strategies.
"There isn't any one way. That is the nice thing about none of these diets in particular winning," said Christopher Gardner, a nutrition researcher at Stanford University's Prevention Research Center. "We don't have any right to push low-fat or low-carb or high-protein. If one of these approaches is more satiating, where you will not be hungry and have cravings, that is the one that will work for you."
The diets ranged from 1,200 to 2,400 calories per day based on each individual's body mass index and gender, but everyone was asked to cut about 750 calories a day from what they normally ate. All the diets were low in saturated fat, the kind linked to heart disease and found in many fried or processed foods. Participants were asked to do 90 minutes per week of moderate exercise. They kept a food diary, and a web-based program provided feedback on how closely they met their goals. Individual and group counseling sessions were held over the two years.
http://www.latimes.com/features/heal...,4499014.storyTwo decades after the debate began on which diet is best for weight loss, a conclusion is starting to come into focus. And the winner is . . . not low-carb, not low-fat, not high protein but . . . any diet.
That is, any diet that is low in calories and saturated fats and high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables -- and that an individual can stick with for a lifetime -- is a reasonable choice for people who need to lose weight. That's the conclusion of a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, representing the longest, largest and most rigorous test of several popular diet strategies.
"There isn't any one way. That is the nice thing about none of these diets in particular winning," said Christopher Gardner, a nutrition researcher at Stanford University's Prevention Research Center. "We don't have any right to push low-fat or low-carb or high-protein. If one of these approaches is more satiating, where you will not be hungry and have cravings, that is the one that will work for you."
The diets ranged from 1,200 to 2,400 calories per day based on each individual's body mass index and gender, but everyone was asked to cut about 750 calories a day from what they normally ate. All the diets were low in saturated fat, the kind linked to heart disease and found in many fried or processed foods. Participants were asked to do 90 minutes per week of moderate exercise. They kept a food diary, and a web-based program provided feedback on how closely they met their goals. Individual and group counseling sessions were held over the two years.
