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#Post#: 994--------------------------------------------------
Comparing diets
By: agate Date: November 5, 2015, 11:47 pm
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Why throw your money away on the latest diet that is being
promoted?You probably would do just as well at weight loss if
you just used common sense and what information you can pick up
about nutrition and dieting on your own.
From the Berkeley Wellness Letter, October 5, 2015:
[quote]Comparing Diets: What the Research Shows
At any given time, hundreds of weight-loss diets are vying for
eyeballs online or shelf space in bookstores—not counting the
multitude of get-thin-quick schemes, from fat-melting creams and
supplements to detox purging and fasting. Few diets have been
tested in studies; most are rehashes of previous diets with a
few new twists or gimmicks. New diet “breakthroughs” get lots of
attention because most people fail with the existing programs
and thus keep hunting for one that will finally work. And the
publicity machines behind this multi-billion-dollar industry
encourage dieters in their wishful thinking.
During the last decade, a few dozen good independent clinical
trials have compared leading diets or general types of diets
(such as low-carb or low-fat). Most have found very modest
differences in weight loss after several months to a year—and no
consistent winner. Keep in mind, however, that nearly all diet
studies report average results, which disguise the fact that
some people lose a lot of weight, some a small amount, and
others stay the same or even gain weight. One consistent finding
is that adherence to the regimens is a far stronger predictor of
weight loss than are the specifics of the diets. Even when
people do stay on diets, they usually stray from the rules, and
this worsens over time, though professional support and guidance
help.
Studies and reviews of popular diets
Low-carb vs. low-fat. The latest in a string of such
head-to-head studies appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine
in September 2014. For a year middle-aged obese people followed
either a moderately low-carb diet (similar to the maintenance
phase of the Atkins diet) or a modestly low-fat diet (similar to
American Heart Association guidelines). Participants received
intensive counseling, but no specific calorie goals; they did
not change their exercise habits. After a year, average weight
loss was small—about 12 pounds for the low-carb group and 4
pounds for the low-fat group. This specific low-carb diet led to
bigger dietary changes and greater calorie reduction, so it
resulted in greater weight loss. It’s not known if participants
would have done as well if they had not been given fairly
intensive counseling.
The bigger picture. Also in September 2014, an analysis of 48
studies of popular diets (including Atkins, Zone, Weight
Watchers, Jenny Craig, Ornish, and South Beach) was published in
the Journal of the American Medical Association. It found that
all diets—low-fat, low-carb, or somewhere in between—were
modestly effective after a year (9 to 16 pounds lost), with
little difference in weight loss from one plan to another.
Behavioral support and exercise enhanced weight loss.
The bigger picture II. Similarly, a Canadian review in
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes in November
2014 looked at 12 clinical trials involving Atkins, South Beach,
Weight Watchers, and Zone. It found that all resulted in “modest
and similar weight loss” (ranging from 4 to 12 pounds) after a
year—but so did control groups who got “usual care” (such as
self-help materials or nutritional counseling). Weight loss was
front-loaded—that is, greatest during the first six months—and
after that, weight gradually crept back. The few studies lasting
two years found increasing weight regain.
Structured programs may do best. In a review in the Annals of
Internal Medicine in April 2015, Johns Hopkins researchers
looked at 39 clinical trials involving 11 weight-loss programs.
It concluded that only Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers had
evidence to support claims that they promote long-term weight
loss (for at least one year). But even they resulted in only 3
to 5 percent greater weight loss than seen in control groups who
relied on printed health information or other forms of
counseling. For the other programs studied, results were even
more modest or there were no long-term data.
Maintaining Weight Loss: The Hard Part
The weight-loss industry tends to focus on strategies needed to
shed pounds—but these may be different from what you need to
maintain your new, lower weight.
For instance, as a study in the American Journal of Preventive
Medicine found, people who succeeded at losing weight and
keeping it off shared some common practices: They ate lots of
fruits and vegetables, controlled their portions, planned what
they would be buying before shopping, and read nutrition labels.
But the successful weight maintainers had other tactics in their
arsenal too: They were more likely to follow a consistent
exercise routine, eat higher amounts of lean protein, reward
themselves for sticking to their diet or exercise plan, and
remind themselves why they need to control their weight.
Meanwhile, the National Weight Control Registry has found that
successful weight-loss maintainers tend to be conscious of
calories, have a less-varied diet, weigh themselves regularly,
keep food diaries, watch less TV, and exercise a lot, among
other winning strategies.
How maintaining is different from losing
Weight control is a process in which you fine-tune what works
for you as you go. You may find, for example, that limiting
calories works initially, but that you feel better and can more
easily keep your calories down by eating a higher proportion of
protein. You may also need a variety of exercise before you find
a routine that works best for you. And you may have high
motivation to lose weight in the beginning, but then find that
over time, as enthusiasm wanes, you need to remind yourself of
your goals more often, and reward yourself more often for
staying on course.
Bottom line: Don't get discouraged. Most people fail several
times before they “get it right.” It may take a few rounds
before you succeed at keeping the weight off. The good news is
that if you can keep the weight off for two years, chances are
you’ll keep it off over the long term, according to the National
Weight Control Registry. You may still have to work at it every
day, but you gain more confidence in your ability, which goes a
long way towards lasting success.[/quote]
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