The best diets to reduce weight

A perennial topic of debate is the right diet for losing weight. Many different approaches have been popularized over the years, each with its adherents. In particular, there has been an ongoing battle between the Atkins diet and Dean Ornish's low fat approach, and between these two extremes the Mediterranean diet has straddled a seemingly healthy middle ground.

Now it appears that there is enough evidence to indicate that no one diet is the 'best' for weight loss. A report last year by my colleague Dr Frank Sacks at the Harvard School of Public Health (the 'Pounds Lost' trial) found that the amount of weight lost was the same regardless of the ratio of protein, fat or carbohydrate in the diet.

This was one of the longest and most rigorous studies comparing a low-carb approach to a low-fat approach. They randomly assigned overweight adults to varying ratios of nutrients. The participants were offered instructional sessions for 2 years. At 6 months, participants assigned to each diet had lost an average of 6 kg, but then they began to regain weight after 12 months. By 2 years, weight loss was the same regardless of protein, fat, or carbohydrate ratios.

What they found is that cutting calories is the basic element to weight-loss success. Satiety, hunger, satisfaction with the diet, and attendance at group sessions were similar for all 4 diets. The diets all improved lipid-related risk factors and fasting insulin levels.

Interestingly, attendance at group sessions was strongly associated with weight loss, adding more evidence that our social nature needs to be mobilized in the service of our health.

In the end, these results con-firm the basic laws of physics. Energy intake, if not burned, will lead to weight gain. A few tips: It does appear that exercise in modest amounts can help curb the appetite just enough to help.

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