Low-fat Diets May Not Be Best For Weight Loss, Study Suggests

A two-year study led by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) reveals that low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets may be just as safe and effective in achieving weight loss as the standard, medically prescribed low-fat diet, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study was conducted by BGU and the Nuclear Research Center in Dimona, Israel, in collaboration with Harvard University, The University of Leipzig, Germany and the University of Western Ontario, Canada.

In the two-year study, 322 moderately obese people were intensively monitored and were randomly assigned one of three diets: a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet; a Mediterranean calorie-restricted diet with the highest level of dietary fiber and monounsaturated/saturated fat; or a low-carbohydrate diet with the least amount of carbohydrates, highest fat, protein, and dietary cholesterol. The low-carb dieters had no caloric intake restrictions.

Although participants actually decreased their total daily calories consumed by a similar amount, net weight loss from the low-fat diet after two years was only 6.5 lbs. (2.9 kg) compared to 10 lbs. (4.4 kg) on the Mediterranean diet, and 10.3 lbs. (4.7 kg) on the low-carbohydrate diet. "These weight reduction rates are comparable to results from physician-prescribed weight loss medications," explains Dr. Iris Shai, the lead researcher.

The low-fat diet reduced the total cholesterol to HDL ratio by only 12 percent, while the low-carbohydrate diet improved the same ratio by 20 percent. Lipids improved the most in the low-carbohydrate, with a 20% increase in the HDL ("good") cholesterol and, 14% decrease in triglycerides. In all three diets, inflammatory and liver function biomarkers was equally improved. However, among diabetic participants, the standard low-fat diet actually increased the fasting glucose levels by 12mg/dL, while the Mediterranean diet induced a decrease in fasting glucose levels by 33mg/dL.

In addition to the findings, this two-year study is also significant because of the relatively large number of participants coupled with a low drop-out rate -- 95 percent were in the study after one year and 85 percent were still participating after the second.

Dr. Iris Shai is a researcher at the S. Daniel Abraham International Center for Health and Nutrition in the Department of Epidemiology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She conceived the study with Dr. Stampfer, the senior author, while she was a Fulbright fellow at Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Laboratory in Boston, Massachusetts.

The trial conducted at the Nuclear Research Center in Israel involved unparalleled and significant cooperation between staff, participants and their spouses. The cafeterias in the workplace went through a "health revolution," integrating the workplace cafeteria managers with clinical support and a nutritional advisor, in order to provide healthy food dishes that would fit each one of the dietary arms, as labeled with specific colors every day. Along with careful workplace nutritional counseling, spouses of the trial participants were educated on how to keep the specific assigned diet strategy at home. The participants also completed electronic questionnaires, developed specifically for the study.

"The Nuclear Research Center Dimona highly values health promotion within the workplace," said Dr. Dan Schwarzfuchs, director of the clinical department at the facility. "This is why it supported performance of such a nutritional study and enabled the outstanding adherence rate of the DIRECT participants."

"Clearly, there is not one diet that is ideal for everyone," Shai concludes. "We believe that this study will open clinical medicine to considering low-carb and Mediterranean diets as safe effective alternatives for patients, based on personal preference and the medical goals set for such intervention. Furthermore, the improvement in levels of some biomarkers continued until the 24-month point, although maximum weight loss was achieved by 6 months. This suggests that healthy diet has beneficial effects beyond weight loss."

4 Weight Loss Tips for Beginners

Most of people who are obese are heading north, and many of them are frantically looking for weight loss programs to help them lose excess fats off their body so that they look slimmer, fitter and sexier.

Here are 4 weight loss tips you should follow, on top of your weight loss program, so as to make sure that the weight loss program you've chosen will work flawlessly for you.

Tip #01 - Reduce your food intake

The first thing you should watch out for in order to lose weight is your diet. I know many of us can't resist when we step into a restaurant, and start ordering just about everything we see in the menu that looks nice. The rule of the thumb here is this - eat just enough so that you will not be hungry. Once you're no longer hungry, stop eating immediately. Never stuff yourself with food.

Tip #02 - The importance of exercising

Exercising will help your body burn fats. No diets will work without the help of a good exercise regime.

Tip #03 - Eat healthy

Most people concentrate too much on getting thin that they fail to recognize the more important thing - which is that they have to concentrate the fact that they have to eat healthy as well. By eating the right foods, and adequate amount, you should not have to worry about getting fat.

The main reason why so many people are overweight these days is because of the food they eat, which are normally fatty foods and sweets - which should be avoided as much as possible.

Tip #04 - Get support from family and friends

All these weight loss tips and programs won't do you any good if you feel that you're going through this whole process all by yourself. Try to involve people whom you are very close with into your weight loss program.

You may not realize it but, their support can actually help you go a very long way in your weight loss journey. For one, they would be considerate enough not to eat cakes and rich desserts in front of you. They could also stop you from biting on a piece of chocolate bar at the very last minute!

Follow these 4 weight loss tips and you should be on your way toward a slimmer, leaner and sexier body. You have to be patient though, as the whole weight loss success journey does not happen overnight. But I can guarantee you one thing - that the fruits of your labor will certainly be sweet.

Lose Weight Fast With These Three Tips

For busy women who want to lose weight fast, life just got a lot easier. Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter has made several quick weight loss tips available to help the busy woman on the go lose pounds and inches.

Hunter explained, “Everyone is busy these days, especially women. But losing weight fast doesn’t need to be looked at as difficult or as a chore.” He went on to say, “Just following these three quick weight loss tips will go a long way to helping any woman lose pounds and inches.”

The Registered Dietitian recommends these three tips for rapid fat loss:

1) Record what you eat and drink.

Women are often amazed by the amount of calories they realize they are consuming. Keeping a food journal is critical to their success because they need it to evaluate and analyze their current eating patterns.

2) Incorporate “super foods” into your meal plan on a daily basis.

Some examples are salmon, low-fat plain yogurt, tomatoes, spinach, mixed berries, whole oats, mixed nuts, olive oil, flax seeds(or flax meal), green tea, and various beans.

3) Keep total fat intake under 30% for the day.

This can easily be accomplished by avoiding “extra” fats such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, etc. This doesn’t mean women have to completely eliminate these items, just use them sparingly and avoid adding them to foods whenever possible.

All you need to follow these above mentioned tips with full dedication and honesty.