DR. DAVID LIPSCHITZ, MATTERS OF YOUR HEALTH 5:11 p.m. CT May 2, 2017
Dr. David Lipschitz(Photo: Matters Of Your Health)
At long last a very carefully designed research study compared weight loss when obese individuals were placed on one of four diets that can be described as follows: a low-fat normal protein diet,low-fat high protein diet,high-fat normal protein diet and a high-fat, high-protein diet.
The results have just been published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the results are quite clear. At one-year weight loss was similar in all four groups averaging approximately 6 Kg (13.2 pounds). At two years, most had gained some weight back, but they were all still on the average about 3 Kg (6.6 pounds) lighter than before the study was started.
No matter the diet used, the amount of weight loss depended on two important factors: first, the fewer calories consumed, the greater the weight loss and second those who attended regular meetings where they were weighed and counseled lost much more weight than those who did not attend meetings.
Furthermore, quality of life was the same in all four diets, including how hungry the dieters were, their level of satiety after eating and satisfaction with the diet plan. In every case weight loss led to reduction in cholesterol levels and decreased insulin resistance indicating a lower risk of diabetes.
An important message from this study is that if you want to lose weight and keep it off, try and participate in a research study. Almost invariably results are better in research subjects than in the average dieter, no matter what diet they chose.
Just like alcoholics and gamblers who benefit from having a sponsor and attending meetings, overweight individuals need as much help as they can get if their diet is to succeed. The statistics are not encouraging.
Most information indicates that more than95 percentof dieters who lose weight tend over time to regain the weight back, often becoming heavier than they were before beginning to diet. If you are dieting, make sure you identify a counselor (usually a dietitian or nutritionist) and a support group that you meet with frequently.
Continued reinforcement, encouragement, weigh-ins and assurance that diet is accompanied by exercise is the best way to reach a target weight and keep it there. A support group is clearly invaluable for those of us who for whatever reason start eating for whatever reason. Many individuals go on a food binge when they become upset, stressed or experience conflicts at home or work.
The other important lesson from this study is that it's not what you eat but how much that is the most important predictor of weight gain or weight loss.
In this study, the only measure that accurately determined how much weight was lost was how much food was taken in. The fewer calories consumed, the more the body must turn to its own fat and muscle for energy and the more weight will be lost.
It has been suggested that dieters who consume a high fat, low carbohydrate diet develop satiety more rapidly and may lose their appetite because a high-fat diet makes the blood slightly acidic due to an accumulation of ketones. Here though satiety was equal no matter the diet and satisfaction with the diet was equal in all four groups.
From this information, I believe more than ever that the best diet is the dont diet diet. Work on the healthiest diet possible, paying attention to portion sizes and reduce calorie intake by being prudent, avoiding too much fat and starches and, of course, eat slowly to optimize the chance that you will become satisfied before you have consumed too much.
The diet should contain lean meat and fatty fish, abundant fruit and vegetables and prudent intake of the right fats (monounsaturated fats from olive oil and omega three fatty acids from nuts) and the right starches that are complex and rich in fiber. And remember too much of a good thing is too much.
Finally, a prudent healthy diet must be accompanied by exercise and the more the better. Walk, raise your heart rate, and remember the importance of balance, stretching and resistance training with weights to build muscle.
The greater your problem with weight and exercise, the more important it is that you belong to a support group and receive counseling. A better weight and a healthier life is an option for everyone.
Dr. David Lipschitz is the medical director for the Mruk Family Education Center on Aging and the Fairlamb Senior Health Clinic. Contact him at askdrdavid@gmail.com
Read or Share this story: http://www.baxterbulletin.com/story/life/health/2017/05/02/final-answer-if-you-want-lose-weight-eat-less/101194906/
Visit link:
Final Answer: If you want to lose weight eat less - Baxter Bulletin
