Issue Date: May 13, 2007
The real secret to losing weight
Certain diets work for some, but not all. A better bet? Eat less, eat a variety of foods and exercise more.
The battle of the bulge heated up recently when the publication of a study in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" suggested that the Atkins diet, a program that's heavy on the fat, was better for weight loss than other diets considered more healthful. The study, conducted by researchers at Stanford University, was in "JAMA's" March 7 edition. Boy, did it raise some eyebrows.
The researchers followed 311 women, all of whom were overweight and not yet menopausal, for approximately one year. The women were divided into groups and placed on one of the following diets: the Atkins diet (high-fat, very low-carbohydrate), the Zone diet (low-carb), the LEARN diet (a traditional low-fat, high-carb diet supported by most dietitians) and the Ornish diet (high-carb, extremely low-fat).
The women in each group attended weekly one-hour seminars given by a registered dietitian for eight weeks of the study, which emphasized sticking to their diets as much as possible. Advice on other lifestyle habits (such as exercise) was given to all participants as well.
After a year, all of the programs resulted in weight loss, but the women on the Atkins diet seemed to lose more. Here's how it broke down (by average weight loss): Atkins: 10.4 pounds; LEARN: 5.7 pounds; Ornish: 4.8 pounds; and Zone: 3.5 pounds.
As you might expect, not all experts agreed with or were happy about the results. Proponents of each of the other diets were quick to point out shortcomings, design flaws and omissions in the Stanford group's effort. But such criticisms are to be expected, particularly when the topic is as heavy (excuse the pun) as weight loss.
So what should the average person learn from such a study? Here's my take on the data: No one "diet" works for everyone. Folks respond differently to diets depending on food preferences, willpower, support from family and friends, and access to diet foods. The real "secret" to these women's success wasn't the diet they were on, but rather the fact that they stuck to it!
The shortcoming of many diets is that they require people to completely exclude food groups. Although that may sound attractive at first ("You mean I can have all of the burgers I want?"), in reality it becomes increasingly difficult to follow over the long run. And remember, keeping your weight down over the long run is the goal for good health.
So the advice I give to both men and women trying to shed some pounds and keep them off is simple: There are no quick fixes. When it comes to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, a dietary program should consist of foods from all of the groups (protein, fats and carbs), and it should limit those foods that seem to be associated with most problems -- namely saturated fats, trans fats and refined sugars.
The struggle to maintain a healthy weight requires a sustained effort. So the approach one chooses should be tailored to that individual's needs and desires. No "cookie cutter" approach works for everybody, in spite of the attempts by advocates to suggest otherwise.
Be sensible. Eat less. Eat a variety of foods. Lose the booze. Get more active. These are the tried-and-true methods for achieving your desired results. They may not be as fancy as a best-selling author's approach, but they will work.
Tedd Mitchell, M.D., president and medical director of Dallas' Cooper Clinic, writes HealthSmart every week.
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The most common diet pitfalls
Portion size
For long-term weight loss, understanding the need to simply eat less goes a long way. In fact, if a person only applies this one principle, his chance for successful weight loss is high.
Alcohol -- "liquid candy"
This calorie source is one of the most common killers of a successful weight-loss plan. The goal? No more than a few drinks per week. Much more than that and you can kiss your weight-loss attempt goodbye.
Monotony
Our bodies crave a variety of foods, so programs that demand us to severely limit or completely exclude entire food groups place us in a kind of "defensive" mind-set, ever aware of all of the "taboo" food around us that we can't have. That's not a good way to spend the rest of your life, and it's one reason that it's difficult for many to stick to such diets over the long run.
Inactivity
Regular physical activity enhances the weight-loss punch of a good nutritional plan. It makes the body burn more calories on a daily basis and eventually leads to several favorable physiological changes that enhance the body's ability to burn fuel and function more effectively. A reasonable start: at least five days a week for at least 30 minutes per session.
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