Once the weight is lost, low fat diet more appropriate

Friday April 24, 2009(foodconsumer.org) -- Researchers have found that no matter how an overweight person loses weight, once it’s off, a diet low in saturated fats is the way to maintain weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. Two recent studies verify this fact, albeit in different ways.

University of Maryland Study

As reported by Reuters Health, Dr. Michael Miller led a team of researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center in trying to determine which diets provide the most long-term benefits. Twenty-six healthy adults were put on one of three different diets: Atkins, Ornish, and South Beach. The goal was not to monitor weight loss, but to chronicle biochemical changes in the body under each diet plan. Specifically, the effects on blood vessel function, cholesterol levels and inflammation were targeted for study.

Those on the Atkins plan saw an increase in “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, while those on the Ornish diet saw a 17 percent decrease; the South Beachers saw a 12% overall decline.

This, however, does not necessarily mean that dieters should plan to lose weight only on a low-in-saturated fat diet; Dr. Miller asserts that an obese persons’ overall numbers will improve, simply by losing weight. He told Reuters that once weight loss is attained, no matter how it is attained, a diet low in saturated fat is best for the heart over the long haul.

Stanford University Study

Across the continent, another study was conducted by Stanford University. Researchers randomly chose 311 obese individuals, then put them on one of four diets: LEARN (a diet which follows US dietary guidelines), Atkins, Zone or Ornish. After ten months, the Atkins dieters lost twice as much weight as those on the Ornish and LEARN diets.

Research leader Christopher Gardner commented on the report in JAMA, stating that for weight loss, an extreme diet such as Atkins is, in fact, a “viable option” for those wishing to lose a lot of weight.

By studying the results of both tests, one can conclude that losing weight for the obese is a priority (although a person should not consume less than 1200 calories a day), no matter how it’s achieved. Once the excess weight has been lost, however, a diet that is low in saturated fat will be the most beneficial, as far as quality of life is concerned.

(By Rachel Stockton, and edited by Heather Kelley)