All Popular Diets the Same?

[Guest guest]

This just in from Fidyl's list, SoFlaVegans. Please note the *origin* of the

item,

however. But FWIW here's a (biased) view plus a summary of the report that

was made on all but the McDougall diet. The report summary is interesting.

 

Best, Pat ;=)

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All Popular Diets Are the Same – Failures

McDougall Newsletter

February, 2005

 

 

The Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone diets were studied to

determine possible benefits for weight loss and heart disease risk

reduction in a randomized trial lasting for one year. The

conclusions published in January of 2005 in the Journal of the

American Medical Association were: " Each popular diet modestly

reduced body weight and several cardiac risk factors at 1 year.

Overall dietary adherence rates were low, although increased

adherence was associated with greater weight loss and cardiac risk

factor reductions for each diet group. " 1 These results suggest that

it makes no difference which diet you follow – low-fat or high-fat,

high-carbohydrate or low-carbohydrate, vegetable-food-based or

animal-food-based – the benefits are the same, as long as you follow

the diet. How can this be?

 

How Did the Ornish Diet Perform?

 

I asked Dean Ornish, MD, about this study and he provided me with

information that will soon be published in the " Letters to the

Editor " of the Journal of the American Medical Association. In his

letter he points out that his low-fat, near-vegetarian diet has been

scientifically shown to reverse atherosclerosis, decrease angina

(chest pains), bring about permanent weight loss (5 years or longer)

and reduce cardiac events (such as heart attacks) by 2.5 times. The

other diets have no published research that shows benefits for heart

disease – of more concern is a published report on the Atkins Diet

demonstrating worsening of blood flow to the heart.2

 

According to Dr. Ornish, data from this study really showed greater

weight loss, cholesterol, and blood sugar reductions on the Ornish

diet than with the other diets. However, in truth, the differences

in results are barely visible. How can this be?

 

Lack of Adherence Spoils Benefits

 

The improvements shown by any of the programs tested are nothing to

brag about. Consider that after one year the average weight losses

were 5 to 7 pounds and reductions of cholesterol were 4 to 11 mg/dl

on ANY of the programs. The reason all these diets " fail " to make

sustained improvements for one year is lack of adherence to the

program – no surprise here.

 

Diets are hard to follow, even when highly structured for the

participants. A January 2005 review of major commercial (like Weight

Watchers, Jenny Craig, Optifast) and " organized self-help weight

loss " (eDiet, TOPS, Overeaters Anonymous) programs found, except for

Weight Watchers, that there was little evidence to support their

value.3 Here again, lack of adherence was the primary downfall.

 

The Ornish diet – a starch-based, near-vegetarian diet – when

followed, has the potential to help people the most because it is

inherently the healthiest. When only those who completed the study

were included in the analysis, those on the Ornish diet lost on

average 14.5 pounds (6.6 Kg) and reduced their cholesterol by 21.5

mg/dl – by far the best results of all the diets tested.

 

My conclusion from this study is: if you are not going to stick to a

diet, it really makes little difference which one you choose to

follow temporarily. But, what if you are serious about keeping that

extra weight off? Then does your choice make a difference?

 

The Heart Association Says: Popular Diets Sacrifice Your Health

 

All the popular diets cause weight loss or no one would ever follow

them. However, most – which these days means high protein diets –

produce weight loss at the expense of the participants' health. The

Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association (AHA) in a

report in the October 9, 2001 issue of their journal Circulation said

this best:4

 

" High-protein diets typically offer wide latitude in protein food

choices, are restrictive in other food choices (mainly

carbohydrates), and provide structured eating plans. They also often

promote misconceptions about carbohydrates, insulin resistance,

ketosis, and fat burning as mechanisms of action for weight loss …

These diets are generally associated with higher intakes of total

fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol because the protein is provided

mainly by animal sources. In high-protein diets, weight loss is

initially high due to fluid loss related to reduced carbohydrate

intake, overall caloric restriction, and ketosis-induced appetite

suppression. Beneficial effects on blood lipids and insulin

resistance are due to the weight loss, not to the change in caloric

composition … High-protein diets are not recommended because they

restrict healthful foods that provide essential nutrients and do not

provide the variety of foods needed to adequately meet nutritional

needs. Individuals who follow these diets are therefore at risk for

compromised vitamin and mineral intake, as well as potential cardiac,

renal, bone, and liver abnormalities overall. "

 

Advocates of high-protein diets say their approach reduces the risk

of heart disease. The Nutrition Council of the AHA says: " A diet

rich in animal protein, saturated fat, and cholesterol raises

low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, an effect that is

compounded when high-carbohydrate, high-fiber plant foods that help

lower cholesterol are limited or eliminated. " " High-protein diets

may also be associated with increased risk for coronary heart disease

due to intakes of saturated fat, cholesterol, and other associated

dietary factors. "

 

Advocates of high-protein diets say their approach is especially good

for people with diabetes. The Nutrition Council of the AHA says: " A

very-high-protein diet is especially risky for patients with

diabetes, because it can speed the progression, even for short

lengths of time, of diabetic renal disease. "

 

The McDougall Diet: A Best-kept Secret

 

You noticed, I'm sure, that our approach was not included in this

evaluation. Why not? For some unexplained reason we have been out of

most people's sight, including the media's. In one way, that is OK,

because we largely escape harsh publicity that can be hurtful.

However, those of you who have discovered us over the past 28 years

know our true value.

 

The first book Mary and I wrote in 1979 was called Making the Change,

because we have always understood that " permanent change " is the

bottom line. It is not a question of whether or not a low-fat,

pure-vegetarian diet will cause you to regain lost health and

appearances, but will you do it? – will you make the change,

permanently? Over the past three decades all of our efforts have

been directed towards ways to help people make enduring changes.

This effort has taken the form of booklets, books, newsletters,

videos, DVDs, lectures, and radio and TV shows. However, our most

effective means to help people has been our 10-day live in program.

We believe that we are different from other programs* for these

reasons:

1) Based on human history and principles of anatomy,

physiology, and medicine, this is the diet designed, and best suited,

for humans. High protein diets go against our needs and the results

are evident, even to the Heart Association.

 

2) Our program is health-oriented, first. Fortunately, the

same foods that make you healthy also make you thin.

 

3) Mary designed the easiest to prepare and best tasting foods

of any diet.

 

4) We are personally involved with our patients.

 

5) You never have to be hungry or feel guilty about eating our

delicious meals.

 

6) The results are extraordinary – even people without any

apparent hope benefit greatly.

 

7) People have a higher quality of life – enjoying life more

and remaining more productive.

 

8) The diet fits with ethical beliefs that conscientious

people hold important, like humane treatment of animals and ecology.

 

9) The foods recommended are very inexpensive.

 

10) People save money by avoiding medications, doctors, and

hospitals.

 

*Ornish, Pritikin, Kempner, Swank, and similar low-fat,

vegetable-based diets share some of these same benefits. I find

clear rules with distinct boundaries are easier to follow than

" moderation, " which distinguishes us from the other low-fat diets. A

little chicken and dairy too soon becomes a lot.

 

References:

 

1) Dansinger ML, Gleason JA, Griffith JL, Selker HP, Schaefer EJ.

Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone diets for

weight loss and heart disease risk reduction: a randomized trial.

JAMA. 2005 Jan 5;293(1):43-53.

 

2) Fleming RM. The effect of high-protein diets on coronary blood

flow. Angiology. 2000 Oct;51(10):817-26.

 

3)Tsai AG, Wadden TA. Systematic review: an evaluation of major

commercial weight loss programs in the United States. Ann Intern

Med. 2005 Jan 4;142(1):56-66.

 

4) St. Jeor, S. Dietary protein and weight reduction: a statement

for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the

Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the

American Heart Association. Circulation 2001 Oct 9;104(15):1869-74.