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Comparison of popular diets did not reveal a significant difference between them
A study conducted by Canadian scientists has shown that compliance with any diet limiting the consumption of fats and carbohydrates, regardless of its brand name, leads to significant weight loss. The work of Johnston et al. Comparison of Weight Loss Among Named Diet Programs in Overweight and Obese Adults is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Branded weight loss programs that offer consumers structured recommendations on proper nutrition and lifestyle represent an entire industry with multibillion-dollar turnover. The advertising of each of these diets claims that it is the most effective and beneficial for health, so people who are obese or overweight face a difficult choice.
A group of specialists led by Bradley C. Johnston from McMaster University (Canada) to assess the comparative effectiveness of various popular diets in terms of weight loss conducted a meta-analysis of data published in the medical literature obtained during research and clinical trials on this topic. In total, the analysis included 59 articles, which reflected the results of 48 randomized clinical trials. The total number of participants was almost 7,300 people, the average age was 46 years, the average weight was about 94 kilograms.
As a result, it was found that, compared with the complete absence of any diet, strict implementation within six months of the recommendations of any weight loss programs leads to a decrease in body weight by about 8-9 kilograms. At the same time, the most pronounced effect is given by diets that rely on reducing the consumption of fats and carbohydrates. The differences in results between individual nutrition programs were minimal. For example, following the popular low-carb Atkins diet leads to an average weight loss of 1.7 kilograms more than adherence to another well-known system, the "Zone" diet. "Although there are some statistical differences between the results of diets, they are so small that they cannot influence the choice of those seeking to lose weight," the authors note.
"The data we have obtained should once again convince specialists and those who want to get rid of excess weight that there is no need to follow fashion or other considerations and blindly follow only one nutrition system, since each diet has its own advantages. This is important because many people have difficulty following certain diets, which they associate with deprivation and violation of their usual lifestyle. Our results suggest that patients can choose among the nutrition programs those that cause them the least difficulty in following the recommendations, the main thing is that they then follow them, which in the end will inevitably lead to weight loss," Johnston and his colleagues conclude.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru04.09.2014