Hi Carb Diet Works

Posting Date: 01/27/2004

Dr. Dean's Comment: This is a remarkable and welcome study to emerge in the midst of lo carb madness. The research found that letting people eat as much as they wanted of hi carb lo fat foods, with no hunger, they managed significant weight loss and even moreso with an exercycle. What is amazing is that these folks did not reduce caloric intake. And they still lost weight. It tells you that first, lo carb is not the only way to go and that we have a lot to learn about weight loss. Some previous studies have found that fat in the diet can turn into fat in your body more easily than carbs. Perhaps we just have to accept that there are different ways different people lose weight. The diet included hi fiber cereal, vegetarian chili, pasta (whole wheat) and lots of fruits and vegetables and skim milk. Total calores averaged 2400 which is what these people ate before the study.

Effects of an Ad Libitum Low-Fat, High-Carbohydrate Diet on Body Weight, Body Composition, and Fat Distribution in Older Men and Women

A Randomized Controlled Trial

Nicholas P. Hays, PhD; Raymond D. Starling, PhD; Xiaolan Liu, MD; Dennis H. Sullivan, MD; Todd A. Trappe, PhD; James D. Fluckey, PhD; William J. Evans, PhD

Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:210-217.

Background The efficacy of ad libitum low-fat diets in reducing body weight and fat in overweight and obese adults remains controversial.

Methods We examined the effect of a 12-week low-fat, high?complex carbohydrate diet alone (HI-CHO) and in combination with aerobic exercise training (HI-CHO + EX) on body weight and composition in 34 individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (20 women and 14 men; mean SEM age, 66 1 years). Participants were randomly assigned to a control diet (41% fat, 14% protein, 45% carbohydrates, and 7 g of fiber per 1000 kcal), a HI-CHO diet (18% fat, 19% protein, 63% carbohydrates, and 26 g of fiber per 1000 kcal), or a HI-CHO diet plus endurance exercise 4 d/wk, 45 min/d, at 80% peak oxygen consumption (HI-CHO + EX). Participants were provided 150% of estimated energy needs and were instructed to consume food ad libitum. Total food intake, body composition, resting metabolic rate, and substrate oxidation were measured.

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