Healthy Fats May Increase Weight Loss
Study Finds Mediterranean, Low-Carbohydrate Diets Better Than Low-Fat
POSTED: 5:10 pm EDT July 16,
2008
UPDATED: 7:16 pm EDT July 16,
2008
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BOSTON -- Here's good news for those dieters who enjoy eating some fat.News Center 5's Heather Unruh explains how less fat does not necessarily mean more pounds lost and how good fats may be the key for optimizing health.
VIDEO: Healthy Fats May Increase Weight LossAll fats may not be bad and may even be necessary for weight loss, according to a new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital.Doctors found that people who ate a low carbohydrate or a Mediterranean diet were able to lose more weight than those who ate a diet low in fat."All three diets achieved weight loss, but the best weight loss was in the low-carb and the Mediterranean diets, which were significantly better than the low-fat," said Dr. Meir Stampfer, the associate director of the Channing Laboratory and the senior author of the study.That came as welcome news to diners at the Farm Grill restaurant in Newton, Mass. today, where foods fit right into the Mediterranean way of eating."Great salads, great beans. Absolutely health is a consideration. Health, diet and it tastes incredible," said one woman.The study followed 322 people for more than two years. Those on low-carb and Mediterranean diets lost an average of 9 to 10 pounds, while those on the low-fat lost only 7.The Mediterranean diet is rich in healthy fats, legumes, whole grains and fresh vegetables, but also contains chicken and fish as protein sources."The main feature that makes it Mediterranean is first there's no restriction of carbohydrates," Stampfer said. "The other is that we actually actively promote an adequate amount of fat."The low-carb diet followed the Atkins style -- cutting back on bread, potatoes and other starchy foods. The low-fat diet -- the most traditional diet of the three -- aimed to get the subjects down to below 30 percent of calories from fat.All three diets showed significant health benefits in both liver function and cardiovascular disease, but what set the Mediterranean and low-carb diets apart from the low-fat diet was the actual taste. Experts believe the satisfying good fats and tastes in the low-carb and Mediterranean diets will help people maintain the weight loss."They're more satiating, you feel better, you feel fuller longer, and you're hungry less," Stampfer said.One of the key elements of the study was that it was conducted over a two-year period. Experts wanted to make sure that the diets were not only effective for losing weight, but that they could be maintained for a long time."Most diet studies are short term and they're very misleading," Stampfer said. "The trick is to find a diet you can stick with long term for your life."
VIDEO: Healthy Fats May Increase Weight LossAll fats may not be bad and may even be necessary for weight loss, according to a new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital.Doctors found that people who ate a low carbohydrate or a Mediterranean diet were able to lose more weight than those who ate a diet low in fat."All three diets achieved weight loss, but the best weight loss was in the low-carb and the Mediterranean diets, which were significantly better than the low-fat," said Dr. Meir Stampfer, the associate director of the Channing Laboratory and the senior author of the study.That came as welcome news to diners at the Farm Grill restaurant in Newton, Mass. today, where foods fit right into the Mediterranean way of eating."Great salads, great beans. Absolutely health is a consideration. Health, diet and it tastes incredible," said one woman.The study followed 322 people for more than two years. Those on low-carb and Mediterranean diets lost an average of 9 to 10 pounds, while those on the low-fat lost only 7.The Mediterranean diet is rich in healthy fats, legumes, whole grains and fresh vegetables, but also contains chicken and fish as protein sources."The main feature that makes it Mediterranean is first there's no restriction of carbohydrates," Stampfer said. "The other is that we actually actively promote an adequate amount of fat."The low-carb diet followed the Atkins style -- cutting back on bread, potatoes and other starchy foods. The low-fat diet -- the most traditional diet of the three -- aimed to get the subjects down to below 30 percent of calories from fat.All three diets showed significant health benefits in both liver function and cardiovascular disease, but what set the Mediterranean and low-carb diets apart from the low-fat diet was the actual taste. Experts believe the satisfying good fats and tastes in the low-carb and Mediterranean diets will help people maintain the weight loss."They're more satiating, you feel better, you feel fuller longer, and you're hungry less," Stampfer said.One of the key elements of the study was that it was conducted over a two-year period. Experts wanted to make sure that the diets were not only effective for losing weight, but that they could be maintained for a long time."Most diet studies are short term and they're very misleading," Stampfer said. "The trick is to find a diet you can stick with long term for your life."Copyright 2009 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
