How to Choose a Diet that Works
October 7, 2008
Americans are giving up on diets. While weight-loss programs and products are still an estimated $58 billion industry, the number of people dieting is dropping, according to market-research firm NPD Group. Among a group of 5,000 consumers, in 1990 39% of the women and 29% of the men claimed to be on a diet; today, the numbers are 26% and 16%, respectively.
Instead, these people appear more interested in eating whole grains, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids than following the latest diet craze. That may be a good thing, but new research has found that some diets are more effective than was previously realized. Important–perhaps as much as what diet you choose–is how you choose a program.
How To Choose A Diet That Works
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine this summer, followed more than 300 moderately obese Israelis for two years, assigning them to one of three diets: a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet; a Mediterranean diet high in fiber; and a low-carb diet.
Although we’ve been conditioned to think that low-fat diets are the best way to lose weight, the results didn’t bear that out. On average, those on the low-fat diet only lost 6.5 pounds, compared with 10 pounds on the Mediterranean diet and 10.3 pounds on the low-carb diet.
While the diets proved equal at helping inflammatory and liver function biomarkers, other results varied greatly. The low-carb diet increased levels of good cholesterol and cut levels of atherosclerosis-causing triglycerides the most. The low-fat diet increased fasting glucose, high levels of which are a sign of diabetes, while the Mediterranean diet caused a decrease.
“The importance of this study,” says Iris Shai, the study’s leader and a researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, “is that there is no one solution for everybody.”
Sticking With the Program
In fact, experts say a wide variety of diets can work–if only people can choose programs that are sustainable for them and find ways to stick it out.
People commonly derail their diets from the get-go, says Heidi Skolnik, a certified nutritionist and health-fitness instructor at the Hospital for Special Surgery, by having unrealistic expectations about how much weight they’ll lose–and how quickly they’ll do so. They also want the process to be easy. When that doesn’t happen, they give up and move on to the next thing, a process that isn’t good for the body or mind.
“Yo-yo dieting messes with your head,” Skolnik says. “It’s very demoralizing. Each new time, you’re more reluctant to get your hopes up, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Skolnik recommends figuring out your ideal body, taking into account your height and frame, and then thinking about what’s going to be realistic for you to achieve and maintain.
You’ve also got to consider your food preferences, goals and diet histories and consult your doctor before starting anything, says Shai. For instance, if a diet calls for you to cut back on your carbs drastically and you love bread and pasta, the likelihood of your success is low.
As great as a diet may be, if you can’t think about it as a long-term strategy, it’s probably not worth trying. Likewise, if you want to lower your cholesterol levels or control your diabetes, you’ll want to factor that into your decision.
And if you’ve tried diets in the past and failed to see results–who hasn’t?–examine what went wrong. What kind of diet has worked for you?
Your personality plays a role, too, Skolnik says.
Do you respond better in situations that are structured or more flexible? Do you perform better when you’re backed by a support network or when you’re on your own? Honestly answering these questions can help you figure out if you would be better off buying a diet book or participating in a weight-loss program that offers regular meetings.
Before choosing a diet you should also look for a few key factors, says Stacey Snelling, a registered dietitian and an associate professor at American University in the health and fitness department. Those include scientific evidence backing up the diet’s effectiveness and some component of physical activity to help you maintain your weight loss down the road.
On the other hand, diets that recommend the use of supplements are worth questioning since they might be lacking in nutritional adequacy. Furthermore, it’s not clear whether pills provide the same health benefits as the foods from which they’re derived.
The Bottom Line
For those who are still dieting, or whose ears can’t help but perk up when news of the next diet fad hits, there is hope. It’s possible dieters can improve their odds of success, experts say, if they spend time upfront making sure they pick sound diets that match their goals and personalities.
“You should know which diet you can live with,” Shai says, “not a dramatic diet for the short term, but for the long term.”
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