Pitfalls of Fad Diets and Weight Loss Drugs

Thermodynamics of weight loss diets

BACKGROUND: It is commonly held that "a calorie is a calorie", i.e. that diets of equal caloric content will result in identical weight change independent of macronutrient composition, and appeal is frequently made to the laws of thermodynamics. We have previously shown that thermodynamics does not support such a view and that diets of different macronutrient content may be expected to induce d...

Diets for weight loss and prevention of negative health outcomes.

Weight-loss diets for the prevention and treatment of obesity.

No medical condition has generated as many dietary remedies as obesity. All diets have their followers, but hard data on the efficacy of the diets are scarce. In this issue of the Journal, Sacks et al.1 report the results of a large, long-term trial that tested the efficacy of weight-loss diets that were high or low in carbohydrates, protein, or fat. Highcarbohydrate, low-fat diets became popul...

Glycemic index and glycemic load of popular weight-loss diets.

CONTEXT Carbohydrate-restricted diets have been popular in recent years. The theoretical glycemic impact of these diets, compared with other popular weight-loss diets, has not been reported. OBJECTIVE To assess the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of 2 popular, carbohydrate-restricted diets (South Beach and Sugar Busters!) and compare them with a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet (Orn...

Low-carbohydrate diets and realities of weight loss.

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic and will be followed by a worldwide epidemic of diabetes. While diet, lifestyle, and exercise are the cornerstones of current approaches to treat obesity, they have been ineffective in stemming the current epidemic. In this issue of THE JOURNAL, the article by Bravata et al systematically reviews and synthesizes the literature on the use of low-carbohydrate diets...