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Carb Vs. Low-Fat Diets

You want to go on a diet, but have trouble distinguishing between a triglyceride and a tyrannosaurus. You want to lose weight, but can't remember if you're supposed to count carbohydrates or calories, and the difference between good and bad cholesterol makes as much sense to you as the difference between good and bad prime rib. Take heart. Harvard Medical School, Temple University and the Mayo Clinic have analyzed, conducted comprehensive research and summarized two popular diet trends known as low-carb and low-fat. You may find the best advice is less complicated than you expect.

  1. Harvard 2004

    • In the tortoise and the hare fable, the tortoise showed that a slow and steady pace wins the race. In a 2004 article, the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide used this analogy in an analysis of four different diet research studies. The Harvard experts summarized this research, comparing low-fat and low-carb diets by saying: "If weight loss were a sprint, low-carb dieting would win hands down." They qualified this statement by adding that "the two diets end up in a statistical tie after a year."

    Temple University 2010

    • Gary D. Foster, PhD, of Temple University and his PhD and MD colleagues report the findings of their two-year low-carb vs. low-fat diet research. In 2010, Foster et al. concluded their report in this way: "Successful weight loss can be achieved with either a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet when coupled with behavioral treatment." Such behavioral treatment refers to educational and motivational sessions.

    Mayo Clinic 2010

    • Adding to the low-carb vs. low-fat controversy, a 2010 article was published by the Mayo Clinic. Donald Hensrud, MD, took carb and fat elements out of the weight-loss equation when he said: "The most important factor related to weight loss is not low-fat or low-carb--it is calories. Either type of diet could lead to weight loss if total calorie intake is low."

    The Right Diet for You

    • If you're still trying to decide which diet is best for you, look at other factors as well. Foster et al. looked at cholesterol levels, bone density, blood pressure and body fat. They concluded that, in both the low-carb and low-fat diets, "each of these areas changed almost identically, except that in the low-carb group, levels of HDL cholesterol--the body's 'good' cholesterol--were higher than in the low-fat group." The Mayo Clinic Diet espoused the intake of healthy carbs and healthy fats which leads to a lower total calorie intake. Harvard's 2004 article gives the advice in the low-carb vs. low-fat diet debate to experiment. See what works for you. And by all means, get some exercise, too.

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