In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients , researchers in the United States investigated the effects of low-fat and lower-carbohydrate diets on weight loss using the Preventing Overweight by Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS) Lost study. Their findings indicate that weight loss was modest across all diet variations, with significant individual differences. Multiple diet strategies can be effective for weight loss, and factors such as genetics, baseline hormone levels, and lifestyle habits play a crucial role.
Study: Is There an Ideal Diet? Some Insights from the POUNDS Lost Study . Image Credit: Inside Creative House / Shutterstock Background Dietary interventions for weight loss have been a part of medical history for centuries, with various low-calorie diets, such as high-protein, low-carbohydrate, and low-fat, capturing public interest. The Banting diet, introduced by William Banting in 1863, is considered the first popular diet, emphasizing low carbohydrate intake.
Advised by his physician, William Harvey, Banting adopted this diet after learning about Claude Bernard's research on glucose release from the liver. Banting's diet included meat or fish, dry toast, and certain vegetables while avoiding underground vegetables, sugar, and dairy in beverages. His successful weight loss from over 200 to about 160 pounds led him to publish his dietary practices, which gained widespread popularity and multiple editions and had significant influence.
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