WeightLossBanter - View Single Post - Very-low-fat diets are superior to low-carbohydrate diets (***sigh!***)

Jbuch · March 22nd, 2006, 04:31 PM posted to alt.support.diet.low-carb

wrote:
Roger Zoul wrote:

First, the "primary analyses" of McManus et al were conducted using a
"low-fat" group in which 67% (20 of 30) subjects analyzed had dropped out of
the program. (6) Thus, they almost certainly were no longer following the
low-fat approach when they were counted as "low-fat" dieters. This group was
compared with a higher-fat group comprising 25 active participants and only
6 dropouts. Forty additional dropouts were not "available for measurements."
Based purely on research showing the powerful impact of active participation
in weight-loss programs, 67% of the low-fat group included in the primary
analyses would be expected to fare poorly, compared with 19% of the low-carb
group. (13) This differential subject attrition, one of the primary threats
to internal validity, was statistically very significant (P .001) but
ignored by the authors. When the researchers compared only current
participants (excluding dropouts), the groups did not differ in weight loss.

...

The
McManus and Yancy low-fat participants prematurely discontinued treatment
almost twice as often (43%) as their low-carbohydrate groups (24%). Unlike
McManus et al, however, Yancy et al did not analyze the data separately for
completers only. Without taking into account the likely poorer performance
of the greater number of dropouts in the low-fat group, Yancy et al may have
inadvertently skewed the results in favor of their low-carbohydrate group.

I agree that the low-carb study authors shouldn't have ignored
differential attrition, but on the other hand, if twice as many
subjects can't even stick to a 'moderate-fat' program, how do the
authors of this paper think they're all going to stick to a very low
fat program? Isn't the ability of people to maintain a way of eating
somewhat relevant? I totally believe that if you locked me in a room
and fed me nothing but white rice, I'd lose weight on a high-carb diet.
The thing is, I'm not locked in a room with nothing but rice, I'm out
in the real world, and whatever dietary manipulations I use to maintain
a healthy weight have to be something I can actually do in that
environment.

That's really my peeve with low-fat low-calorie dieting - I can
definitely lose weight on it, I'm just miserable the entire time. I
lost weight that way at one point, quite a bit, through iron willpower
and the constant support of a friend. God, I remember the stuff I ate
- all those salads with weird-tasting low-fat dressing, baked corn
chips with low-fat cheese, Snackwells cookies.... oh yick. And I was
*always* hungry.

Beth

The original Dr. Dean Ornish ultralow fat diet trial was successful
because, in part, it didn't just change the diet of the 22 subjects, it
"Transformed their Lives". According to :

"Low Fat Lies: High Fat Frauds and the Healtiest Doet in the World" by
Kevin Vigalante, MD & Mary Flynn, PhD (1999)

They ( the 22 research subjects) had:
- "Aggressive coaching and Psychological Help"
- "Exercise, Lots of it"
- "Meditation, Lots of it"
- "Group Therapy, lots"
- "LOW FAT DIET"

Ornish just popularly reported only the LOW FAT part of it. He failed to
isolate the variables and claimed that only LOW FAT was important -- at
the time. It is said he denied the importance of the other parts of the
experiment.

With all of this control and attentin given to the research subjects, it
would not be unusual to have about zero dropouts.

So, with careful editing, once can claim that there is a low dropout
rate from the Ultra Low Fat diet. And therefore, any other diet
approach which does not account for the drop out rate is FLAWED.

A good system of support and encouragement and involvement will boost
the following of most systems of change of life patterns.

Maybe, on reflection, there is a need for adjuncts to diet plans to
include coaching and support. Something like "Personal Trainers for
Food" rather than personal trainers for exercise.

Maybe, ultimately, each person has to tailor any dietary program to
become something that works for them. When it becomes "Their" diet plan,
they own it and respect it and maybe stick to it.

This whole diet industry is starting to sound repulsive as ways for the
diet plan proponents to put their agenda before that of the client.

Classical Business -

Jim

--
1) Eat Till SATISFIED, Not STUFFED... Atkins repeated 9 times in the book
2) Exercise: It's Non-Negotiable..... Chapter 22 title, Atkins book
3) Don't Diet Without Supplemental Nutrients... Chapter 23 title, Atkins
book
4) A sensible eating plan, and follow it. (Atkins, Self Made or Other)