Side effects of dieting vs benefits of dieting is a long drawn debate. Many women, especially young girls do frequent dieting. Many times they cross their physical limit to look good.
While there are studies that show the health and medical benefits of weight loss, a study in 2005 of around 3000 Finns over an 18-year period showed that weight loss from dieting can result in increased mortality, while those who maintained their weight fared the best.
Similar conclusion is drawn by other studies.
Many other studies suggest that intentional weight loss has a small benefit for individuals classified as unhealthy.
It can be associated with slightly increased mortality for healthy person.
This may reflect the loss of subcutaneous fat and beneficial mass from organs and muscle in addition to visceral fat when there is a sudden and dramatic weight loss.
Low carbohydrate versus low fat
Many studies have focused on diets that reduce calories via a low-carbohydrate (Atkins diet, Scarsdale diet, Zone diet) diet versus a low-fat diet (LEARN diet, Ornish diet). The Nurses Health Study, an observational cohort study, found that low carbohydrate dietsbased on vegetable sources of fat and protein are associated with less coronary heart disease . The same study also found no correlation (with multivariate adjustment) between animal fat intake and coronary heart disease . A long term study that monitored 43,396 Swedish women however suggests that a low carbohydrate-high protein diet, used on a regular basis and without consideration of the nature of carbohydrates or the source of proteins, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by the International Cochrane Collaboration in 2002 concluded that fat-restricted diets are no better than calorie-restricted diets in achieving long term weight loss in overweight or obese people. A more recent meta-analysis that included randomized controlled trials published after the Cochrane review found that low-carbohydrate, non-energy-restricted diets appear to be at least as effective as low-fat, energy-restricted diets in inducing weight loss for up to 1 year. These results can be understood because weight loss is mainly governed by daily caloric deficit and not by the particular foods eaten. However, experts say that when low-carbohydrate diets to induce weight loss are considered, potential favorable changes in triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol values should be weighed against potential unfavorable changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol values. The Womens Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial found that a diet of total fat to 20% of energy and increasing consumption of vegetables and fruit to at least 5 servings daily and grains to at least 6 servings daily resulted in:- no reduction in cardiovascular disease
- no statistically significant reduction in invasive breast cancer
- no reductions in colorectal cancer
- A comparison of Atkins, Zone diet, Ornish diet, and LEARN diet in premenopausal women found the greatest benefit from the Atkins diet.
- The choice of diet for a specific person may be influenced by measuring the individuals insulin secretion.
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Side effects of dieting vs benefits of dieting is a long drawn debate. Many women, especially young girls do frequent dieting. Many times they cross their physical limit to look good.
While there are studies that show the health and medical benefits of weight loss, a study in 2005 of around 3000 Finns over an 18-year period showed that weight loss from dieting can result in increased mortality, while those who maintained their weight fared the best.
Similar conclusion is drawn by other studies.
Many other studies suggest that intentional weight loss has a small benefit for individuals classified as unhealthy.
It can be associated with slightly increased mortality for healthy person.
This may reflect the loss of subcutaneous fat and beneficial mass from organs and muscle in addition to visceral fat when there is a sudden and dramatic weight loss.
Low carbohydrate versus low fat
Many studies have focused on diets that reduce calories via a low-carbohydrate (Atkins diet, Scarsdale diet, Zone diet) diet versus a low-fat diet (LEARN diet, Ornish diet). The Nurses Health Study, an observational cohort study, found that low carbohydrate dietsbased on vegetable sources of fat and protein are associated with less coronary heart disease . The same study also found no correlation (with multivariate adjustment) between animal fat intake and coronary heart disease . A long term study that monitored 43,396 Swedish women however suggests that a low carbohydrate-high protein diet, used on a regular basis and without consideration of the nature of carbohydrates or the source of proteins, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by the International Cochrane Collaboration in 2002 concluded that fat-restricted diets are no better than calorie-restricted diets in achieving long term weight loss in overweight or obese people. A more recent meta-analysis that included randomized controlled trials published after the Cochrane review found that low-carbohydrate, non-energy-restricted diets appear to be at least as effective as low-fat, energy-restricted diets in inducing weight loss for up to 1 year. These results can be understood because weight loss is mainly governed by daily caloric deficit and not by the particular foods eaten. However, experts say that when low-carbohydrate diets to induce weight loss are considered, potential favorable changes in triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol values should be weighed against potential unfavorable changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol values. The Womens Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial found that a diet of total fat to 20% of energy and increasing consumption of vegetables and fruit to at least 5 servings daily and grains to at least 6 servings daily resulted in:- no reduction in cardiovascular disease
- no statistically significant reduction in invasive breast cancer
- no reductions in colorectal cancer
- A comparison of Atkins, Zone diet, Ornish diet, and LEARN diet in premenopausal women found the greatest benefit from the Atkins diet.
- The choice of diet for a specific person may be influenced by measuring the individuals insulin secretion.
