Weight Loss
What’s the Best Eating Plan for You?
Arguably the most important question in the field of obesity is this: Why do some people do well on conventional weight loss diets and others do poorly? Why is low-carb a lifesaver for some and unsuccessful for others? “The usual explanation is that it’s behavior,” said David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D. “People vary in their ability to stick to the diet. But biology may play a role as well.”
In a recent study, Ludwig and his research team randomly assigned 73 obese young adults to either a conventional low-fat diet (55 percent carbohydrate, 20 percent fat) or a low-glycemic diet (40 percent carbohydrate, 35 percent fat). Protein and fiber were kept the same in both diets. The low-glycemic group was counseled to eat foods low in sugar and processed carbs, such as white or wheat bread, pasta, bagels and some cereals. Neither group was told to restrict calories.
The researchers also performed a glucose tolerance test on each volunteer. The test measures blood sugar and insulin over a period of hours after a person has consumed a 75-gram dose of oral glucose. Using normal values for comparison, the researchers then divided the volunteers into “high secretors” of insulin and “low secretors.”
There were marked differences in how the two groups responded to the diets. For the “low secretor” group, it made no difference what diet they were on. For them, both the low-fat and the low-glycemic diet produced virtually identical weight loss. But for the “high secretors,” things turned out much differently. “For high secretors (of insulin), weight loss was five times greater on the low-glycemic diet,” said Dr. Ludwig.
While on the conventional low-fat diet the “high secretors” lost a mere five pounds over 18 months– and then regained half of it! But on the “low-glycemic” diet they lost a total of 13 pounds. “And they kept that weight off for 18 months,” Dr. Ludwig said.
Bottom line: if you are a “high secretor” of insulin, you’re much better off following a low-sugar (low-glycemic) diet than a conventional low-fat one, at least if you want to lose weight and keep it off.
How do you know whether you’re a “high secretor”? Look in the mirror. Where you store your fat is your best cue. “Apples” store their fat around the middle. “Pears” store it in the hips and thighs. Dr. Ludwig summarized: “If you have an apple body-fat distribution, you’re much more likely to be a high insulin secretor, and will probably do much better with a diet low in sugar and low in processed carbs.”
[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He's a board certified nutrition specialist with a Master's degree in psychology. Dr. Bowden is also a life coach, motivational speaker, former personal trainer and author of the award-winning book, Living the Low Carb Life. For more information, click here.]
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Tags: diet, low glycemic, nutrition, obesity, Weight Loss
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