Long-term weight loss, CV health similar among four popular diets

Patients achieved similar but modest weight loss with the Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers and Zone diets, according to a systematic review published in Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Although millions of dollars are spent on popular commercial diets, existing data does not show Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers (WW) or Zone rising above the others for benefits, according to researchers.

“We found that available data regarding these four popular diets were conflicting and insufficient, such that we cannot tell if one diet is more beneficial than the others in terms of weight loss and improving cardiovascular risk factors,” Renée Atallah, MSc, of the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, told Endocrine Today. “More research is needed in order to be able to answer this question.”

Atallah, along with Mark J. Eisenberg, MD, MPH, also of the institution, and colleagues searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library of Clinical Trials for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English involving the Atkins, South Beach, WW and Zone diets. RCT criteria was a follow-up ≥4 weeks to assess effects on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors.

The researchers identified 12 RCTs involving 2,559 people with follow-up ≥12 months: 10 compared the popular diets with usual care (Atkins, n=5; WW, n=4; South Beach, n=1) and two compared them head-to-head (Atkins, WW and Zone and Atkins, Zone and control). Sustained weight loss at ≥12 months was a main focus.

Of the RCTs with popular diets vs. usual care, WW was consistently more effective in weight reduction at 12 months (range of mean changes: −3.5 to −6.0 kg vs. −0.8 to −5.4 kg; P<.05 for 3/4 RCTs). The head-to-head RCTs demonstrated Atkins (range: −2.1 to −4.7 kg), WW (−3.0 kg), Zone (−1.6 to −3.2 kg) and control (−2.2 kg) all achieved modest long-term weight loss. Data collected at 24 months suggested weight lost with Atkins or WW was partially regained.

“Popular diets on their own may not be the solution to help their patients lose weight,” Atallah said. “Working on a broader lifestyle intervention, along with other health professionals, may be more effective to help their patients lose weight and improve their cardiovascular risk factors. — by Allegra Tiver

Source: www.healio.com