Scientists have confirmed that those following a low-fat diet will not experience greater long-term weight-loss than those following a higher-fat diet.
With the findings coming from the analysis of 6, 800 adult diets, lead author, Dr Deirdre Tobias from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, says she found no good evidence for recommending a low-fat diet.
“Behind current dietary advice to cut out the fat, which contains more than twice the calories per gram of carbohydrates and protein, the thinking is that simply reducing fat intake will naturally lead to weight loss. But our robust evidence clearly suggests otherwise,” said Tobias.
The study did come across some good news for those following a low-carbohydrate diet which produced slightly better weight loss results.
“The science does not support low-fat diets as the optimal long-term weight loss strategy,” said Tobias.
‘To effectively address the obesity epidemic, we will need more research to identify better approaches for long-term weight loss and weight maintenance, including the need to look beyond differences in macronutrient composition—the proportion of calories that come from fat, carbohydrate, and protein. Long-term adherence is critical for the success of any dietary intervention, and one should also take into account other long-term health effects of their dietary choices,” Tobias concluded.
