Changing the way you eat, such as following a popular diet scheme, can help you lose weight and improve your health. These plans include using meal replacements, following the DASH diet and becoming vegetarian. People with health conditions should consult with a health professional before making major dietary changes.
Meal Replacements
A meal replacement diet is as effective as a low-fat diet, according to research from the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Organization in Australia and published in the August 2004 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition." The study monitored two groups. One group ate a meal replacement for two meals and a self-selected, low-fat dinner. The other group ate self-selected foods that were low in fat and calories. After three months, the meal replacement group lost about 13.2 lbs. and the other group lost about 14.5 lbs. After six months, total weight loss for the meal replacement group was about 19.8 lbs. and the other group lost about 20.2 lbs.
DASH Diet
The DASH diet -- dietary approaches to stop hypertension -- controls high blood pressure, reduces bad cholesterol and lowers your risk of heart attack. Two studies examined subjects following the DASH diet, which is a healthy diet that emphasizes low-fat dairy, fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found the participants in their study lowered their risk of developing high blood pressure by 53 percent and one-third met a goal of eating nine or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that participants in their study reduced their risk of having a heart attack by 18 percent, reduced bad cholesterol by about 8 percent and reduced systolic blood pressure by 6 mm Hg.
Low-Fat vs. Low-Carbohydrate
A low-carbohydrate diet works better for weight loss than a low-fat diet, according to a two-year study from Ben-Gurion University in Israel. At the end of the study, published in the July 2008 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine," moderately obese participants lost 6.5 lbs. on a low-fat diet, 10 lbs. on a Mediterranean diet and 10.3 lbs on a low-carbohydrate diet. However, research from the University of Illinois published in the February 2008 issue of the journal "Hypertension" found that participants on low-carbohydrate diets ate more fat than those on a low-fat diet. Dietary fats in excess can increase your risk of heart attack.
Vegetarian
Eating a vegetarian diet meets the dietary needs of people in all life stages and offers health benefits over a carnivorous diet, according to a scientific review by Andrews University in Michigan and reported in the July 2009 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association." Vegetarians tend to have lower levels of bad cholesterol, lower hypertension rates and lower rates of type 2 diabetes. They also enjoy a lower body mass index and lower rates of cancer and might reduce their risk of chronic disease.
References
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Meal Replacements Are as Effective as Structured Weight-Loss Diets for Treating Obesity in Adults with Features of Metabolic Syndrome; M. Noakes, et al.; August 2004
- EurekAlert!; Diet, Exercise Together Effective in Controlling High Blood Pressure; April 2003
- EurekAlert!; DASH Eating Plan Lowers Long-Term Heart Attack Risk, Especially Among African- Americans; August 2010
- "The New England Journal of Medicine"; Weight Loss with a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet; Iris Shai, et al.; July 17, 2008
- "Hypertension"; Benefit of Low-Fat Over Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Endothelial Health in Obesity; February 2008
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association"; Position Of the American Dietetic Association: Degetarian Diets; W.J. Craig, et al.; July 2009
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