Novice dieters often stray down the wrong path under the influence of inaccurate advice and tips, alleging to be the most effective way to safely lose weight.
And one of the age old debates revolves around whether the removal of carbohydrates or fats will deliver the best results. New research suggests that restricting our fat intake is the best way forward, but the findings are causing some disharmony among the nutrition experts.
The latest data claims that avoiding fat produces a weight loss of 12 pounds which is 2.5 pounds less than the amount you are expected to lose if you eliminate carbohydrates from your diet.
A leading doctor from the Harvard Medical school explains the importance of a diet rich in fat:
There is no good evidence for recommending low-fat diets. 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.”
A British nutritionist from Oxford University however, has denounced these sentiments and took particular umbrage with a press release which labelled low-fat diets as 'ineffective.'
Weight losses of 5kg may be less than many people might hope for but we know from many other research studies that this brings surprisingly large health benefits, more than halving the risk of developing diabetes in people with raised blood sugar. Inaccurate reports that dieting is ‘ineffective’ undermine public confidence and deter health professionals from encouraging and supporting people who are overweight to lose weight
A fellow nutrition expert from London has touted the low-carbohydrate diet saying that because carbohydrates account for 45%-50% of energy intake, it's a logical move to reduce energy intake by consuming less bread, potatoes and rice.
He also added that the results derived from diet studies are not always trustworthy, because participants fail to follow the dietary instructions.
In order to control body weight, it still remains sensible advice to eat less and avoid consuming excess amounts of fat and sugar especially as fatty meat, deep fried foods, cakes and biscuits and sugar-sweetened beverages.
All these conflicting comments may be causing confusion right now, but it's worth reminding you that you should never completely ignore any of the food groups. So if you think that completely cutting out carbohydrates might be the solution for your weight loss woes, remember that the brain operates on glucose and carbohydrates break sugars down into glucose.
