By: Jean Johnson for Reflux1The idea that people will self-correct on extra calories when carbohydrates are eliminated isn’t news to those familiar with low-carb diets like the Atkins and the Zone. Still, the recent clinical study at Temple University on low-carbs and Type 2 diabetic patients is the only one to be conducted within a strictly controlled research environment.
According to results on the 10-patient study published in the Annals of Medicine March 15 issue, “When carbohydrates were restricted, study subjects spontaneously reduced their caloric intake to a level appropriate for their height, and did not compensate by eating more protein or fat, and lost weight,” lead researcher Guenther Boden, M.D. noted. “We concluded that excessive overeating had been fueled by carbohydrates.”
On why diets high in carbohydrates might promote the consumption of excess calories, Boden said, “the only thing that makes sense to me is a drop in insulin. I’ve been treating diabetics for decades, and every time I start them on insulin they gain weight. So I am sure insulin has something to do with it. I can’t prove it, of course, because we still know so very little about appetite. Everyone’s on thin ice.”
The ice so thin you can see right through it thinks director of the obesity and diabetes program at North General Hospital in New York City, Cathy Nonas, M.S. R.D., C.D.E. “If you look at all of the Atkins data that’s ever been done, including the USDA White Papers, people lose weight because they eat lower amounts of calories.”
Nonas also pointed out that no comparative studies have been done where other food groups such as meat are excluded. Further she argued that plans of eating that omit entire food groups can set individuals up for rebound over the longer term and also have adverse effects on health. According to Nonas, Americans need to get their heads out of the sand and look around the world at their healthier neighbors.
“All of the societies with low levels of the kinds of diseases [we have in this country] have diets with lots of vegetables and fruits, a small amount of whole grains, portion control, and a much higher fiber intake,” she said. “And fiber isn’t something that’s been high on the list in any of these studies.”
The issue of whole grains and getting one’s fiber aside, Boden said “take the carbohydrates away, and I expected the participants would just eat more of the other stuff.”
Nonas finds Boden’s premise off-target. According to her, previous studies have already shown that limiting consumption of particular foods does not necessarily lead to overeating of other food groups.
So, the more the link between obesity and carbohydrates unravels, the thinner the ice seems to get. Low-carb, dump the meat, the list of ideas to get us to trim down goes on.
In the meantime, the nation continues to struggle with overweight and obesity, a problem that’s reached epidemic proportions and is currently setting the younger generation up for a lifetime of problems. Perhaps while we’re waiting for the next big study to emerge, taking a walk around the neighborhood would be steps in the right direction.
