Friday, July 25, 2008

Fat Chance That Trans Fat Ban Will Help

Let me see if I have this right:

"A Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet versus a Low-Fat Diet To Treat Obesity and Hyperlipidemia" showed low-carbohydrate, ketogenic (high fat) diets were superior to a low-fat diets for weight loss and lipid management.

"A randomized controlled trial of a moderate-fat, low-energy diet compared with a low fat, low-energy diet for weight loss in overweight adults" demonstrated the moderate fat diet helped dieters lose weight faster than low-fat diets.

In a "Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets for Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors Among Overweight Premenopausal Women," the Atkins diet, with its high fat, won hands down at weight loss and lipid improvement in women.

And now, in the DIRECT Trial testing "Weight Loss with a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet," we find that low carbohydrate (moderate fat) or Mediterranean diets are superior to low-fat diets at weight loss and lipid management.
So given all of this prospective, randomized data, why the heck is California so proud to be banning trans fats? Trans fats exist in many, many foods besides baking oils. Meats, butter, and milk all have trans fats. Given the available data above and the efficancy of LOW CARDBOHYDRATE diets to improve weight and lipid panels, might they be targeting the wrong thing?

No wonder patients are confused.

-Wes

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

All diets are bad, none are healthy. That is if you use the incorrect definition of "diet" which is something you only intend to do for a while to lose weight. Live style changes to smaller portions, six times a day to boost metabolism, and exercise is the ONLY healthy way to eat. Even Dr. Atkins said that low carb was not healthy, but rather a reaction to counter a life style that has led one to the point of morbid obesity. After the patient was out of the danger zone he then recommended a life style change to a healthy moderate-carb, moderate-fat diet.

Yes, trace amounts of trans fats do occasionally occur in some animal products, the bulk of trans fats come from hydrogonated oils like shortening and margerine. These "man-made" trans fats cannot be metabolized by the body and are therefore stored as fat, every single gram of them. These fats are also thought to cause cancer. Man-made trans fats constitute 99.9% of trans fats in the American diet.

Californians should feel proud and any other state that has not banned them should seriously think about it.

If we eleminate man-made trans fats and the equally evil high fructose corn syrup from the nation's diet then our obesity rate will plummet.