Posted July 24, 2009
To be, or not to be — on a low-carb diet that is.
All the popular hoopla about pounds shed by skipping carbs has just been joined by new research that found just the opposite — that the lower the percentage of carbohydrates in your diet, the more likely you are to be overweight or obese. Holy rice crackers! Conversely, the folks who ate more carbohydrate-containing foods actually weighed less than their carb-avoiding neighbors.
So, what’s a bread-, potato- and pasta-loving dieter to do? Well, according to a study of 4,500 healthy people in the Canadian Community Health Survey, which was published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the answer is go ahead and enjoy them, within the confines of total calorie needs. The researchers concluded that diets containing 47 percent to 64 percent of calories from carbs were associated with the lowest risk of obesity. But, it wasn’t all bread on the menu. People who ate more carbs consumed more fruits and vegetables and more fiber.
Kevin Rathbun has tried both approaches over the years. The executive chef and owner of Rathbun’s and Kevin Rathbun Steak in Atlanta has battled a weight problem. Once on a low-carb, high-protein diet, he lost 125 pounds, but slowly gained it back over time. Today, he’s proudly dropped more than 100 pounds again, but this time he chose the balanced diet approach of Weight Watchers.
“I like the fact I can eat everything but in moderation,” he said.
The Weight Watchers diet includes a healthy balance of carbohydrates with an emphasis on whole-grain choices and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
The health consequences of following a low-carbohydrate diet were examined in another study published in the same journal. Analysis of a one-day menu revealed the diet was high in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
A case study of one previously healthy man who followed this diet for about two and half years showed an increase in blood cholesterol levels, chest pain associated with blockage of a coronary artery and erectile dysfunction. When he went off the diet, his health improved.
So there’s a lot more to weigh than numbers on the scale when choosing a diet.
Carolyn O’Neil is a registered dietitian and co-author of “The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!” E-mail her at carolyn@carolynoneil.com.