Atkins Pounds Other Popular Diets in U.S. Test

TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- The low-carbohydrate, high-protein Atkins diet has nabbed first place in a yearlong, U.S. government-funded study of four popular weight-loss regimens.

Women on the Atkins plan lost nearly 11 pounds on average over 12 months -- almost double that of participants on the Zone diet, the Ornish diet, and a diet favored by nutritionists called LEARN.

There didn't seem to be a downside to the Atkins diet, either -- at least in the short-term. The Stanford University researchers who conducted the trial of 311 overweight women found no differences in heart disease risk factors between the four groups, despite the fact that Atkins practitioners were given free rein when it came to fat intake.

"We've all been worried that the high saturated fat content of Atkins would be bad for you," said study author Christopher Gardner, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford. The plan's high-fat levels "still make us nervous," he said, "but I think the weight loss that comes with the diet must be more powerful" in keeping cholesterol and other heart risk factors at bay.

The study, published in the March 7 issue of theJournal of the American Medical Association, is perhaps the most independent and rigorously conducted comparison of popular diets yet attempted. Even so, it had its critics.

"Yes, on the Atkins diet, the women may have lost a little bit more weight, but I'm not so sure about their quality of life -- that's the kind of information that just isn't in here," said dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix, a New York City weight-control specialist and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "I can tell you that I have many patients that come to me that have already been on this diet, and it doesnotspell success if they are still coming to see me."

Since the late Dr. Robert Atkins launched his famous diet in the 1960s, debate has swirled around both its safety and effectiveness. More recently, a number of short-term studies have shown that the plan -- which advocates cutting out most breads, pastas, sugars and other carb-laden foods -- can help people shed pounds quickly.

Other bestselling diet books have offered alternative routes to leaner physiques. The hugely popular Zone diet advocates a daily rationing of food energy: 40 percent from carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein and 30 percent from fat.

Cardiologist and lifestyle guru Dr. Dean Ornish has developed his own plan. The popular Ornish diet urges users to drastically cut their fat intake to below 10 percent of daily calories.

Rounding out the four studies included in the new trial is a lesser-known regimen, the Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitudes, Relationships and Nutrition (LEARN) diet -- a more moderate diet modeled on the Food Pyramid. LEARN, which is favored by many nutritionists, allows participants to indulge in foods from all groups but emphasizes portion control, regular exercise and changes in eating behaviors.

In their study, the Stanford group randomized the 311 healthy but overweight premenopausal women to one of the four diet plans.

Because high dropout rates have plagued previous comparison trials, nutritionists were on hand to encourage ongoing participation. Women were even given a modest stipend to help keep them on their respective diets over the 12 months of the study.