What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies
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Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies
#2Thorough and thoughtful.
Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies
#3If that stat that almost 25% lost 5+% of BW using a placebo is true, then the most cost-effective treatment is to give everyone placebos.
Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies
#4Interesting review (that first graph in particular is definitely non-obvious to me), but under the diet section I think it understates the current body of research regarding low-carb/keto diets - some studies have begun to show energy expenditure[1] and insulin[2] benefits that uniquely exist with low-carb. I think we'll find out soon enough that a lower-carb approach, given the current American diet, does definitively perform better than other dieting approaches on average.
[1] https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k4583
[2] http://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/718265/effect-low-car...
Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies
#5If that stat that almost 25% lost 5+% of BW using a placebo is true, then the most cost-effective treatment is to give everyone placebos.
This is a good point - I'll caveat this in the post. Most medication/placebo studies tend to involve a bit of coaching in addition to the medication, usually 1 session per month or less with instruction on diet and exercise. So the 25% result is essentially "coaching-lite + sugar pill", which may be considerably more expensive than a simple placebo. This result could be much weaker if it's just the placebo alone.
Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies
#6Interesting review (that first graph in particular is definitely non-obvious to me), but under the diet section I think it understates the current body of research regarding low-carb/keto diets - some studies have begun to show energy expenditure[1] and insulin[2] benefits that uniquely exist with low-carb. I think we'll find out soon enough that a lower-carb approach, given the current American diet, does definitive…
Those are both very short term studies. The only critical factor in weight loss is how much people weigh in the long term as in 5+ years.
“20% of overweight individuals are successful at long-term weight loss when defined as losing at least 10% of initial body weight and maintaining the loss for at least 1 y.” Things get much worse in terms of 5+ year weight loss.
Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies
#7I feel like the studies of specialty diets bring misleading conclusions, because they always count calories for both sides.
If you’re on a calorie controlled diet, then calories in calories out holds. But most speciality diets (I’m on something pretty similar to slow carb) are targeting adherence, a factor that’s removed if you’re only measuring calories in and calories out.
Without white carbs I find it much much easier to reduce my calorific intake. To compare my diet with any other — if you’re enforcing the same number of calories — is kind of pointless, as I specifically don’t want to count calories, nor do I want to feel hungry.
Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies
#8I feel like the studies of specialty diets bring misleading conclusions, because they always count calories for both sides. If you’re on a calorie controlled diet, then calories in calories out holds. But most speciality diets (I’m on something pretty similar to slow carb) are targeting adherence, a factor that’s removed if you’re only measuring calories in and calories out. Without white carbs I find it much much ea…
Sometimes feeling hungry is ok and likely healthy. Always feeling hungry is brutal.
For me, low carb works like magic and with limited aggravation once past the first week. The problem is, if I never learn to be (sometimes) hungry, it all comes apart when I go off the diet and back to living in the land of infinite crap carbs.
Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies
#9Interesting review (that first graph in particular is definitely non-obvious to me), but under the diet section I think it understates the current body of research regarding low-carb/keto diets - some studies have begun to show energy expenditure[1] and insulin[2] benefits that uniquely exist with low-carb. I think we'll find out soon enough that a lower-carb approach, given the current American diet, does definitive…
Those are both very short term studies. The only critical factor in weight loss is how much people weigh in the long term as in 5+ years. “20% of overweight individuals are successful at long-term weight loss when defined as losing at least 10% of initial body weight and maintaining the loss for at least 1 y.” Things get much worse in terms of 5+ year weight loss.
I'll just say that American culture in general makes it extremely difficult to stick to a healthy and disciplined lifestyle, no matter the specific diet. In keto communities I see people who have met lots of success but find it rough being bombarded by family, friends, and dining out options in general all going against their way of eating.
It's getting better, with restaurants especially. But it's still a large hurdle to any diet and/or healthy lifestyle. I'm sure it's better in some areas of the country than others.
Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies
#10Interesting review (that first graph in particular is definitely non-obvious to me), but under the diet section I think it understates the current body of research regarding low-carb/keto diets - some studies have begun to show energy expenditure[1] and insulin[2] benefits that uniquely exist with low-carb. I think we'll find out soon enough that a lower-carb approach, given the current American diet, does definitive…
Those are both very short term studies. The only critical factor in weight loss is how much people weigh in the long term as in 5+ years. “20% of overweight individuals are successful at long-term weight loss when defined as losing at least 10% of initial body weight and maintaining the loss for at least 1 y.” Things get much worse in terms of 5+ year weight loss.
I imagine very few people stick to a diet for 5 years, partly because they're not fun, and partly because many are unhealthy when done long term. Also, many health professionals recommended a max of 500 calorie deficit, which would mean ~50 pounds of weight loss in a year.
When would you need to follow a diet for 5 years if most people can reach their goal weight in 1-2 years? Once people reach their goal weight, they'll transition off to something else, which usually isn't a specific diet, but "eat more veggies" or whatever.
Given that long term diets are quite niche, I think limiting the study to 1 year makes a lot of sense.