Which diet works best to take off pounds?
According to a recent government study, either one, low carb or low fat, works if you stick to it.
These scientists also concluded that over the long haul, a low-carb diet might be better for your heart. Both diets improved cholesterol, but those on the low-carbohydrate diet got a bigger boost in good cholesterol — nearly twice as much as those on low-fat.
At the end of two years, average weight loss was the same for both — about 15 pounds or 7 percent. Half followed a low-carb diet modeled after the Atkins’ plan and half went on a low-calorie, low-fat diet. All attended group sessions to help them change bad eating habits, get more active and stick to their diets.
Why the low-carb diet had a bigger effect on good cholesterol remains a mystery.
