Low-Carb Diet Studies Should Require Strict Adherence

Posted by Jimmy Moore on August 21 in Study

I am blessed to have some of the most intelligent, insightful, and introspective readers on the Internet coming to Carbwire and gracing us with their presence each and every day. It is my distinct pleasure to have so many of you not just visit, but engage in a dialog about the ideas I present to you here.

Whether you post a remark in the comments section at my blog, talk about it in my forum, or e-mail me directly, I am ALWAYS happy to hear every opinion about an issue regardless of where you stand. Okay, I'm gonna duck now since I've made myself a sitting target! :D

One of my faithful readers recently e-mailed me with an excellent, thought-provoking question about all these low-carb studies that have come out in recent years. You've seen 'em, I'm sure, and I've highlighted quite a few of them at my blog, including the Stanford study from Dr. Christopher Gardner published in JAMA earlier this year and the famous Tufts Popular Diet Trial by Dr. Michael Dansinger a few years back.

Here's what she wrote in her e-mail:

Dear Jimmy,

As one who finds low-carb dieting to be close to miraculous, I naturally love reading your blog. I'm down 64 pounds so far--not bad for a menopausal woman--though I'm sorry to say I'm still severely obese and 50 pounds from goal. But it is a great pleasure to be free of the ravenous hunger, exhaustion, and weight gain of the dreadful low-fat diets.

I do have one question and thought you may have a clue. I've read various medical studies about the Atkins diet the including the ones linked to the Atkins web site. I'm totally puzzled as to why these studies keep going on about its being 'safe' (at least briefly...), but no one involved has any significant weight loss.

The latest study I saw (Gardner's JAMA study) showed a loss of only ten pounds in a year! That's about what some people I know lost during Induction. Another study showed a loss of no more than 19 pounds in a year among any subject.

Tell me something: Why do none of these studies show the significant weight loss one would expect if they observed the Atkins diet in the span of a year?

So what's up with celebrating a measly 10 pounds lost in a year, hmmm? Sure, it was more than the low-fat diet groups, but what's going on with these people. Are they TRYING to sabotage their efforts or what?

Click here to see my response to this very important question my reader asked and what I believe future research studies on the low-carb diet need to do to provide more accurate and meaningful results.