Upper body fat carries

Based on research described in November in the Open Access journal, Nutrition & Metabolism, low carbohydrate diets, like the South Beach Diet, for example, actually may be the best option for men who want to take off pounds. The research shows that over 70% of men lost more weight and fat on a diet low in carbs, compared to a low-fat diet, despite eating more calories.

Reduction in Upper Body Fat

Jeff Volek and colleagues, from the University of Connecticut, also show for the first time that a low carbohydrate diet -- such as the South Beach diet or the Atkins diet -- is much more effective in losing fat from the stomach and chest. Upper body fat carries "a greater health risk than fat stored in other regions of the body," say the authors.

They found that fat loss in men was three-times greater in the trunk area, when they were on a low-carbohydrate regime compared to the low-fat diet. Nearly all participants in the study (12 of 15 men and 12 of 13 women) lost more fat on their upper body on the low- carbohydrate diet.

Fifteen overweight or obese men, and thirteen women, were randomly assigned to a very low carbohydrate diet or a low fat diet. After fifty days, they were switched to the other diet. 11 of the 15 men did better on the low carbohydrate diet, six lost greater than 10 lbs more on the low carbohydrate diet, and one subject lost almost 25 pounds more. Similar results were found for women although the results were less dramatic.

Improvement in Cardio Risk Factors

Volek and colleagues also looked at whether weight and fat loss were affected by what order the participants followed the diets. Their data seem to favour undertaking a low carbohydrate first, suggesting that those who have concerns about long term "low carb" diets could follow a low carb diet first and then a low fat diet.

There is much debate about the health implications of long-term use of low carbohydrate diets. Volek's lab, whose work is the first-ever to be funded in part by the Robert C. Atkins Foundation, previously has shown that low carbohydrate diets improve cardiovascular risk factors.

For more information about low carbohydrate diets read the review by endocrinologist Samy McFarlane in Nutrition & Metabolism. Dr. McFarlane reviews the new book, "Atkins Diabetes Revolution," by Mary C. Vernon, M.D. and Jacqueline A. Eberstein, R.N.

McFarlane and co-reviewer Surender Arora, M.D. found the book "sufficiently convincing to make us believe that some form of low carbohydrate intervention is worth investigating and should be considered by practitioners. The highly negative un-scientific response of critics, if anything, encourages us in this direction."