Low-carbohydrate Diets

"Since the early 1990s, marketers of low-carbohydrate diets have promoted the idea that eating fewer carbohydrates promotes weight loss and that these diets are superior to others in their effects on weight loss and overall health. The most famous of these low-carbohydrate diets is the Atkins diet. Others include the South Beach diet, the Zone diet, and the Earth diet. Despite the claims these diets make, there is little scientific evidence to support that low-carbohydrate diets are significantly better than other diets in promoting long-term weight loss. A study in The Nutritional Journal concluded that all diets, independent of carbohydrate, fat, and protein content, that incorporated an exercise regimen significantly decreased weight and waist circumference in obese women. Some studies do provide evidence that, in comparison to other diets, low-carbohydrate diets improve insulin levels and other risk factors for Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The overall scientific consensus is that consuming fewer calories in a balanced diet will promote health and stimulate weight loss, with significantly better results achieved when combined with regular exercise."