Energy balance
Long-term dietary interventions (≥12 months) involving moderate macronutrients, low-fat/high-carbohydrate, or high-fat/low-carbohydrate diets all produce significant and comparable weight loss, BMI reduction, and waist circumference reduction compared to a usual diet, with no clinically significant difference between the specific diet types.
If you are overweight or obese, any structured diet that involves active counseling and reduces calories will help you lose weight over the long term (12+ months). Whether you choose high-fat, low-fat, or moderate macronutrients, the amount of weight lost is roughly the same (around 5 kg). Do not waste energy trying to find the 'magic' macronutrient ratio; instead, choose the dietary pattern that fits your lifestyle and preferences so you can stick with it.
Compared with UD, all diets were associated with a significant weight loss (WL) at ≥12 months... HFLC [mean difference in kg (95% CI): −5.5 (−7.6; −3.4)], LFHC [−5.0 (−7.1; −2.9)] and MM [−4.7 (−6.8; −2.7)].
Why this rating
The study is a network meta-analysis of RCTs, but the included RCTs had moderate to high risk of bias (unclear allocation, high dropout, lack of blinding).
Source
Long Term Weight Loss Diets and Obesity Indices: Results of a Network Meta-Analysis
Jana Jabbour et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2022
DOI 10.3389/fnut.2022.821096
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