Mixed
Men experience significantly greater weight loss, fat mass loss, and lean mass loss on a healthy low-carbohydrate (HLC) diet compared to a healthy low-fat (HLF) diet, whereas women achieve similar weight loss outcomes on both diets.
If you are a man, a healthy low-carbohydrate diet is likely to produce greater weight loss than a healthy low-fat diet. If you are a woman, both diets are equally effective for weight loss, so you should choose the one you can adhere to best. Men lose more weight and fat on HLC, while women lose similar amounts on either diet.
Among men, HLC induced significantly greater weight loss than HLF [-2.98 kg (-4.47, -1.50); P < 0.001]. This was also observed for fat mass [-1.51 (-2.79, -0.23); P = 0.02], and, for lean mass [-1.33 (-1.97, -0.68); P < 0.001]... In contrast, there was no differential effect by diet type on weight loss, and loss of fat and lean mass among women, who achieved similar changes on HLC and HLF.
Why this rating
Derived from a secondary analysis of a large, well-conducted RCT (DIETFITS) with good retention and appropriate statistical adjustments, though not the primary pre-specified hypothesis.
Source
Examining differences between overweight women and men in 12-month weight loss study comparing healthy low-carbohydrate vs. low-fat diets
Lucia Aronica et al. · International Journal of Obesity · 2020
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