16/3/04 11:41 AM L wrote:

> In contrast to this the Australian Government backed by the Australian
> Medical Association has officially launched a public health warning against
> low carb eating and Atkins in particular.
> 

Hi Leonie,

I'd be interested in reading about the Australian public health warning you
mention since I haven't seen any info in the press about it.  I am
interested because I can't see how they can justify their position when the
CSIRO have come out supporting low-carb eating.

About a year ago the CSIRO (The Australian Government's Scientific and
Industrial Research Organization) released the following: The 'Total
Wellbeing Diet' 

http://www.csiro.com.au/index.asp?type=division&id=Human%20Nutrition

http://www.csiro.com.au/proprietaryDocuments/MLA_diet.pdf (PDF file, 597Kb)

=====snip======

MEDIA RELEASE - 29 January 2003
  
The high protein advantage over metabolic syndrome
 
A new Australian study released by CSIRO today reveals the weight loss
benefits of a high protein, low fat diet for those predisposed to metabolic
syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome ­ also known as Insulin Resistance Syndrome, Syndrome X,
the disease of the new millennium ­ is a topical issue because of growing
alarm caused by the obesity epidemic and rise of diabetes worldwide.

Moreover, it is a threat because over half of Australians are at risk of
developing the disorder.

Characterised by a cocktail of factors including abdominal fat, high
triglycerides, low levels of HDL cholesterol, high insulin, high blood
glucose and high blood pressure, the combination increases a person¹s risk
of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Those predisposed to metabolic syndrome can prevent its development by
managing their risk profile with weight loss, healthy eating and exercise.

Designed and managed by CSIRO, the controlled study compared the
effectiveness of two different dietary programs ­ high protein / low fat
versus high carbohydrate / low fat ­ with 100 overweight and obese women
over a 12-week period.
 
The research study assessed the effectiveness of both diets in the amount of
body weight lost and body composition in all participants. In addition, the
impact of these diets on nutrient status and bone turnover markers, measures
of heart disease and diabetes risk, were also monitored.
 
The results, released today, show that overweight women with high
triglycerides ­ one of the key markers of metabolic syndrome ­ lost 25% more
weight on a high protein, low fat diet than a high carbohydrate, low fat
diet. 

Moreover, much of this extra weight loss was in the abdominal area, which is
crucial to improving their metabolic syndrome risk profile.

Importantly the actual body fat loss over the 12-week period significantly
differed when comparing the two diets ­ a loss of 6kg in the high protein
group as opposed to 3kg in the high carbohydrate group.

The overall weight loss in the high protein group was 8kg compared to only a
6kg loss in the high carbohydrate group, with the amount of weight lost
specifically from the midriff area twice as high on the high protein diet
(1kg vs 500g).

In all the women, weight loss also helped to improve their risk profile in
terms of lowering LDL cholesterol, lowering their triglycerides and reducing
insulin and glucose.  The effects of diet type was more apparent in the
women with high triglycerides as the high protein diet lowered their
triglycerides significantly by 28% compared to only a 10% fall in the high
carbohydrate group.
 
The study also indicated that, as well as helping weight loss in the long
run, the high protein, low fat diet helps to stabilise glucose and insulin
production which may help to control hunger.

Protein-rich foods like lean red meat have a high satiety value which may
explain why participants found the high protein, low fat diet easier to
follow for a long period of time as people feel more satisfied and less
hungry ­ a finding confirmed by the compliance rates on both diets.  Drop
outs on the high carbohydrate, low fat diet was three times greater than
those on the high protein, low fat diet.

Dr Manny Noakes, Senior Research Dietitian at CSIRO Health Sciences and
Nutrition, says she is confident that protein-rich diets like that in the
research are a valid, safe and effective weight loss program for those
people showing symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

Participants in the study ate 200g of lean red meat at evening meals and
100g of chicken / fish at lunch, as well as low fat dairy products, and
still included some carbohydrates such as fruit and bread (see attached copy
of diet plans used in the study).

³This study is significant because so little research has been done in the
area.  Diet books on the subject are centered on conjecture and
recommendations are often based on hear-say,² she said.

³At CSIRO we¹re excited by these findings that demonstrate in a scientific
manner that the high protein, low fat approach to weight loss certainly
offers an edge to conventional diets,² she says.

The high protein, low fat diet is an effective and perfectly valid and safe
weight loss alternative ­ especially for women with high triglycerides,² she
says.

The high protein diet used did not cut out any foods from the conventional
food groups, as do some extreme low carbohydrate diets.

³When preparing the diet structure initially, we discovered the required
nutrient intake was far easier to achieve with the high protein, low fat
diet than with the high carbohydrate, low fat diet,² she says.

³The results prove that a high protein, low fat diet may be easier and more
effective in achieving weight loss for people suffering from metabolic
syndrome.²

The CSIRO Study was funded by
Meat and Livestock Australia¹s Human Nutrition Research & Development
Program.


This media release 
http://www.csiro.com.au/proprietaryDocuments/MLArelease.doc

Regards,
John



John Holman
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