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Diet
Trials: the results
BBC
ONE's Diet Trials has proved what dieters have long feared: if you
want to lose weight and keep it off, you've got to exercise as well
as watch what you eat.
Women
will also be disappointed with the news that men have been found
to be more successful at dieting.
The
full results will be revealed in the final programme to be broadcast
on Thursday 3 April.
This
programme is the culmination of the compelling three week series
which set out to find the most effective weight loss plan of them
all.
In
the UK's biggest scientific study of its kind, four of the best
known weight loss plans, the Slim-Fast plan, Weight Watchers Pure
Points Programme, Rosemary Conley's Eat Yourself Slim Diet and Fitness
Plan and Dr Atkins' New Diet Revolution have been put to the test.
Led by the University
of Surrey in collaboration with four other academic centres, the
study has seen 300 people from across the country testing the diets
for six months. The final results will tell us which diet works
best for which type of person.
Some of the
dieters have achieved impressive weight loss, some have lost very
little and others have even gained weight. Overall, the dieters
have shed a massive 211 stone with older people having the most
sticking power – the highest drop out rate was amongst younger
people.
The
final results show that men do better than women: even though men
made up only 30% of the study, 13 out of the top 20 weight losers
were men (based on quantity of weight loss).
Helen
Truby, Lead Scientist, explains: "This is because most of the
men tended to have more weight to lose and are also metabolically
better at burning fat."
Importantly,
it has been found that increasing fitness and activity helped in
both weight and fat loss. In dieters that got fitter, the weight
lost contained a higher proportion of fat and a smaller amount of
lean tissue, which should make putting weight back on later less
likely.
Although
all the diets recommend exercise, only Rosemary Conley includes
it as part of the regime.
Controversial
diet regime, the Dr Atkin's New Diet Revolution, has been found
not to be harmful to those in the study. It also led to the most
rapid initial weight loss, particularly for men.
Despite
its high fat content, cholesterol levels were found not to increase,
but scientists did have concerns that those on Atkins lacked some
nutrients in their diet and had to intervene to ensure they took
a dietary supplement.
The
final Diet Trials programme with the full results will be shown
on BBC ONE on Thursday 3 April at 7.00pm.
The
full results will be available online at www.bbc.co.uk/diettrials
after transmission of the final programme.
Notes
to Editors
Which
diet would work best for you?
Atkins
•
Very restrictive in the food groups you can eat from
•
Can have unlimited amounts of the permitted food groups
•
A novel approach
•
Don't have to calorie count
•
Side effects found to be overrated by most who completed the study
•
Expensive
•
Possible nutritional problems - need to take supplements
Who
does it suit?
•
Men - like the idea of no quantity restrictions
• People who don't like restrictions or don't have time for
group sessions
• Leads to rapid initial weight loss
• If you are trying to lower your cholesterol by losing weight
this may not be the diet for you
Weight
Watchers
•
Plenty of food, you don't go hungry
• Nothing 'banned'
• Can eat same as family
• Classes in the study were reported to be of variable quality
Who
does it suit?
•
People who like going to groups – this seemed to particularly
appeal to women
• Those with families as could fit it around them
• Those who don't want restricted foods
• Those not keen on exercise
Slim-Fast
•
Simple and convenient
• Harder to follow at weekends
• Some people reported they missed solid food
• Good for short term, occasional weight loss
• Reassuring - you know you're getting the nutrients you need
Who
does it suit?
•
Both men and women
• Busy people who don't have time to prepare food
• People who don't like groups but want to go it alone
• Those looking for a simple solution
Rosemary
Conley
•
People found it enjoyable with plentiful foods
• Some people reported it seemed a natural way to eat
• Could be time consuming to check food labels for fat content
• Most enjoyed the exercise component
• Classes could be difficult to get to – people needed
to have a class close to home
Who
does it suit?
•
People who like going to groups – this seemed to particularly
appeal to women
• People who don't mind exercising in public
• People looking for a lifestyle change
This
information is drawn from the results of the study and focus group
studies with people who completed the study attending the University
of Surrey test centre.
All the
BBC's digital services are now available on Freeview,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable.
Freeview
offers the BBC's eight television channels, interactive services
from BBCi, as well as 11 BBC radio networks.
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