Science says no need to go low carb for average people

Awkward30

Science says low carb isn't the only way:

Nutr Rev. 2012 Apr;70(4):218-33. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2012.00454.x.
Relationship between bread consumption, body weight, and abdominal fat distribution: evidence from epidemiological studies.
Bautista-Castaño I, Serra-Majem L.
Source
Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
Abstract
A long-standing belief held by the general public is that bread fattens. This encourages many people to restrict, or even eliminate, bread from their diet. The present review was conducted to assess whether or not eating patterns that include bread are associated with overall obesity or excess abdominal adiposity, whether in the general population or in subjects undergoing obesity management. The literature search included articles published over the past 30 years that focused on dietary patterns that included bread (refined or whole-grain) and their association with ponderal status and abdominal fat distribution. A total of 38 epidemiological studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria (22 cross-sectional, 11 prospective cohort, and five intervention). The results indicate that dietary patterns that include whole-grain bread do not positively influence weight gain and may be beneficial to ponderal status. With respect to dietary patterns that include refined bread, the majority of cross-sectional studies indicate beneficial effects, while most of the well-designed cohort studies demonstrate a possible relationship with excess abdominal fat. Because differences in the study designs make it difficult to form definitive conclusions, more studies are needed that focus specifically on bread consumption, within different dietary patterns, and its influence on ponderal status.

Clin Nutr. 2011 Dec 30. [Epub ahead of print]
Evaluation of the usefulness of a low-calorie diet with or without bread in the treatment of overweight/obesity.
Loria-Kohen V, Gómez-Candela C, Fernández-Fernández C, Pérez-Torres A, García-Puig J, Bermejo LM.
Source
Nutrition Department, La Paz University Hospital, Paseo de la Castellana 261, 28046, Health Research Institute IdiPAZ, Madrid Spain.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS:
Despite the lack of scientific evidence, bread is one of the most restricted foods in popular hypocaloric diets. The aim of this study was to compare two nutrition strategies (with or without bread) designed to promote weight loss in overweight/obese women.
METHODS:
A clinical, prospective and randomised study in which 122 women >18 years, BMI ≥ 25 < 40 kg/m(2) were divided into two groups: intervention group (BREAD, n = 61) and control group (NO BREAD, n = 61). Both groups received a low-calorie diet (with or without bread), nutrition education and physical activity guidelines, and were monitored for 16 weeks.
RESULTS:
104 women completed the study (48.4 ± 9 years, 29.8 ± 3.5 kg/m(2)). Anthropometric and biochemical markers improved after the intervention without significant differences between groups. BREAD group significantly increased total cereal consumption (3.2 ± 1.3 to 3.7 ± 0.5 servings/day, P < 0.05) and the percentage of energy from carbohydrates (41.2 ± 6.4 vs. 45.9 ± 5.0% P < 0.001) and reduced fat (39.0 ± 6.6 vs. 32.7 ± 5.1% P < 0.001). In contrast, NO BREAD group increased the discrepancy with recommended consumption. NO BREAD group had the most dropouts (21.3% vs. 6.6%, P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION:
The bread inclusion in a low-calorie diet designed for weight loss favoured a better evolution of dietetic parameters and greater compliance with the diet with fewer dropouts. Registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier no. NCT01223989.

TL;DR: when a group went through a bunch of past studies and analyzed the collective data, they found that low carb is not better for fat loss or for abdominal fat loss. Another group recently found that low carb and high carb had similar weight loss results and that low carb has lower adherence. So, unless a doc tells you that you ought to go low carb, enjoy your cereal!

neanderthin

It's like chasing a red herring. Isolating a single food stuff and researching whether it's fattening or not doesn't account for the population in general. People that tend to consume whole wheat might lead a different lifestyle in the general sense than the white bread eaters and many, many other confounders that effect diet, weight, lifestyle etc. I can pull study after study showing carbs and fat for that matter lead to obesity. Makes my head spin how people can get funding for this type of research, and good for them btw. lol.

victoria4321

Science also said to eat low fat and high carb at one point now look how many people are fat.

Awkward30

Science also said to eat low fat and high carb at one point now look how many people are fat.

Did science say that or did people say that?

And to the other poster, the first paper I quoted looked at a lot of studies with different designs, so they obviously can't account for all confounding variables, but I was careful about the way I stated things. No need to go low carb. Not that low carb is dumb or ineffective, just that the many people who come here every day complaining that they need to cut out carbs should know that they really don't need to. If you want to go low carb, I can't find any data that says it's a bad thing except that ketosis may be harder on your body than just eating carbs... but if you like carbs, if you don't want to go low carb, don't! You can lose weight and look hot while holding a huge bowl of cereal in one hand and a hotdog in a bun in the other. That actually sounds like an awesome new avatar, I may make that happen this weekend.

victoria4321

Science also said to eat low fat and high carb at one point now look how many people are fat.

Did science say that or did people say that?

And to the other poster, the first paper I quoted looked at a lot of studies with different designs, so they obviously can't account for all confounding variables, but I was careful about the way I stated things. No need to go low carb. Not that low carb is dumb or ineffective, just that the many people who come here every day complaining that they need to cut out carbs should know that they really don't need to. If you want to go low carb, I can't find any data that says it's a bad thing except that ketosis may be harder on your body than just eating carbs... but if you like carbs, if you don't want to go low carb, don't! You can lose weight and look hot while holding a huge bowl of cereal in one hand and a hotdog in a bun in the other. That actually sounds like an awesome new avatar, I may make that happen this weekend.

I'm going by the old usda food pyramid. I dont have links for you, but I'm hoping they didnt just pull it out their *kitten* one morning.

tigersword

Science also said to eat low fat and high carb at one point now look how many people are fat.

There are billions of people around the world who eat high carb and low fat that aren't obese. Your argument really doesn't have a leg to stand on. People in the United States got fat because they got lazier and started eating more. It's that simple. People are eating an average of 600 calories a day more than they were 40 years ago, and due to the advance of robotics, computers, and video games, people are leading much more sedentary lives than 40 years ago, as well.

Which makes more sense, that bread is all of a sudden making people fat, even though it doesn't in the rest of world, and hadn't in America either until about 25 years ago, or that people are overeating in general?

Glucocorticoid

I want to meet this science guy, he seems cool.