Obesity is the single most significant nutrition-related health issue of the new millennium. Several """"""""medical experts"""""""" have designed and promoted weight loss diets that dramatically differ from one another, and from the USDA Dietary Guidelines. These diets have gained surprisingly widespread and persistent popularity among Americans, despite a lack of evidence supporting their claims. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a preliminary/feasibility study for an intended full-scale study that will examine health outcomes (e.g. benefits, risks, success) of three popular weight loss diets with very different macronutrient composition, and compare them to a """"""""usual care"""""""" dietary approach to weigh loss represented by the macronutrient distribution of the USDA Food Pyramid. We will investigate behavioral and physiological factors that influence adherence and retention to these diet plans. DESIGN: In this preliminary/feasibility study, 48 overweight women will be randomly assigned to one of four diets for 1 year - Atkins (extremely low carbohydrate), Zone (low-carbohydrate, high protein), Ornish (very low fat), and USDA/Food Pyramid (high carbohydrate/moderate-low fat) - and collect data on behavioral and physiological factors. These specific diets have been selected for their wide range of carbohydrate intake (from very-low to very-high carbohydrate: Atkins

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21AT001098-02
Application #
6660826
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAT1-K (04))
Program Officer
Klein, Marguerite
Project Start
2002-09-15
Project End
2004-05-31
Budget Start
2003-06-01
Budget End
2004-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$196,250
Indirect Cost
Name
Stanford University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
009214214
City
Stanford
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94305
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