ADA Issues New Clinical Practice Recom...( New Advice for Doctors About Low-...),Health

New Advice for Doctors About Low-Fat, Low-Carb Restricted Diets For Short-Term Weight Loss

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Diabetes Association (ADA) today issued its annual Clinical Practice Recommendations to help health care providers treat people with diabetes using the most current evidence available.

This year, one notable change occurs in the Medical Nutrition Therapy section dealing with weight loss. Until now, the ADA did not recommend low carbohydrate diets because of lack of sufficient scientific evidence supporting their safety and effectiveness. The 2008 Recommendations include a statement recognizing the increasing evidence that weight-loss plans that restrict carbohydrate or fat calorie intake are equally effective for reducing weight in the short term (up to one year). The "Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes--2008" document reviews the growing evidence for the effectiveness of either approach to weight loss. In addition, there is now evidence that the most important determinant of weight loss is not the composition of the diet, but whether the person can stick with it, and that some individuals are more likely to adhere to a low carbohydrate diet while others may find a low fat calorie-restricted diet easier to follow.

As it has in the past, the ADA continues to emphasize the importance of sustained, moderate weight loss and increased physical activity for people who are overweight or obese and at risk for diabetes or living with diabetes.

"The risks of overweight and obesity are well known. We recognize that people are looking for realistic ways to lose weight," said Ann Albright, PhD, RD, President, Health Care & Education, American Diabetes Association. "The evidence is clear that both low-carbohydrate and low-fat calorie restricted diets result in similar weight loss at one year. We're not endorsing either of these weight-loss plans over any other method of losing weig
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