A study by a group of scientists in Spain have found that people who stuck to a Mediterranean diet, without calorie restrictions, lost more weight than people on a diet that generally avoids all kinds of fat. They said this suggests eating food traditionally considered to be "low fat" may not be the best way to maintain a healthy weight.
Over 7000 participants followed one of three diets. The first group was given an unrestricted Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil. The second group maintained a similar diet except with its focus on nuts, while the third group avoided all kinds of fat. Over 90 per cent of the participants were either overweight or obese and all had Type 2 diabetes or were considered at high risk of heart disease. After five years, while all three groups were found to have lost a small amount of weight, people on the olive oil-rich diet had lost an average of 0.88 kg.
Lead researcher Dr Ramon Estruch from the University of Barcelona, said, "More than 40 years of nutritional policy has advocated for a low-fat diet but we're seeing little impact on rising levels of obesity. Our study shows that a Meditteranean diet rich in vegetable fats such as olive oil and nuts had little effect on bodyweight or waist circumference compared to people on a low-fat diet. Nutrition expert Professor Dariush Mozaffarian from Tufts University said it was time to re-evaluate "outdated" guidelines on fat consumption. "We must abandon the myth that lower-fat, lower-calorie products lead to less weight gain," he said.
