Health

Serious dieting helps avoid diabetes, heart problems

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 10, 2004

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

People who severely restrict their caloric intake can dramatically reduce their risk of developing diabetes or clogged arteries, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

They found that some risk factors among these avid dieters were so low they were comparable to those of people decades younger. Their findings are in the April 27 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers recruited participants through a national organization called the Caloric Restriction Optimal Nutrition Society. By eating small amounts of nutrient-dense foods, members of this group try to consume between 10% and 25% fewer calories than the average American, while still attempting to maintain proper nutrition.

The 18 individuals, ages 35 to 82, who participated in the study had voluntarily been following this very-low-calorie diet for three to 15 years. The group was compared with 18 age- and gender-matched individuals who ate a typical Western diet.

The calorie-restricted group ate between 1,100 and 1,950 calories per day depending on height, weight and gender, and these calories consisted of about 26% protein, 28% fat and 46% complex carbohydrates. The comparison group consumed between 1,975 and 3,550 calories per day with 18% from protein, 32% from fat and 50% from carbohydrates.

While the researchers couldn't say how long the individuals on the restricted calorie diets will live, they have a much longer life expectancy than average, said John O. Holloszy, MD, professor of medicine and the study's lead author. They're most likely not going to die from a heart attack, stroke or diabetes, he predicted.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/05/10/hlbf0510.htm.

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn