The Atkins diet led to more weight loss than the Zone diet in overweight and obese premenopausal women at 12 months
Q What is the relative effectiveness of Atkins, Zone, “Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitudes, Relationships, and Nutrition (LEARN),” and Ornish diets for weight loss in overweight or obese premenopausal women?
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled trial (Atkins, Traditional, Ornish, Zone [A TO Z] Weight Loss Study).
Allocation:
unclear allocation concealment.
Blinding:
blinded {data collectors, data analysts, and safety and monitoring committee}.*
Follow-up period:
12 months.
Setting:
United States.
Patients:
311 premenopausal women 25–50 years of age (mean age 41 y, 71% white) who were overweight or obese (body mass index [BMI] 27–40 kg/m2), had stable weight in the past 2 months, and stable medications for ⩾3 months. Exclusion criteria included diabetes; hyperthyroidism; hypertension; heart, renal, or liver disease; cancer; use of drugs affecting weight or energy expenditure; ⩾3 drinks of alcohol/day; pregnancy; lactation; and …
