Effectiveness of Four Popular Diet Strategies for Weight Loss and Cardiac Risk Reduction

Tufts University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Obesity; Metabolic Syndrome; Cardiovascular Disease

Treatments: Behavioral: Zone Diet; Behavioral: Weight Watchers Diet; Behavioral: Ornish Diet; Behavioral: Atkins Diet

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02454127

DANS0001

Details and patient eligibility

About

A single-center randomized trial at an academic medical center in Boston, Mass, of overweight or obese adults with known hypertension, dyslipidemia, or fasting hyperglycemia. Participants were enrolled starting July 18, 2000, and randomized to 4 popular diet groups until January 24, 2002.

Full description

Objective: To assess adherence rates and the effectiveness of 4 popular diets (Atkins, Zone, Weight Watchers, and Ornish) for weight loss and cardiac risk factor reduction.

Design, Setting, and Participants: A single-center randomized trial at an academic medical center in Boston, Mass, of overweight or obese adults with known hypertension, dyslipidemia, or fasting hyperglycemia. Participants were enrolled starting July 18, 2000, and randomized to 4 popular diet groups until January 24, 2002.

Intervention: A total of 160 participants were randomly assigned to either Atkins (carbohydrate restriction, n=40), Zone (macronutrient balance, n=40), Weight Watchers (calorie restriction, n=40), or Ornish (fat restriction, n=40) diet groups. After 2 months of maximum effort, participants selected their own levels of dietary adherence.

Main Outcome Measures: One-year changes in baseline weight and cardiac risk factors, and self-selected dietary adherence rates per self-report. Outcome measures included body weight, total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, hsCRP, insulin, glucose.

Enrollment: 160 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• BMI 27-42;
• At least one metabolic cardiac risk factor

Exclusion criteria

• Age under 18 years;
• Insulin therapy;
• Unstable chronic illness;
• Unwilling to follow dietary advice

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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160 participants in 4 patient groups

Atkins Diet

Active Comparator group

Description:

Atkins Diet (dietary counseling)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Atkins Diet

Zone Diet

Active Comparator group

Description:

Zone Diet (dietary counseling)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Zone Diet

Weight Watchers Diet

Active Comparator group

Description:

Weight Watchers Diet (dietary counseling)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Weight Watchers Diet

Ornish Diet

Active Comparator group

Description:

Ornish Diet (dietary counseling)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Ornish Diet