Tue, May-07-24, 23:57
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Plan: Muscle Centric
Stats: 238/153/160
BF:
Progress: 109%
Location: UK
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Tailored weight-loss plans work better than calorie counting
Quote:
Tailored weight-loss plans work better than calorie counting
A study found adults following the personalised nutrition programme Zoe saw far greater benefits than those following ‘one size fits all’ official guidelines
Trendy personalised nutrition plans that don’t involve counting calories are an effective way to lose weight and cut the risk of chronic diseases, according to a clinical trial.
A study published in the journal Nature Medicine found that adults following Zoe, a programme that tailors diet recommendations to individual biology, saw significantly greater health benefits than those following “one size fits all” healthy eating guidelines.
Experts said the findings have important implications for tackling the obesity epidemic and long-term illnesses, highlighting the need to move away from “out of date” population guidance that focuses on low-calorie and low-fat food.
Zoe, a firm co-founded by Professor Tim Spector, provides personalised food recommendations via an app based on the results of at-home tests analysing an individual’s gut bacteria and the body’s response to fats and sugars. No consideration is given to calories, with participants instead encouraged to eat 30 types of plants a week — including nuts, beans, and coffee — and avoid ultra-processed foods.
A randomised 18-week control trial involved 347 adults in the US, with an average age of 52, half of whom were put on the Zoe programme for 18 weeks, with the rest receiving generalised government advice as a control.
Compared to the control group, those assigned to Zoe lost an average of 2.5kg (5.5lbs) more and 2cm more off their waist circumference. Tests showed significant improvements in blood sugar control, more “good” gut bacteria, and improved mood and sleep.
Those who adhered closely to the personalised recommendations lost an average of 4.7 per cent of their body weight, with nine in ten reporting reduced hunger levels. This group also saw improvements in their cholesterol and blood pressure, helping to lower the risk of heart disease.
Spector, professor of epidemiology at King’s College London, said that this “emphasis on quality, personalisation and gut health can have massive benefits if adopted more widely”.
He added: “We have shown that those who follow Zoe’s nutrition advice will see improvements in their overall health. It is clear that some current population advice is out of date, over-focused on calories and low-fat foods and with low adherence unlikely to result in long-term benefits.”
More than 130,000 people have participated in the Zoe programme, which involves wearing a blood sugar monitor for two weeks to test the body’s response to different foods. Celebrity advocates include Davina McCall and Carrie Johnson, but the programme’s hefty price tag — starting at £299 — means it is currently unaffordable for most individuals.
Dr Sarah Berry, chief scientist at Zoe, said the company’s scientific research findings are nonetheless relevant to the wider population and the NHS at a time when “diet-related diseases are increasing at an alarming rate”.
She said the findings of the new clinical trial demonstrate the importance of abandoning a “calorie-based approach” in favour of a “food-based approach”, focused on avoiding highly processed foods and increasing plant intake.
Berry said that two meals which are “identical” in terms of calories and back-of-pack ingredients “can have an entirely different impact on health” depending on how the food is processed.
She said people are more likely to stick to advice if it is “personalised to them and their biology”, adding: “There’s a growing awareness that we all respond very differently to food. We know that what works for one person isn’t necessarily going to work for someone else.”
She said this more personalised approach could be incorporated into national dietary guidelines, with the advice “stratified” based on age, sex, and health. Post-menopausal women, for example, could be advised to increase their protein intake.
The new study builds on evidence about the link between nutrition and mental health, with those following Zoe four times more likely to report better sleep and twice as likely to report better mood. This is thought to be linked to the microbiome — a community of bacteria and fungi in the gut.
Berry said: “We know that food impacts nearly every cell in our body, and so it makes sense that it’s going to impact how we feel.
“The food that we eat underpins many chronic diseases — the development of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and even some cancers and some mental health issues as well.
“Even small changes can go on to have a long-term effect. It’s important to say that this isn’t a diet — diets don’t work, they’re nonsense. This is a way of life, of teaching people in simple ways how to modify their diet in a sustainable way that fits within what we know works best for that individual.”
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...nting-0lt5jh6vc |
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