Diet duel: the Mediterranean diet vs. the low-fat diet

The Harvard School of Public Health recently conducted a study pitting the Mediterranean diet against a low fat diet. The results?

Weight change over 18 months:

• Mediterranean dieters lost an average of 9 pounds.
• Low-fat dieters gained (yes, gained) an average of 6 pounds.

Those who stuck with the diet:

• Mediterranean dieters: 54% stuck with it the whole 18 months.
• Low-fat dieters: 20% stuck with it.

Dr. Walter Willet, Chair of the Dept. of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health says:

"The real issue is not losing weight—people can cut back on calories and lose weight on almost any diet—but keeping weight off over the long run. Thus it is more important to find a way of eating that you can stay with for the rest of your life. For this reason, any eating plan you choose should be satisfying and allow variety, and should also be nutritionally sound."

Here's 12 Mediterranean recipes I want to try.

Quote source: Harvard School of Public Health website

Additional study: A small new study shows that following a Mediterranean Diet helped men at high risk for heart disease reduce their bad cholesterol, regardless of whether they lost weight.

Image source: The Boston Globe, "Mediterranean diet vs. low-fat Ornish plan," April 15, 2013