Dansinger M, Gleason J, Griffith J, et al. 2005

15632335

Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone diets for weight loss and heart disease risk reduction: a randomized trial.

Dansinger M, Gleason J, Griffith J, Selker H, Schaefer E

JAMA

2005

293

1

43-53

Randomized Controlled Trial

High risk

Adults of any age who were overweight or obese with BMI between 27 and 42, and having at least 1 of the following metabolic cardiac risk factors: fasting glucose of at least 110 mg/dl, total cholesterol of at least 200 mg/dl, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of at least 130 mg/dl, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 40 mg/dl or less, triglycerides of at least 150 mg/dl, systolic BP of at least 145 mmHg, diastolic BP of at least 90 mmHg, or current use of oral meds to treat HTN, DM, or dyslipidemia.

Unstable chronic illness, insulin therapy, urinary microalbumin of more than 2 times normal, serum creatinine of at least 1.4 mg/dl, clinically significant abnormalities of liver or thyroid test results, weight loss medication, or pregnancy.

We conducted a 1-year randomized trial of the dietary component of the Atkins, Zone, Weight Watchers, and Ornish plans, aiming to determine their realistic clinical effectiveness and sustainability for weight loss and cardiac risk factor reduction.

Boston, MA, USA

Government, University/Hospital

General Clinical Research Center via the National Center for Research Resources of the NIH; USDA; Human Metabolic and Genetics Core Laboratory of the Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center.