Fasting fad under the microscope

Lauren Boase lost 50kg on the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation in February 2011. Source: News Limited

Lauren Boase before she lost weight at 160kg. Source: News Limited

INCREASINGLY popular one-meal-a-day diets that require almost 24-hours of fasting on alternate days are under the microscope of Australian researchers.

The diets - which can involve up to two days of fasting in between days of eating - are expected to catch the eye of those of us who want to shed unwanted kilos after overindulging over the festive period.

Participants in the new study, starting later this month, will eat just breakfast every second day for eight weeks.

Lead researcher, associate professor Leonie Heilbronn, said similar studies on mice found the fasting approach lowered cholesterol and insulin levels, indicating they helped reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

''We did a three week pilot study a few years ago and saw improvements in health in just three weeks,'' she said.

''But this time we're going to compare fasting to other types of dieting and look at whether the benefits are the same, or better.

''There's only a handful of studies that have looked at fasting. Nobody really knows the best way to go about it.''

Assoc prof Heilbronn said the difficulty was determining whether it was the fasting - or the subsequent weight loss - that produced health benefits.

While definitions of periodic fasting vary, it is defined in the University of Adelaide study as a 24-hour period with just breakfast.

Nutritionist Susie Burrell said the difficulty with any type of fasting is that ''we live in a society where this huge over-consumption''.

''You see people like [Liberal MP] Malcolm Turnbull who have talked about using fasting for weight loss, but it's not sustainable.''

Mr Turnbull lost 15kg by following a no-food regime by Chinese practitioner Dr Shuquan Liu.

Ms Burrell has rated the diets she expects to be popular this year, listing the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, as her top pick.

She said while new fad diets pop up each year, most are based on the same principles of reducing carbohydrates and calories.

Ms Burrell believes websites and apps that help you keep monitor the calories you eat are among the best weight loss tools.

''Monitoring calories and sticking to between 1200 and 1600 is one of the easiest ways to lose weight and it supports people driving their own behaviour change,'' she said.

Goodlife Health Club Westbourne Park membership co-ordinator Lauren Boase has shed 50kg from her initial 160kg frame since starting the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation in February 2011.

''It just triggered a whole new lifestyle that I've kept up,'' she said.

Nutritionist Susie Burrell rates 10 diets she expects to be big in 2013

1. Mediterranean diet

What is it? Based on a diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, cereals and plenty of olive oil. Those who follow a Mediterranean diet often eat more than 11 serves of fruit and vegetables a day. Low in red meat, but high in fish.

Verdict: In terms of health and sustainability, I'd argue the Mediterranean-style of eating is perhaps the best. The only problem might be that the serves of protein are quite small and heavy meat eaters will struggle to adhere.

2. The CSIRO Total Wellbeing diet

What is it? This is one of the strongest evidence-based approaches to weight management. It focuses on higher, not high protein, and relies on lean meat and low-fat dairy.

Verdict: It helps control insulin levels in body and is one of few diets to have long-term research showing it works. People perceive it as having a lot of red meat, but in reality it has a lot less than the average Australian eats. It reduces carbs in line with our reduced levels of activity and does so in a controlled way without being extreme. It can lead to sustainable weight loss.

3 . Low GI

What is it? Requires followers to cut back on carbs and eat a moderate amount of protein and fat.

Verdict: Backed by a lot of scientific evidence, it's a safe way to sustainable weight loss. While it is very healthy, the weight loss is slower. Because the average person is looking to lose weight a lot quicker, it is sometimes not seen as the best option.

4. The Zone

What is it? Encourages consuming kilojoules from carbohydrates, protein and fat in a "40:30:30". According to founder Barry Sears, this ratio of fats helps dieters' hormones stay within a healthy zone.

Verdict: It's one of the better ones. It's high in vegetables and is very similar nutritionally to the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. But because it comes from America, it's got a lot more snacks.

5. Paleolithic diet

What is it? Mimics the diet of a caveman and is similar to CSIRO Total Wellbeing diet, but eliminates more fruit and dairy. The idea is a clean approach to eating approach, getting rid of processed foods and going back to root vegetables, greens, lean meat, nuts and berries.

Verdict: Long term it is nutritionally inadequate for key nutrients like calcium. Better to use as a base but add in some low-fat dairy.

6. Meal replacement programs

What is it? Think milkshakes that replace meals, like those offered by Slim Fast. It involves swapping meals for the specially-formulated shakes to help keep your calorie intake low.

Verdict: It can be a useful tool for starting to lose weight, but it's difficult to sustain long-term. There's also the issue that they're highly processed and you're not getting as many nutrients as you would in other meals. You could use them to replace one or two meals here and there, and it's also useful for a non-breakfast eater to have, but the benefits are limited.

7. Home delivered meals

What is it? This category includes the programs offered by Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and Lite n Easy.

Verdict: Helps busy people and teaches portion control. But it is expensive and people aren't necessarily learning about how to best manage their food. The food is also highly processed. It is out of reach for many people and at some point you need to know how to make good food yourself and make the right choices.

8. Sugar-free

What is it? As a general rule, getting rid of processed food (fruit juice, muesli bars, biscuits) is good for all of us to do. But the underlying biochemistry is more complicated. Refined carbohydrates do lead to increased insulin and weight gain.

Verdict: An unprocessed, low sugar diet is good for us, but small amounts of fruit and natural sugar is fine.

9. Dukan diet

What is it? Known as the French diet, it's a novel approach to eating. There are tight calorie restrictions, with very low calorie and carbohydrates for a period of time.

Verdict: Suits European diets with less snacking. What it gives people is structure, with hard and fast rules to their diets. The issue is that it's very restrictive. In my experience, when people go back to normal eating they put the weight back on and is a more extreme diet.

10. Oh My God diet

What is it? Six weeks to Oh My God is the brainchild of British personal trainer turned author Venice Fulton. It advocates a series of unusual methods, including skipping breakfast, using cold baths as a way to shed kilograms and drinking plenty of black coffee.

Verdict: This is a fad and pretty extreme. It's a way to get drastic results quickly but my experience is that people can't do it.

TOP WEIGHT- LOSS APPS

My Fitness Pal: It's the easiest way to log calories and lets you easily track the meals you eat. Download at myfitnesspal.com/mobile

Mindful Eating: Helps to teach good food habits, promotes mindful eating and prevents overeating. itunes.apple.com/ca/app/mindful-eating

Lose Weight Fast: There's weekly updates on diet and exercise with recipes and meal plans. itunes.apple.com/au/app/susie-burrells-how-to-lose

Calorie King Australia: Lists how many calories, carbohydrates and fats Australian brands have. itunes.apple.com/au/app/calorieking-australia-food

Jillian Michaels Weight Loss: Features meal plans and exercise videos ready to go. itunes.apple.com/au/app/jillian-michaels-weight-loss

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