Fads, gimmicks, drugs…I’ve seen all the screwy diet trends come and go. But there’s one lifestyle that beats all of them every single time.
Of course I’m talking about low-carb living. And I’ve got the research to prove it.
When researchers compared the popular new weight-loss drug orlistat — sold as Alli and Xenical — to a low-carb diet, not only did the low-carb group lose more weight, they also lowered their blood pressure in the process.
That’s the power of an honest-to-goodness steak for you. (And remember: the fattier, the better!)
Here’s the details: Researchers studied 146 dieters with an average age of 52 and body mass index of 39 (that would put a 5’10" man at 271 pounds). After 48 weeks, the low-carb eaters lost an average of 9.5 percent of their body weight while enjoying some of the best food of their lives. The drug-takers managed to lose 8.5 percent of their body weight in between bouts of the gas, incontinence and diarrhea that often accompany this med.
To the researchers, that was a tie…but once you factor in blood-pressure readings, it wasn’t even a fair fight — the drugs never had a chance. Low-carb dieters lost an average of 6 points off their systolic and 4.5 points off their diastolic readings.
The pill-poppers, on the other hand, had almost no change in blood pressure at all, according to the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. But they probably did get more bathroom reading done. After all, this med has one of the most disgusting diet mechanisms imaginable.
Orlistat works by forcing dietary fat right back out the other end — sometimes quickly and dramatically. Stick close to the toilet when you take these pills — you might even want to eat your meals there, just to be safe.
William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.