Unrestricted Calorie, High-Fat Mediterranean Diet Linked to Greater Weight Loss Than Low-Fat Diet

Adults lose more weight and reduce waist circumference more by consuming a high-fat Mediterranean diet than those consuming a lower-fat diet, according to new research from Spain.

In the past, it was generally understood that a high-fat diet would lead to weight gain. However, “healthy fats,” such as those found in olive oil and nuts, can be more beneficial to weight loss than previously thought.

To conduct their study, the researchers gathered information from the 5-year PREDIMED trial, which included 7447 asymptomatic adults aged 55 to 80 years with type 2 diabetes or 3 or more CV risk factors who were treated in 11 hospitals in Spain.

Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 groups. One group consumed the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, another group consumed the Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, and the last group consumed a lower-fat control diet.

The researchers measured participants’ bodyweight and waist circumference at baseline and annually for 5 years.

After a median 4.8-year follow-up, the researchers found that participants following the 2 modified Mediterranean diets reduced more body weight and waist circumference than those in the control group. Participants in the olive oil supplement group lost 0.43 kg more than those in the control group, and participants in the nut supplement group lost 0.08 kg more than those in the control group.

“A long-term intervention with an unrestricted-calorie, high-vegetable-fat Mediterranean diet was associated with decreases in bodyweight and less gain in central adiposity compared with a control diet,” the researchers concluded. “These results lend support to advice not restricting intake of healthy fats for bodyweight maintenance.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Estruch R, Martínez-González MA, Corella D, et al. Effect of a high-fat Mediterranean diet on bodyweight and waist circumference: a prespecified secondary outcomes analysis of the PREDIMED randomised controlled trial [published online June 6, 2016]. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(16)30085-7.