Instead of clogging up Richard’s blog with endless study rebuttals to personally held convictions about diet, I decided to make a post about it. First, here’s what I’m responding to:
As a former fat broad, who also was a fat kid when there was only one fat kid in the class (as opposed to today), I completely agree with you Richard. Weight loss, insulin sensitivity, metabolism, all that is different for those of who have been very over weight or who were over weight for a long time. I think it makes a big difference for someone like me who has been overweight my whole like (45 years) UNTIL now. Everytime (Lyle Mcdonald) or Colpo or any of these young, never been a fat bastard types, go on about what the metabolic ward studies prove, I scream at my computer screen “Excuse me but who are the subjects of these metabolic studies?” Young, never been over weight people. HELLO? And exactly how does the effect and food and macro ratios have on these people relate in any way to my body? The metabolic ward studies only show what happens to young, lean people. The rest of us got fat or were fat because our bodies are not like these people!!
So after the cut I’m going to start a list of links and abstract titles for metabolic ward studies performed with obese individuals. I happen to love studies performed on obese women, so the first few might only focus on them. Over time the list will expand so that I have a central location to keep track of these things.
Update 1/7/2010: studies 6-9 added.
- A Metabolic ward study of a high protein, very-low-energy diet.
- Effect of a low-carbohydrate diet on appetite, blood glucose levels, and insulin resistance in obese patients with type 2 diabetes.
- Factors determining weight loss in obese patients in a metabolic ward.
- Hypocaloric diets and ketogenesis in the management of obese gestational diabetic women.
- The effect of addition of exercise to a regime of dietary restriction on weight loss, nitrogen balance, resting metabolic rate and spontaneous physical activity in three obese women in a metabolic ward.
- Metabolic effects of isoenergetic nutrient exchange over 24 hours in relation to obesity in women.
- Energy intake required to maintain body weight is not affected by wide variation in diet composition.
- The role of energy expenditure in the differential weight loss in obese women on low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets.
Skyler Tanner 
You’re going to confuse the “former fat broad” with the facts.
The metabolic ward studies are over two decades old, because it’s settled: restriction of caloric intake causes weight loss. Victims of the Soviet Gulag and Nazi concentration camps found out.
Thanks for taking time to make the links.
-Steve
Thanks for this collection of links, Skylar.
In reply to Dr. Steve:
Yes, I agree there is an undeniable correlation between caloric deficit and WEIGHT LOSS. But, body composition is a different story. 800kCAL? What? Even in my father’s HCG PROGRAM, under the care of physicians and nutritionists, there is a noticeable reduction in lean mass. Also, exercise and nutrition are ever-evolving fields, and I think it’s shameful to say that anything scientific is ever “SETTLED.” I would like to see what the long term results (like what state these subjects are in 20 years later) are from these studies.
Just my two cents.
Jake
Jake,
Remember this is taken in the context of my first paragraph. Some of the diets used in the metabolic ward studies are extreme, I wouldn’t recommend any to my clients for the long haul. Science isn’t magically going to flip on its head and decide that all of there years of caloric reduction metabolic ward studies didn’t show fat loss, but the minutia is certainly going to get refined.
Long term results comes down to the plan that you clients is most willing to stick to the longest. I have clients who have lost similar amounts of weight with very different diets because they could stick to it…it fit their preferences. That doesn’t mean that calories weren’t reduced.
Best,
Skyler