The CSIRO Diet

This is one of the few really new diets on the market. Unlike many popular diets, it relies on totally new research funded by CSIRO, an Australian research institute, and available in the public domain. The diet is based on a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which compared the weight loss between two groups, both receiving the same amount of daily calorie intake, but one on a high carbohydrate diet and the other on a high protein diet. Both groups had 20% fat content in the diet, but the high protein group ate 34% protein and 46% carbohydrate, whereas the high carbohydrate group received 17% protein and 63% carbohydrate.

The study showed that both groups lost weight, but those on the high protein diet lost more and felt better, reporting that they felt fuller than on other diets, and felt less temptation to snack between meals. A long term study done after a year on the high protein diet showed that dieters had managed to maintain weight loss, and on average were 3 kilograms lighter than their counterparts on the high carbohydrate diet. But the most significant finding of the study was that women identified as having Syndrome X  benefited far more. Syndrome X is common among fair skinned females over forty, and is characterised by high blood triglycerides, high blood sugar levels and difficulty in limiting weight gain. This group lost more weight on the high protein diet, but most importantly, they lost twice the amount of body fat, and markers indicating risk of heart disease and diabetes improved significantly.

The research has been translated into a complete diet plan and published in book form by two of the scientists involved in the research. In addition to explaining the science behind the diet, they have added tools which help the reader to create a balanced diet with the right amount of calories, and a section containing recipes and meal plans for 12 weeks.

A typical days meal plan consists of a breakfast of cereal and low fat milk, snacks of fruit twice a day and two main meat meals, 100 grams of chicken,fish or red meat for lunch and 200 grams of red meat for dinner,both meals accompanied by vegetables and a slice of wholemeal bread or an alternative carbohydrate. Two glasses of wine per week are optional, and a cup of low fat yogurt sweetened with one of the fruits allowed makes a tasty dessert.The diet is complemented by a maintenance plan which helps in the transition from dieting to maintaining stable weight, usually a critical stage for most dieters.

What do the critics say? From a medical point of view, this is a balanced diet. Most fat content comes from non animal sources, which is in line with American Heart Association guidelines, and the protein-carbohydrate balance is not radically one sided. Some critics have pointed out that the diet relies heavily on red meat, and that other sources of protein are neglected. This has also been linked to the funding source for the research, which is a body representing the meat and livestock industry. However, Dr Peter Clifton, one of the books authors, says that the results were not influenced by this, and points out that other research projects have reported similar findings. In addition, alternatives to the meal plans in the book can be used by dieters preferring to eat more fish or chicken.

As with all diets, you should consult your doctor before starting this diet.