CSIRO

The word on weight loss and wellbeing from the CSIRO website

CSIRO’s new Total Wellbeing Diet book offers a successful weight loss program chock full of delectable recipes providing the nutrients required for health and vitality.

The topic defined
High protein diets have attracted considerable attention of late. Research at CSIRO’s Clinical Research Unit in Adelaide, South Australia, has led to the development of the Total Wellbeing Diet: a higher protein, low fat diet that is nutritious, facilitates sustainable weight loss and is supported by scientific evidence. The Total Wellbeing Diet has now been produced as a book, with fabulous recipes to help us eat well and stay healthy.

Scientists involved
Dr Peter Clifton, Director of the Clinic and Dr Manny Noakes, Senior Research Dietitian, are the scientists who identified the need for this research and put together the volunteer program.

What CSIRO has done
CSIRO is a leading authority in dietary research, so a logical place to start for the many dietitians who contacted CSIRO with concerns about the promotion of high protein diets, without reliable supporting evidence. The clinic had conducted studies over the years with different types and different levels of protein. The benefits they showed are subtle but are at least as effective as traditional high carbohydrate, low-fat diets.

To investigate further, clinic researchers studied 100 overweight and obese women on two different diets over a period of 12 weeks. The women were divided into two groups. The first group was placed on a high protein, low fat diet and the second group was given a high carbohydrate, low fat diet.

Dr Noakes' team had a hypothesis: that if kilojoule intake for each diet was the same then there shouldn’t be any difference in weight loss. But they did see a difference. More weight and fat was lost by the women on the higher protein diet, particularly if they had high blood fats, called triglycerides. More participants dropped out of the high carbohydrate diet, a surprise as researchers didn’t expect the high protein foods to appeal to women as much as the starchy foods. Part of the diet's success was due to more people preferring it's content.

Important facts
The Total Wellbeing Diet is structured and very specific about what to eat. It’s a way to eat less, but eat well without feeling hungry, because it provides the necessary vitamins and nutrients (including dietary fibre). It offers people an eating pattern without being too general about what not to eat and gives direction about what should be eaten. It includes mainstream foods and is easy to follow. It does exclude some foods during the active weight loss period but sets an eating pattern that is adaptable after the weight loss period.

Looking for a diet that is good for health and based on good science? The Total Wellbeing Diet books 1 & 2 are now available from Fitness Inside Out for $35.00 per copy. Collection and purchase from our office at 14 Mckeon Street Maroubra. Fitness Inside Out supports the CSIRO wellbeing diet as a healthy lifestyle choice.