Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets for Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors Among Overweight Premenopausal Women.

The article presents a randomized clinical trial that compared the weight loss effects of the Atkins, Zone, LEARN, and Ornish diets in overweight or obese, premenopausal women. The diets represent a spectrum of low to high carbohydrate intakes. The authors measured weight loss after 12 months. The authors found that women who followed the Atkins diet, which was the diet with the lowest carbohydrate intake, lost more weight and experienced better metabolic effects than women who followed the Ornish, Zone, or LEARN diets. The authors conclude that while questions about long-term health effects remain, a diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat and protein can be recommended for weight loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]