Article I originally published on May 5, 2014 on Brasil Post, the Huffington Post for Brazil in partnership with Grupo Abril.
I copy below a free translation:
“A Mediterranean diet is more efficient at fighting obesity than counting calories”
The PMJ (Postgraduate Medical Journal) published in November 2014 a warning from British doctors asking people to stop counting calories and to focus on eating better.
The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a longer and healthier life for a long time. Now it is also indicated for prevention against obesity and for sustainable weight loss!
The report states: “The α-linolenic acid, polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids found in abundance in nuts, fruits, vegetables, olive oil and fish oil can have positive and rapid impact on improving health, reducing thrombosis and inflammation. They estimate that the increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables by one a serving per day and of nuts by two portions a week would prevent 5.2 million deaths from cardiovascular disease around the world per year.
Experts have criticized the diet industry for focusing on calorie restriction for weight loss rather than encourage to eat better.
It’s not as simple as a calorie calculation. “A calorie is not just a calorie. It is naive to think that hormonal and neurological controls of appetite respond to different nutrients equally” says study author Dr Aseem Malhotra BBC cardiologist.
Stop counting calories!
Say no to dieting!
Do not eat less, eat better!
I have studied the hormonal control of appetite for years and cannot agree more with the contents of this report published by BBC. I would add that restrictive diets has an effect counter-productive.
More and more studies confirm that dieting does not work in 95% of cases and, even worse, increase the risk of gaining weight!
Dieting increases appetite, increases obsession for food and increases the risk of developing eating disorders.
In 2012, a study of twins showed that the twin who did diets was fatter, and the more they dieted the fatter he got compared to the other twin! The researcher concluded that dieting makes you gain weight it is probably one of the factors for the current obesity epidemic!
Let’s stop dieting and start eating better?
Bon appétit!
Sophie
