The New England Journal of Medicine published a study this week that basically compared the effect of reduced-calorie diets with various compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates on weight loss over a 2-year period. No significant differences in weight loss were observed among the various diets and the weight loss was not sustained.
The editorial that accompanied the trial however, had a fascinating piece about a town in France that dramatically altered their built environment in response to overweight schoolkids:
A community-based effort to prevent overweight in schoolchildren began in two small "towns in France in 2000. Everyone from the mayor to shop owners, schoolteachers, doctors, pharmacists, caterers, restaurant owners, sports associations, the media, scientists, and various branches of town government joined in an effort to encourage children to eat better and move around more. The towns built sporting facilities and playgrounds, mapped out walking itineraries, and hired sports instructors. Families were offered cooking workshops, and families at risk were offered individual counseling.
Though this was not a formal randomized trial, the results were remarkable. By 2005 the prevalence of overweight in children had fallen to 8.8%, whereas it had risen to 17.8% in the neighboring comparison towns, in line with the national trend. This total-community approach is now being extended to 200 towns in Europe, under the name EPODE (Ensemble, prévenons l'obésité des enfants [Together, let's prevent obesity in children])"
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