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The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet Under the Spotlight
By WLR Guest Dietitian
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Any diet book that knocks Harry Potter and the Da Vinci
Code off the top of the bestseller list has to be worth
finding out more about. Described as ‘the new scientifically
proven diet for Australians’, the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet,
complete with 12 weeks of menu plans, has gone down a storm in
Oz, and is finding its way on to bookshelves here. Being
Australian I was delighted when Pat asked me to write this
review. In fact I have not long returned from a visit to my
homeland and of course, couldn’t resist buying a copy while I
was there.
The CSIRO is the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation and is Australia’s national science
agency. Nutritionists and dietitians from its Health Science
and Nutrition department have been involved in researching
weight loss diets and publishing their findings for many
years, and this diet book has developed from that work. Their
aim was to find a dietary approach that not only helped people
lose weight, but best helped their health and wellbeing, and
optimised their chances of keeping the weight off.
The book claims that ‘exciting research from the CSIRO
provides the facts about a new, scientifically proven
weight-loss program that challenges old conventions and
theories, and offers promise to the weight-loss weary with an
eating plan that actually works’. But does it?
What’s the theory?
The Total Wellbeing Diet is described as a higher
protein/moderate carbohydrate/low fat eating plan. Compared to
a more conventional healthy eating or weight loss plan it
recommends more protein and smaller amounts of carbohydrate
(preferably low GI types such as whole grains, pulses and
fruit).
Their rationale behind having a higher protein content is
threefold:
- Protein-rich foods such as lean meat, chicken, fish,
eggs and dairy foods provide you with many important
nutrients including protein, iron, zinc, omega-3 fats and B
vitamins
- Protein-rich foods help you stay satisfied for longer
and help keep hunger pangs at bay
- Protein-rich foods (choose lean meat, skinless chicken
and low fat dairy foods) help to control your blood fats
such as triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol. High levels
of either are linked to increased risk of coronary heart
disease.
The diet is carefully
calorie and
portion controlled, and
is not suggesting that you lose weight for any other reason
than a calorie reduction. However based on the CSIRO’s
research, it does suggest that the higher protein content
means the diet may be heart healthier and potentially easier
to follow for longer (compared to the high carbohydrate, low
fat diet they compared it to). It may also help women (but not
men) with a high level of triglycerides in their blood, lose
more body fat from around their middle (excess weight here
puts you more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes or heart
health problems). So it may suit some better than others.
What does the Wellbeing diet involve?
There are 4 different calorie levels to the diet, and you
are advised on how to assess your best calorie level to help
you lose 0.5-1.0kg (1-2lb) per week.
The basic diet is made up of the following foods each day:
High fibre cereal: 40g/1.5oz
Low fat milk: 250ml
Wholegrain bread: 2 slices
Fruit: 2 pieces
Lean chicken/fish/eggs/other meat for lunch: 100g/4oz
Lean beef or lamb for dinner: 200g/8oz
Vegetables: 2.5 cups daily
Low fat yogurt: 200g daily
Rapeseed oil: 3 teaspoons daily
Wine: 2 glasses weekly (optional)
To add variety, these basic foods each have a list of
equivalent alternative ‘units’ to choose from e.g. 1 slice of
wholegrain bread = 1 unit = 2 crispbread or half a cup cooked
pasta.
You are encouraged to track your progress with a checklist
and tick off your food items or units as you eat them over the
day. The main thing you will notice about this meal plan is
that it contains a lot of meat, and certainly more than most
healthy eating plans would recommend – more about that later!
Recipes and 12 weeks of meal plans are provided to put the
diet into practice, along with advice about assessing your
weight and health, eating out, low fat cooking, healthy eating
advice, regular exercise (at least 30 minutes a day, for
example, brisk walking, is advised) and choosing low GI foods.
Once you have reached your goal weight you are advised to
increase your calorie intake by around 120 calories at a time
(ideas including ice cream, whole grain bread, meat, baked
beans or wine are provided) until your weight stabilises.
How much weight can I expect to lose?
You can choose a calorie level that will help you to lose
around 0.5kg (1lb) or 1kg (2lb) a week, which is a healthy
rate of weight loss. In the 12-week studies used as the basis
of developing this diet book, people lost 8-9kg on average.
What do the experts say?
This diet is just coming to light in the UK but there have
been rumblings in Australia – where some experts have
described it as ‘a bit of science with a lot of hype’ with
‘nothing new and wonderful about it’. This is largely because
in the featured study of 100 women, which compared the
wellbeing diet with a high carbohydrate diet low fat (calorie
level was the same for each diet), both groups lost the same
amount of weight over 12-weeks. They also had similar
improvements in things like blood glucose, blood insulin and
bad ‘LDL’ cholesterol.
The main nutritional concern is over the large amount of
red meat advocated in the diet. Some research suggests a link
with high red meat intakes and increased risk of bowel cancer.
Then there’s the fact that a lot of the research has been
funded by Dairy Australia and Meat and Livestock Australia.
However, the researchers make it clear that these
organisations had no influence on the research itself.
What are the pros?
- Qualified nutritionists and dietitians rather than a
celebrity have developed it!
- The diet is nutritious and includes food from all the
main food groups.
- While lower in carbohydrate than a standard healthy
eating diet (carbs provide 36% versus 50% of calories) it is
not extreme and still includes 3 servings of wholegrains,
milk and dairy foods and at least 5+ portions a day fruit
and veg each day.
- It is a very clear and structured programme and
calorie-controlled so you know will lose weight if you
follow it.
- It may offer greater benefits for women with more weight
around their middle and higher levels of blood
triglycerides.
- In the scientific study, a smaller number of women
dropped out of the wellbeing diet group suggesting it might
be easier to follow, at least over 3 months.
What are the cons?
- Not good news for vegetarians! It does mean eating a lot
of meat – although you could swap it for chicken, fish,
beans or tofu more often if you really wanted to. In terms
of bowel cancer concerns, in July’s news roundup I reported
on the EPIC cancer study which found that bowel cancer was a
third higher for people who regularly ate at least
160g/5.7oz of red and processed meats. This diet recommends
200g red meat daily, however it is lean, rather than the
fatty processed variety, which may be of more concern. The
Department of Health also suggests keeping below an average
of 140g red or processed meat daily. Then there are cost and
environment considerations - meat is expensive. And if a lot
of the population was to eat this much meat could farming
sustain it?
- I would like to see one or two more servings of
wholegrains (balanced with a bit less meat) – but you can
add in more during the maintenance phase.
- You will need to go back to basics and prepare most of
your meals (but this is also a pro!).
- The high carb, low fat diet used in the study was more
extreme than that usually. recommended for a balanced low
fat weight loss diet. For example, it was lower in meat,
fish or chicken, and higher in carbohydrates (carbs provided
63% of calories).
- There is little information about helping people
maintain self-belief and motivation and address barriers
such as comfort eating, coping with lapses, cravings and
body image.
- It hasn’t been tested in the longer term – to see how
healthy it is, or if it really is easier for people to
follow.
Lyndel’s verdict
This is a structured, calorie-controlled diet that includes
foods from all the main food groups, and comes with plenty of
meal plans and recipes ideas. So from that point of view it is
hard to criticise. There is some evidence that a higher
protein intake may help people feel fuller for longer, and may
have more beneficial effects on blood fats such as
triglycerides. And it is healthy to include protein-rich foods
in your daily meals (see August’s news roundup). But more
research is needed into this diet approach. There is no magic
here. It helps people lose weight because it is
calorie-controlled. It is also a bit different with its high
level of meat. And the CSIRO backing helps people believe in
it, which in turn can boost motivation to follow it.
If you think it would suit you then by all means give it a
try. You could use WLR tools to keep a track on your daily
progress. But remember that we still don’t know how effective
it might be in the long term. And studies show that as long as
the diet is basically low fat and healthy, factors more
important for long term success are: people’s ongoing personal
motivation to watch their weight; eating breakfast; keeping a
weekly check on weight; being able to cope with lapses; being
more active; and having an even eating pattern throughout the
week.
For more information about
the CSIRO and the diet book
Click here
for a summary of how to follow the diet plus one week’s menus. |
