The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet

Developed by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), The Total Wellbeing Diet is taking Australia by storm. In less than two months, 200,000 copies of the book have been sold.

The Claim: An easy to use, scientifically tested and nutritionally balanced diet which can really work by keeping your hunger satisfied, and helping you to reach and maintain your target weight.

The diet works on the basis of high protein consumption and moderate intakes of carbohydrates within a limited calorie intake. This is however, not an Atkins style diet with the CSIRO making it clear this diet differs fundamentally in that it is low in fat, allows moderate carbohydrate intake, some fruit, and plenty of vegetables.

The CSIRO have conducted trials comparing the high protein, low fat calorie controlled diet to a high carbohydrate, low fat calorie controlled diet. Their results showed that weight loss in the two groups was statistically similar, though people were more likely to stick to the higher protein version as they felt more satisfied.

Some diet experts have slated the SCIRO Total Wellbeing Diet as being too light on science and too heavy on hype. Voicing concerns about the health implications of a high proportion of meat in the diet and the fact that the research was partly funded by the Australian meat industry.

We'll have more on the Total Wellbeing Diet next week, including analysis and opinion from the WLR dietitian. Watch this space...

In the meantime, if you'd like to try upping your protein intake to help you feel less hungry, remember to choose low fat protein, e.g. fish, lean meat, chicken etc.

An excellent way to keep hunger at bay, whilst you're restricting calories, is to eat an egg or two for breakfast each day. Studies have shown this to be an effective way of controlling appetite, and those of us who've tried it in the WLR office have found it really works. See Eat Eggs for Weight Loss.

Use the food diary in WLR to monitor your calorie, protein, fat, carbohydrate and fibre intake. You can try it free for 24 hours.