High Protein Diet & Weight Loss

According to the American Heart Association (2002), if people wish to lose weight and maintain the weight loss they achieve, they need to make lifestyle changes "for the long term." In other words, permanent changes are required, changes that both cause weight loss and operate to maintain it. A key question that might be asked in this regard is what changes, if any, should be made in eating habits? The purpose of this paper is to examine one sometimes recommended change in eating, namely that of shifting over to a high protein diet for weight loss. In particular, the research on the high protein diet is examined to determine whether those wishing to lose weight should make this change and whether, if the change should be made, it should be a be short-term or long-term change.

Even a cursory review of the literature on the use of a high protein diet for weight loss indicates that it does help a person to lose weight, at least in the short term. The Harvard School of Public Health (2003) issued a report on protein in general and on the high protein diet used for weight loss in particular. The report noted that the body needs protein daily since it cannot store amino acids as it does fats. Of the high-protein diet used for weight loss, the report stated:

In short-term studies, a lower calorie diet that includes more protein and less carbohydrate is more effective for losing weight or keeping a weight stead

. . .
this recommendation begins with the notion that the core of any successful diet is an energy deficit. Eating lots of protein and fewer carbohydrates, at first, allows people to lose extra water. Thus, it is the loss of water, not fat, that accounts for the initial weight loss. As time goes on, however, Lee (2002) notes that the limited amount of carbohydrates forces the body to begin burning fats instead of sugar and the byproducts of these fat-burning reactions then depresses the appetite. This, Lee states, makes the diet sound like excellent advice. However, it is not recommended due to four serious drawbacks. The first of these is said to be lack of research on the long-term effects. While these effects are not known, Lee points out that diets which stray far from the normal dietary mix are, in general, more likely to cause health problems than those with a balance of nutrients but fewer calories. A second reason that Lee (1996) does not recommend the high protein diet is because it depends upon eating things like lots of cheese and red-meat as well as other high fat foods. This means that often people's cholesterol levels, especially LDL (bad) cholesterol, go way up. Limiting or cutting out foods that lower LDL, such as
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Approximate Word count = 1808
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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