*Corresponding Author: Stacey J Bell, Nutritional Consultant, Boston, MA, USA.

Received: October 20, 2022; Published: October 30, 2022

Abstract

Most North American adults will try to lose weight at some point, but likely regain what they lost. Many weight loss plans set dieters up for failure because they are predicated on gimmicks rather than science. If Charles Darwin were to comment on popular weight loss diets, he’d suggest the best ones include approaches that have been shown to work - “survival of the fittest”. In this review, we identify five components of a commercial weight loss diet (referred to as the Diet), which have been shown to be effective at promoting weight loss. First, the weight loss diet includes nutrient-dense foods, providing all essential nutrients. Diets fail because they are not nutritionally complete. Second, the Diet is devoid of ultra-processed foods, which have been shown to decrease satiety, promote hunger, and foster overeating. Third, the Diet is anti-inflammatory, which fosters weight loss. Fourth, the Diet adopts an intermittent fasting approach - there is no snacking - so it produces an overnight fast of at least 12 hours. The Diet is also energy-restricted to 1,500 kcal, which is at least as good at promoting weight loss as an intermittent fasting diet. Fifth, the Diet offers microbiome support because it is rich in dietary fiber, which promotes satiety and a diverse microbiota. The weight loss Diet described herein is easy to follow, includes recipes and meal plans, and features meals that can be prepared in 20 minutes or less. Nearly 12,000 individuals have followed the Diet for three months. The average rate of weight loss was one to two pounds each week. After three months, the percentage of weight loss was considered to be medically significant, with a loss of at least 5%. Before starting any weight loss diet, it is important to determine if it is based on proven principles to support weight loss, and thus, if it has a “survival of the fittest” approach.

Keywords: Weight Loss; Anti-inflammation; Nutrient-Dense Foods; Nutritional Completeness; Optimal Weight Loss Diet

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Citation

Citation: Stacey J Bell and Crystal MacGregor. “Components of an Optimal Weight Loss Diet: What Darwin Would Say About Survival of the Fittest". Acta Scientific Nutritional Health 6.11 (2022): 83-95.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2022 Stacey J Bell and Crystal MacGregor. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.