A new study published in the July 17th New England Journal of Medicine suggests that a low-carb diet and a Mediterranean-style diet may be better for weight loss than a traditional low-fat diet. And which one is best may depend on whether you're male or female. The study, partly financed by the Atkins Foundation, also found that a low-carb diet improved cholesterol more than the other two diets (though all dieters saw improvements), and that the Mediterranean diet was better at controlling blood-sugar levels. Is it time to ditch the bagel and reach for the bacon?

The Study

Researchers followed 322 mildly obese, middle-aged employees at Israel's Nuclear Research Center in Dimona. Of the 322 workers, 277 were men and 45 were women. At the start of the study, the participants were randomly assigned one of three diets:

• A calorie-controlled low-fat diet based on the American Heart Association's guidelines (from 2000 rather than 2005)
• A calorie-controlled Mediterranean diet focused on fish, poultry, oil and nuts
• A low-carb diet focused on vegetable sources of protein and fat

All participants and their families received nutritional counseling. The cafeteria featured color-coded menus to help dieters make appropriate choices at lunch.

The Results

The biggest weight loss occurred in the first six months, after which all the dieters regained some weight. At the end of two years, the low-fat dieters lost an average of 6.5 pounds, the Mediterranean dieters lost 10 pounds and those on the low-carb plan lost 10.3 pounds. While weight loss was arguably modest, there were some interesting differences: women lost more weight on a Mediterranean diet whereas men fared much better on a low-carb diet.

So is Low Carb the Way to Go?

• The study shows what we've come to accept. Sustainable weight loss is hard. Almost any diet plan that results in taking in fewer calories will lead to short-term weight loss. And a study where the participants are intensively counseled and sufficiently isolated will likely have its participants stick with the plan for longer.
• Some experts, like low-fat guru Dean Ornish, argue that a low-carb diet that focuses on vegetable sources of protein and fat is not a typical low-carb diet. A lack of animal products could account for some of the improvement in the low-carb group's cholesterol levels.
• Ornish also argues that the low-fat diet was not sufficiently low in fat to make enough of an impact.
• After the first two months of restricting carbs to 20 grams a day, low-carb dieters were allowed to consume up to 120 grams a day, which is much less restricting.
• If you're an overweight middle-aged man, low carb may be best, but if you're an overweight middle-aged woman, or if you have diabetes, a Mediterranean-style diet may work better. The study was overwhelmingly male.

When it comes to diets, one size doesn't fit all. Just as low-carbers have evolved from adhering strictly to Atkins' principles, so most low-fat advocates accept that we must distinguish between good fats and bad.

• The Never Ending Diet Wars by Dean Ornish Newsweek
• Which Are Worse: Calories From Carbs or Fat? Time

_{Study: Shai I, Schwarzfuchs D, Henkin Y, et al. Weight Loss With a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet. New England Journal of Medicine 2008; 359:229-41}

I can’t imagine going through a whole summer without eating corn on the cob. It’s cheap and easily available, but more to the point, it’s sweet and delicious, and virtually fat free. Until you slather it in gobs of butter. As sacrilegious as it might sound, lose the butter and enjoy succulent, flavorful corn in other ways.

Here are a few low-fat ideas to get you started.

_{Corn on the Cob Photo Courtesy of Getty Images}