A: Most people, scientist included, are confused about the best diet for weight loss and promoting metabolic health. Some studies found that high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets, such as the Ornish diet, are best, while others support high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins diet. A Stanford study led by Christopher Gardner showed that genes determine the best diet for each person. About 39 percent of the people have a genetic makeup that responds best to a low-fat diet, 45 percent respond best to a low-carbohydrate diet, and 16 percent must limit both fat and carbohydrate intake. Women on a weight-loss diet appropriate for the genetic makeup lost more than 5 percent of bodyweight, while subjects who consumed a diet inappropriate for their genes lost only 2.3 percent. A Massachusetts company called Interleukin will perform a genetic test that determines which approach is best for you.

(Reuters, March 4, 2010; Paper Presented at American Heart Association Meeting)  

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