So how long did your diet last?

In 2006 Nimble bread was fifty years old, and to celebrate they commissioned a survey to discover how long people were able to stick to their diet. These were the results:

Scotland: nearly half of dieters surveyed give up dieting after three weeks, and 13% last only two days, and 6% are permanently dieting.

North West: around 65% give up after three weeks, 21% in two days, and 4% permanent.

North East: nearly 55% in three weeks; 20% in two days; nearly 10% permanent.

Yorkshire & The Humber: 50% give up within a week; 16% in two days; 16% permanent.

Wales: nearly 70% in three weeks; 20% two days, and 10% permanent.

West Midlands: 48% in three weeks; 8% two days; and 10% permanent.

East Midlands: 54% in three weeks; 19% in two days; 7% permanent.

East Anglia: 50% give up after a couple of days.

South West: more than 60% in three weeks; 23% in two days; 5% permanent.

South East: more than 55% in three weeks; 20% in two days; 15% permanent.

Northern Ireland: nearly 90% give up within three weeks.

In fact, 95 per cent of dieters have regained all the weight they lost after three years.

Six years ago a briefing at the Royal Institution was organised to express academic concern about the Atkins diet, prompted by studies that proved it was successful, but experts concluded that "high-protein low-carbohydrate fare does not work, any apparent success being all in the mind." This statement is an admirable demonstration of experts not bothering to actually study the diet before condemning it. As all low-carb diets know, Atkins is not a high-protein diet, but a high-fat diet.

At the meeting, Dr Susan Jebb said

"There is not a shred of evidence that Atkins works".

and

"At the moment it is not even a safe experiment, as nobody is following what is happening to the millions of people who are following the Atkins Diet. It is an unknown risk."

and

"To recommend this as a strategy, we need serious, long-term trials."

Unfortunately for Dr Jebb her recent RISCK study has proved that a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet is healthier than the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet she is currently advocating.

Given the reluctance of Dr Jebb and her colleagues to do "serious, long-term trials" into low-carb dieting, it will have to be a DIY project. We have made a start with a Diet and Health Survey, and if you haven't already completed it, we'd be most grateful if you would do so.

I also asked for help on a low-carb forum in order to gather data on the length of time members have been low-carb dieting, and how much weight they have lost. The forum has only been in existence since January 2007, and a few of the respondents have reached goal weight and are maintaining.

These are the prelimary results.

Total number of participants: 62

Low-carbing for less than 13 weeks: 18
Average weight loss: 17 lb
Highest weight loss: 26 lb

Low-carbing for up to 26 weeks: 8
Average weight loss 31.5 lb
Highest weight loss: 56 lb

Low-carbing for up to 39 weeks: 13
Average weight loss: 50.7 lb
Highest weight loss: 99 lb

Low-carbing for up to 52 weeks: 7
Average weight loss: 39 lb
Highest weight loss: 58 lb

Low-carbing for 65 weeks: 11
Average weight loss: 42 lb
Highest weight loss: 79 lb

Low-carbing for 78 weeks: 2
Average weight loss: 59 lb
Highest weight loss: 84 lb

Low-carbing for 96 weeks: 1
Weight loss: 84 lb

Low-carbing for 113 weeks: 1
Weight loss: 80 lb

Is it all in the mind? Try telling that to the forum members! The diet which most of them follow is based on the Atkins diet. So here, Dr Jebb, is your evidence that low-carb diets, such as Atkins, work.

When the Diet and Health Survey is completed and analysed, we expect to have evidence that it is also healthier than that currently advised by you, Government, nutritionists and dietitians.