And They're Off! It's Low-Carb with an early lead, but Low-Fat is gaining…

or is it losing?

As I was reading through the journal articles documenting the results of a long-term comparison of low-fat vs. low-carb diets, the results at timepoints along the way reminded me of the play-by-play of a tightly contested horse race. So that's how I presented the story... with the help of an animated graphic. This sort of playful presentation of research results can't be used all the time, but it broke the tedium for me... and I hope for viewers... without sacrificing accuracy or context.

Researchers at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia split several dozen obese participants into two groups. One group was instructed to follow a low-carbohydrate diet while the other one followed a low-fat diet.

The researchers reported results after six months and one year; and then recently they wrote about the results of a survey and other follow-up with participants three years after the start of the trial.

I don't want to spoil the excitement. But I will tell you that it was quite an animated ride! Watch the report here.