Analysis of Effect of a Low-Glycemic Load vs Low-Fat Diet in Obese Young Adults Article by Ebbeling - Literature review Example

?The article “effects of a low-Glycemic load vs. low-fat diet in obese young adults” (Ebbeling, Leidig, Fieldman et al, 2009) is an article that discuses the effects of two diets on obesity in young adults. The research tries to determine whether insulin secretion affects the amount of body fat in individuals who consume one of three diets; low-Glycemic, low fat, and low-carbohydrate. The basis of the research is that, in the United States, obesity is increasing in the level of prevalence; therefore, researchers have tried to find the biggest cause of obesity. The three diets identified have been given increased attention as the possible causes of obesity. However, according to the researchers, clinical trials have failed to prove the relation between these self-prepared diets and obesity, with some studies indicating that one diet is superior to another and other studies indicating that there is no difference between the diets. The amount of insulin secreted by an individual after a meal determines the efficacy of obesity, with the psychological condition increasing overeating and secretion of insulin. A previous study by the researchers indicated that diets with a high-Glycemic load increased the amount of insulin secreted by an individual compared to diets with a low-Glycemic load. This increased secretion of insulin decreases the metabolic rate in an individual, which in turn causes obesity. This hypothesis was supported by a previous study conducted by the researchers; therefore, the current study hypothesis was to test whether the amount of insulin secreted by an individual taking a self-prepared diet affects body fat loss. From an analysis of the article, it can be deduced that the intended audiences are both the public and clinical researchers. This conclusion is arrived at after considering the fact that the research dwells on obesity, a problem that has plagued the American public, medical personnel and researchers for a long time. However, the main audiences of the research are individuals who take self-prepared diets and are prone to obesity. The study proves the relationship between different diets and instances of obesity, so it can be concluded that it is meant as a cautionary study. As already stated, the main purpose of the research presented in the article is to prove the relationship between different diets and the amount of insulin secreted, or the likelihood of obesity. This purpose can be interpreted to mean that the article tries to compare the amount of insulin secreted between individuals who take a low-Glycemic load/higher-fat diet and individuals who take a high-Glycemic load/low fat diet. This is aimed at determining the effects of insulin secretion on body fat loss among these obese individuals. The research can also be identified as a qualitative research since it is focused on an in-depth analysis of a medical attribute. A qualitative research can be identified as one that tries to measure a specific attribute or factor, with the ulterior motive of using the attribute to interpret the occurrence of another factor. The research tries to measure the effects of diet type on insulin secretion, and thus the effect on the probability of obesity. The methodology of the study involved the selection of participants through a random process, after which the participants were counseled about diets and divided into groups for each type of diet being tested. The individuals in each group were counseled on how to prepare the type of diet that they were required to take, with careful monitoring over the research duration. This was done to test the response of the individuals to each type of diet being researched. The research design was, therefore, a test and control research design. This means that the different groups acted as test and control devices, where the reactions of individuals from each group were compared to determine their efficacy. The selection of individuals was done randomly, and the assignment to different groups done sequentially. The groups into which the individuals were assigned were stratified by sex and ethnicity, with the groups stratified into blocks of 2 and 4. After the research study had been conducted, data was collected in five main areas relevant to the research. The weight of the individual was measured using a scale, the height using a wall-mounted measuring implement and body composition using an x-ray machine. The other data collected was body blood pressure, which was determined after a blood sample was drawn from a relaxed participant. The analysis of the data conducted was mainly focused on the determination of the amount of insulin in the blood collected, and the body weight of the individual before and after the study was conducted. The insulin secreted by the individual was also measured at each dietician visit, and the collected lipids were analyzed in a laboratory. The data collected was then analyzed statistically to determine the spread of the hypothesis being tested. The interpretation of the data analyzed was divided into three main areas; the first area being baseline measures, which depicted the insulin concentrations 30 minutes after a diet was partaken. The other area of focus was process measures, which measured the difference in diet composition in the groups and the effects of these dietary changes. The last interpretation measure was the change in weight composition, which indicated that there was no relevant change in weight for the study participants. Following an analysis of the article, it can be concluded that the conclusions of the study are viable. The research concluded that the measure of insulin secretion could be used to predict weight and body fat loss on both of the diets being analyzed. The main result of the study was that a low-Glycemic load diet was more likely to cause weight loss, which may be attributed to variations in phenotypes. The overall conclusion by the researchers is that individuals who want to lose weight should reduce the Glycemic load in their diets, since it is particularly effective in individual with high insulin secretion. The main limitation identified in the study comes from the fact that individuals were expected to report their own dietary intakes. Without monitoring, individuals are prone to underreport their food intake; therefore, there is a possibility that the results of the study were not conclusive. The researchers also identified statistical limitations as the possibility of bias in data input and the small size of the sample population. Reference Ebbeling, C., Leidig, M., and Fieldman, H., et al, 2009. Effects of a Low–Glycemic Load vs. Low-Fat Diet in Obese Young Adults: A Randomized Trial, JAMA, Vol. 297(19). Pp. 2092-2102. Doi:10.1001/jama.297.19.2092. Read More