Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27lbs in a month!

[LouCipherr]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/ Partial text from source: For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too. His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most — not the nutritional value of the food. The premise held up: On his “convenience store diet,” he shed 27 pounds in two months. ...... For a class project, Haub limited himself to less than 1,800 calories a day. A man of Haub's pre-dieting size usually consumes about 2,600 calories daily. So he followed a basic principle of weight loss: He consumed significantly fewer calories than he burned. His body mass index went from 28.8, considered overweight, to 24.9, which is normal. He now weighs 174 pounds. But you might expect other indicators of health would have suffered. Not so. Haub's "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his "good" cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39 percent. "That's where the head scratching comes," Haub said. "What does that mean? Does that mean I'm healthier? Or does it mean how we define health from a biology standpoint, that we're missing something?" Yes, I realize he was taking in more than "junk food" - but you have to admit, this is surprising to say the least. I guess I'll be needing one of these:

[Mitchified]

I hope the guy doesn't suddenly go nuts and rampage through San Francisco.

[AcesandEights]

Sure, he lost 28 pounds of fat and gained 1 pound of plaque in his arteries

[Debbieangel]

1,800 calories for a man..yeah he would lose weight. But, in the long run it is not a good diet I don't care what he says. Your body needs nutrition. Now if he goes off that diet he will gain atleast double what he took off if he doesn't still diet sensibly. Thats my two cents!

[ProfessorChaos]

Sure, he lost 28 pounds of fat and gained 1 pound of plaque in his arteries actually, doug this is unlikely if the stats about LDL decrease and HDL increase are correct. LDL is bad cholesterol which can seep into the intima of arteries. HDL cholesterol is good cholesterol that acts as a scrubber as is travels, helping remove LDL cholesterol for the arterial walls.... the most likely negative side-effect, however, would be blood glucose and insulin levels. without a regular physical activity regimen, these sugary foods will fuck up the workings of the panceas and the body's fat and muscle cells' ability to take up and use glucose for energy, leading to type-ii diabetes within a decade or so. still a very interesting study, but in order to really start making claims, they need further research with more subjects instead of just one guy.

[MoonSylver]

still a very interesting study, but in order to really start making claims, they need further research with more subjects instead of just one guy. Bah. You guys and your "real" science. I'd rather believe in the "pseudo" scince already advanced. That way I can add this + the article awhile back that claimed drinkers live longer than teetotalers. That way I can eat all the twinkies & drink all the hooch I want & claim I'm following a "health regimen"

[Danny]

without reading the article which aint working for me i would doubt he gained nutrition from the twinkies, but rather by substituting them for the normal food in his diet he had more artificial food that would pass through the body like a foreign body rather than process it. Stands to reason he eats that but takes in less all purpose nutritional matter than natural organic food so loses weight as a result. its like eating plastic, sure you are masticating to take in matter. but its still technically starvation. If thats the case shortly after reverting to his natural diet hes gonna pile it on like a motherfucker.

[Tricky]

I think I'll stick to my cereal bars, fruit, veg & plenty of lean meat to keep myself trim and plenty of exercise of course! I've never even tried a twinkie, its something I hear talked about on US shows but have never actually seen on sale over here!

[LouCipherr]

Bah. You guys and your "real" science. I'd rather believe in the "pseudo" scince already advanced. That way I can add this + the article awhile back that claimed drinkers live longer than teetotalers. That way I can eat all the twinkies & drink all the hooch I want & claim I'm following a "health regimen" I think Moon has a very valid idea here...

[bassman]

...and lose weight at the same time.

[LouCipherr]

...and lose weight at the same time. +1 for that one, bass..

[MoonSylver]

I think Moon has a very valid idea here... I'm full of good ideas like that (or full of SOMETHING anyway...) +1 for that one, bass.. +2 because none of the rest of us thought of it first!

[Debbieangel]

If anyone is interested I have a really tasty recipe for 'twinky cake'..seriously it is soooo delicious!! BTW this is my 1,000 post!!!!! wooohoooo!!!!