The diet prescription for obesity. What works?

Obesity is a chronic disease, and in most cases weight reduction is the first treatment for its concomitant conditions of hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension. Weight-reduction diets are controversial in both the popular press and among clinicians treating hyperlipidemia and obesity. Both high-carbohydrate/low-fat and higher-protein/low-carbohydrate diets will produce loss of body fat if the calorie level is low enough. But selecting effective diet prescriptions for bariatric patients requires understanding of both the science and art of nutrition. Low-calorie diets, protein-sparing modified fasts, and modified-carbohydrate diets seem to be the most effective for patient compliance, and modified-carbohydrate plans are probably necessary for maintenance of the weight loss.