LOW-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets may be just as safe and effective as medically prescribed ones for weight reduction.

In a two-year study, 322 moderately obese people were randomly assigned either a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet or a Mediterranean calorie-restricted diet or a low-carbohydrate diet.

Although participants actually decreased their total daily calorie intake by a similar amount, net weight loss from the low-fat diet after two years was only 2.9 kg, compared to 4.4 kg on Mediterranean diet, and 4.7 kg on the low-carbohydrate diet.

In this photograph: Eggs are high in protein and low in carbs

Photograph: StoxkXchange Images