Low Carb(-ing) Reduces Fat & Fast Food (10-20%) Cravings Plus 60% Less Hunger After Meals in Obese Men/Women

You always crave the foods you must not eat, right? No, ... a recent study finds decreases in sweet and starch cravings in obese individuals on low-carb diets.

If the calorie intake is standardized, low-carb dieting has no proven metabolic weight loss benefit compared to any other dietary weight loss intervention. In the real-world, as well as less tightly controlled studies in obese individuals, however, they tend to outperform their American Heart Association inspired bogus low fat, low protein, high carbohydrate counterparts.

The reason? No, still no "metabolic advantage": reduced hunger and food cravings and the subsequently increased adherence and reduced energy intake - an assumption that isn't proven, but at least supported by Colette Heimowitz' latest paper. A paper based on a study that was sponsored by Atkins Nutritionals and smells of bias, but a study that's in line with millions of N=1 reports on the internet.
As the authors explain, "[...m]any individuals entering weight loss programs may believe that restriction of a certain type of food (e.g., carbohydrate, CHO) may increase their cravings for that food" (Heimowitz 2017). With their vested interest in making the low-carb diet and their low-carb convenience food look good, the scientists' goal was to prove that these carbohydrate cravings don't exist. Obviously, that's not what you will read in the paper which phrases things significantly less suspiciously stating that "the present study was to assess motivation for entry into a weight loss program, acceptability of low-CHO commercially-prepared foods, and changes in food cravings during rapid weight loss associated with high-fat, low-CHO dietary consumption" (Heimowitz 2017). "The foods provided for the first 2 wks included Atkin’s products (frozen dinners, bars and shakes), and some freshly-prepared meals (total fat was 54±4% of energy (%E), protein, 28±2 %E, and CHO 14±1 %E; fiber intake, 26±8 g/d) and resulted in an energy deficit of 1198 ± 655 kcal/d, then...

Figure 1: Macronutrient composition of the energy-reduced diets (intended deficit of ~1200kcal/day | Heimowitz 2017)

"[f]or the next 2 wks, subjects prepared their own meals with the goal of achieving a similar food intake. Subjects were surveyed regarding reasons for enrolling in the program, and at baseline (BL) and 4 wks, completed the Food Craving Inventory (cravings for foods that were fatty, sweet, high in CHO (starches), or categorized as fast foods), and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) to assess food intake motivation" (Heimowitz 2017).

All N=20 subjects (10 men and 10 women with a mean age o 40±8y, and a BMI in the red obesity zone of 34±3 kg/m²) completed the study with their main goal being to look better - not to be healthier, which ran as a poor second, along with family issues.

Figure 2: Plot of the most relevant anthropological and psychological study outcomes (Heimowitz 2017).

Over the course of the intervention, of which you should by now have realized that its non-controlled nature significantly reduces its meaningfulness, the subjects lost a highly significant amount of bod weight (5.7±0.6 kg, P<0.00001) and, more importantly, were able to reduce their waist circumference by 5.6±0.9 cm (P<0.00001). Unsurprisingly, "subjects stated that consumption of [the authors' company's] pre-made meals aided them in meeting their weight-loss goals" (Heimowitz 2017).

• 95% of subjects reported being somewhat satisfied to very satisfied with the meals, 
• 60% felt less hunger after meals, and 
• 75% reported reduced 'eating when bored'

With regard to the underlying research question, the scientists' statistical analysis of the data from the questionnaires, the authors observed a high baseline craving for sweet foods (45% of subjects reported frequent cravings for sweets) that did not increase with low-carb dieting. In fact, after weight loss, cravings for sweets and starchy foods were reduced by significant 12±10% (P=0.02 | low effect size, though) and 12±6% (P<0.01 | medium effect size), respectively.

What is particularly interesting is that the reduction in sweet cravings tended to be associated with a reduction with significant reductions in disinhibition and increases in cognitive restrained: over time, the subjects were thus more and more able to control their food intake and less susceptible to fall victim to their (now reduced) cravings - reduced cravings for sweets and starches and reduced cravings for fatty foods (11±7% | P<0.03) and fast food cravings (19±5% | P=0.0006), all without the often-heard-of difference between men and women (you know how women are supposed to crave sweets, and men fatty foods).
References:

• Brehm, Bonnie J., et al. "A randomized trial comparing a very low carbohydrate diet and a calorie-restricted low fat diet on body weight and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy women." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 88.4 (2003): 1617-1623.
• Heimowitz, Colette, et al. "Changes in Food Cravings during Dietary Carbohydrate-restriction." The FASEB Journal 31.1 Supplement (2017): 643-23.