Inverted triangle diet for weight loss? Nutritionist slaps face: It harms the cardiovascular system

There are many different discussions on weight loss nutrition in China. One psychotherapist said, "If you want to lose weight, just turn the food pyramid upside down," and believed that "eating oil and meat will not make you unhealthy." However, professional nutritionists disagree, saying that the content is wrong. Although it is suitable for quick weight loss, it is not recommended for long-term consumption as it may damage cardiovascular health.

If you don’t control your diet and lose weight quickly, your health may be in jeopardy.

Nutritionist Su Yanchen pointed out that a domestic psychotherapist suggested that "if you want to lose weight, just turn the food pyramid upside down." In fact, the argument of the "inverted pyramid diet" was first proposed in 1972 by an American cardiologist Robert Atkins. A Jin said that the main thing is to reduce the "sugars (starches, such as rice, biscuits, noodles, toast, etc.)" among the three major nutrients in the diet in a short period of time, and combine it with total dietary calorie restriction (1200~1500 kcal/day) to achieve effective weight loss.

Inverted triangle diet poses long-term risks

The "Inverted Triangle Diet" emphasizes the proportions of three major nutrients: 10%-30% carbohydrates, 30%-40% protein, and 30%-40% fat. Among them, protein is 1.8-2.5 grams per kilogram of body weight, which is obviously too high. It is like "eating meat to lose weight" and is only suitable for quick weight loss. Long-term consumption is not recommended due to high cardiovascular risks.

It is not recommended for growing children to adopt this rapid weight loss method because there is no data to prove that the "inverted triangle diet" can help obese children lose weight healthily. Therefore, it is recommended to exercise regularly and reduce snacks and sugary drinks.

Weight loss diets are not for everyone

Nutritionist Su Yanchen further pointed out: "If patients already have clinical symptoms, such as kidney disease, cancer and other diseases, they should follow regular nutritional advice to improve their weight problems." People who already have diseases must seek dietary guidance from professional nutritionists. "Take cancer as an example. You must not apply the dietary concept of cancer prevention to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This will be dangerous!"

Nutritionist Su Yanchen (pictured) stressed that weight loss diets should be tailored to the individual and not be one-size-fits-all. (Photo/Reporter Zhang Shijie)

Taking chronic kidney disease as an example, the KDOQI guideline proposed by the National Kidney Foundation of the United States uses a kidney score (glomerular filtration rate; GFR) of 60 points as the benchmark. Above 60 points, the protein intake is 0.8~1.0 grams per kilogram; below 60 points, it is 0.6~0.8 grams per kilogram, and the intake of sodium and phosphorus is restricted to slow the deterioration of kidney disease.

If the patient is malnourished, protein can be increased to 0.75 grams per kilogram; when urine decreases and edema occurs, potassium ion intake also needs to be restricted. The dietary guidelines are detailed and have different dietary instructions for different periods.

Rapid weight loss should be used with caution

Taking cancer diet as an example, to prevent cancer, you need to maintain a healthy diet; but during cancer treatment, you need to understand treatment methods such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and then combine them with a suitable diet to avoid malnutrition during chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which may cause interruptions in treatment and lead to worsening of the disease.

"Experts' arguments without any medical experiments or evidence will harm the medical profession!" Su Yanchen reiterated that one should speak with evidence, especially when it comes to dietary treatment. One should be more cautious and return to professionalism to avoid hurting oneself instead of curing the disease.