An ‘anti-diet’ has led to wannabe dieters losing more than two inches from their waists in just 18 weeks.
Scientists say the personalized regimen – based on results from poop samples – reduces hunger pangs by loading people up with fibre.
The diet, developed by renowned expert Professor Tim Spector and his team, also helps people feel better and sleep better.
No foods are banned under the ZOE program, which instructs users not to worry about counting calories.
It aims to create sustainable eating habits, hence the ‘anti-diet’ label.
The ZOE plan, launched in Great Britain in 2022 and developed by Tim Spector (photo), professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, consists of part diet, part health program and part nutritional science research.
Typically, users are advised to avoid large amounts of dairy, processed carbohydrates and alcohol.
Instead, they are advised to eat fermented and high-fiber foods, including oily fish, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes.
High-fiber weight loss solutions have racked up millions of views on TikTok in recent weeks, with one viral sensation Oatzempic claiming to help people lose up to 40 pounds in two months.
The ‘miracle breakfast’, a mixture of water, oats, a dash of cinnamon and a squeeze of lime, is said to help reduce hunger and keep users feeling full for longer, thanks to its beta-glucan content, a type of soluble fibre.
Researchers from Kings College London, affiliated with ZOE, divided 347 obese volunteers aged 52 years old with an average BMI of 34 into two groups.
More than half (177) were given 18-week ZOE memberships, with users sent home tests including poo and blood sample kits that normally cost almost £300.
These are sent to a laboratory to calculate blood fat, blood sugar and gut microbiome levels.
Based on the results, ZOE – with a waiting list of more than 200,000 people – scores 1.2 million foods from zero to 100, giving users personalized advice on how their body reacts to each food.
The app, which costs £59.99 monthly, also provided them with nutritional and lifestyle advice over the four-month period.
The other 100 volunteers received a standard “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” pamphlet, in addition to a video tutorial, online resources and weekly check-ins to promote adherence to a weight loss effort.
Volunteers underwent a health check before and after the trial, during which waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol levels were measured.
Participants who adhered to the ZOE strategy not only lost 6.3 cm from their waist, but also lost an average of 4.7 percent of their weight (2.17 kg).
By comparison, volunteers asked to adhere to standard dietary recommendations promoted by US health chiefs lost 2.4 percent of their weight (0.6 lbs or 0.3 kg) and 5.35 cm from their waist.
The ZOE group also saw a greater drop in cholesterol levels, of 0.4 mmol/L, compared to 0.1 mmol/L.
The ZOE-funded study also found that the group was twice as likely to be less hungry and four times more likely to have better sleep quality.
Writing in the diary Nature Medicine researchers say: ‘In our multi-layered approach to personalization, observed weight loss was moderate and below the proposed clinically meaningful thresholds (five percent).
‘However, moderate weight loss of this magnitude has been reported to improve health outcomes.’
Commenting on the study results, Professor Spector said: ‘We have shown that those who follow ZOE’s nutritional advice will see improvements in their overall health.
‘It is clear that some current population advice is outdated, focuses too much on calories and low-fat foods and is unlikely to lead to longer-term benefits.
‘ZOE’s advice shows that a completely different way of thinking about foods, with an emphasis on quality, personalization and gut health, can have enormous benefits if applied on a larger scale.
‘This is now a publicly available product in the US and UK that has been shown in clinical trials to work better than official population advice.’
The Nova system, developed by scientists in Brazil more than a decade ago, divides food into four groups based on the amount of processing it has undergone. Unprocessed foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs and meat. Processed culinary ingredients – which are not usually eaten alone – include oils, butter, sugar and salt
Dr. Sarah Berry, ZOE’s chief scientist, also told MailOnline: ‘What the trial shows is that ZOE’s approach to delivering personalized nutrition can help people lose the fat around their bellies and improve their health, while also having more energy and feel less hungry.
‘It’s the antithesis of the restrictive and prescriptive diets we’ve seen, which exclude entire food groups and leave people feeling hungry and tired.
‘And it works better than standard care, even if people closely followed the general advice in the control arm. ZOE is a way to improve your health, for life.’
The latest NHS data shows that 26 percent of adults in England are obese and a further 38 percent are overweight but not obese.
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, It has been shown to help users lose an average of up to 30 pounds (15.3 kg) in about a year.
Ministers plan to distribute the drug to millions of overweight Britons in a bid to cut the country’s bulging benefits bill. Children could also eventually receive the shots.