The apparent failure of low-fat diets to curb diabetes and obesity has sparked interest in switching the emphasis to a low-carb strategy.

It’s now a hot debate in Australia and one the UK Government recently attempted to settle with a massive report reviewing the evidence.

The 347-page document concluded that, for adults with type 2 diabetes who were overweight or obese, a lower-carbohydrate diet was an effective option for up to six months to improve glycaemic control and serum triacylglycerol concentrations.

Authored by members of the UK’s Royal College of GPs, its Royal College of Physicians and the government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, the report also found, however, there was no evidence for use of the diet in people with diabetes not carrying extra weight.