The feeling of having reached a weight loss goal is usually one of elation and relief. Finally you've got there after all that hard work! However, it's true that many people can lose weight initially but keeping it off is another matter altogether.

Now the EU has stepped in to offer some practical advice and support on keeping weight off in the biggest European "intervention" into our dietary habits.

Diogenes Project
The European Commission is funding the Diogenes Project, which will over 5 years, look into the effects of diet and genes on the obesity problem in Europe. The Dietary Intervention Study is part of the Diogenes Project and aims at finding out which diets best suit those who have lost weight and need to keep it off.

Aim to lose 8% Weight
Led by Professor Anne Astrup from the University of Copenhagen, the study involves 565 families in eight testing centres across Europe. At least one parent and one child in each family must have lost at least 8% of their body weight before being admitted into the study. The 763 adults and 787 children were randomly assigned one of five diets to follow for 6 months, which are as follows:

Group 1: Low Protein, Low glycemic Index.
Group 2: Low Protein, High glycemic Index.
Group 3: High Protein, Low glycemic Index.
Group 4: High Protein, High glycemic Index.
Group 5: Control Diet - medium protein and medium glycemic index.

Free Food
In two of the testing centres, Copenhagen in Denmark and Maastricht in Holland, participants are being given free food for the 6 month period by participating supermarkets. In the other 6 centres – UK, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece and Spain.

This pan-European research could be extremely useful in the fight against obesity, and we are currently awaiting the preliminary results. Professor Astrup says, "The data now being collated and analysed from the Diogenes study on how successful each diet has been in preventing weight regain in each country will provide clearer answers to European consumers on which diet is likely to be most successful."
The results of this study are to be disclosed at the European Congress of Obesity (ECO) on 14th May 2008, so watch this space!