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Wu, George and Kathleen M. Raynor. ‘‘Crohn Disease.’’
eMedicine.com, January 2, 2007.<http://www.emedicine
.com/med/topic477.htm>Tish Davidson, A.M.CSIRO total wellbeing diet
Definition
The CSIRO total wellbeing diet (TWD) is a high-
protein, low-fat, moderate-carbohydrate weight-loss
and maintenance diet developed by Australia’s
national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific
and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). It is a
very structured, calorie-controlled, and nutritionally
balanced diet that includes exercise and large amounts
ofproteinfrom meat, fish, and poultry.Origins
The TWD was developed by CSIRO researchers
at its Clinical Research Unit in Adelaide, South Aus-
tralia. The CSIRO research was initiated in response
to a large number of inquiries from dieticians concern-
ing popular high-protein diets, whose use did not
appear to be supported by scientific evidence. Previous
CSIRO research had suggested that high-protein low-
fat diets were at least as effective for weight loss as
high-carbohydrate low-fat diets.
In research partially funded by Meat and Live-
stock Australia and Dairy Australia, the CSIRO team,
led by Dr. Manny Noakes, developed the TWD for
overweight and obese women. Dr. Grant Brinkworth
was the exercise/nutrition physiologist on the team.
The TWD was the culmination of eight years of
research on diet composition, weight loss, and risks
for developing diabetes and heart disease, conducted
at CSIRO’s Human Nutrition Clinic. In initial clinical
studies the researchers claimed to have found clear
health benefits and significant weight loss associated
with their high-protein low-fat diet. They further
claimed that clinical studies showed the diet to be
superior to a high-carbohydrate low-fat diet with iden-
tical caloric intake, at least in a subset of women.Meat and Livestock Australia distributed a book-
let about the CSIRO diet in a women’s magazine. The
publisher Penguin then commissioned Noakes and
Dr. Peter Clifton, director of the CSIRO Nutrition
Clinic, to write the book,The CSIRO Total Wellbeing
Diet. It was a runaway bestseller in Australia upon its
publication in 2005. A sequel appeared in 2006.Description
Key components of the TWD
The key components of the TWD are:
high amounts of protein from lean meat, fish, and
low-fat dairy products
moderate amounts of carbohydrates
low fat
adequate fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables
caloric restriction
exercise.
With the exception of its emphasis on meat, the
TWD recommendations follow standard nutritional
guidelines. The diet offers a variety of healthy food
choices, including large amounts of fruits and vegeta-
bles, along with moderate exercise.
The basic daily TWD consists of:
lean dinner protein, 7 oz (200 g) raw weight of lean
red meat (beef, lamb, veal) four times per week, fish
twice per week, chicken once per week
lean lunch protein, up to 4 oz (110 g)
wholegrain bread, two 1-oz (28-g) slices
fruit, two medium pieces
high-fiber cereal, 1.5 oz (42 g) or about one cup
low-fat dairy, threde servings
salad, one-half cup
vegetables, four one-half-cup servings
oil or margarine, three teaspoons
indulgence foods, two servings per week
exercise, 30 minutes daily.Levels
The TWD has four different diet levels, which are
designed to cover the varying energy requirements of
the majority of people. Level 1 is approximately 1,337
calories (5,600 kilojoules) per day. Levels 3 and 4 have
higher allowances of lean protein, low-fat dairy, and
high-fiber cereal. Before choosing a level, CSIRO rec-
ommends that people calculate their basal metabolic
rate (BMR), which is based on height, weight, age, and
gender. The Harris-Benedict Equation then uses the
BMR and a factor based on a person’s activity level toCSIRO total wellbeing diet