The facts of that study brushed aside: the participants diet was based on potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, bread and macaroni. Notice, not enough protein to maintain lean body mass. This is a bad idea.<p>Also, over 24 weeks the group lost 25% of their body mass.<p>Look at pictures of the participants: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25782294" rel="nofollow">http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25782294</a> These look like frail bodys that, indeed, can sustain on 1600 calories per day, which explains slowed weight loss.<p>If you're an individual looking at how to seriously lose fat and recompose your body, don't look at popular media, but look at those with vested interest in effective results. E.g. athletic trainers in sports where weight management is a key point of the sport, like bodybuilding, wrestling, MMA, powerlifting. The science is quite clear, you just have to figure out how to filter out popular articles. (Lyle McDonald's site is a great start.)<p>Calorie restriction, with adequate protein intake, works. Also, any diet or lifestyle change that works creates a caloric deficit, and will also work if you count this deficit.