Low calorie diets, longevity, and health

Most very low calorie diets (VLCD) are ready liquid formulas of 800 calories or less that replace all daily food intake. Dieters can lose about 3 to 5 pounds per week. An average weight loss is about 44 pounds in 3 months. Alternative VLCD are either crash diets (like the Hollywood diet) having only a short term effect, or complicated health systems like Paul Bragg's (http://bragg.com) or Dr. Shatalova's (http://dietandbody.com/Very_Low_Calorie_Diet.html) A calorie restriction effect on life span is a very well documented topic of experimental biology. It is important to mention that only restriction as serious as 30 to 60 percent calorie restriction can cause significant improvement in health and longevity. As to the human outcome, studies have reported evidence of reduced mortality in persons who have lost weight, regardless was it due to decreased calorie intake or increased energy expenditure.