Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Low Carbohydrate Portfolio or "Eco-Atkins" Diet
Brief Summary: Exchange of the butter, eggs, cheese and meat in the Atkins diet for soy protein foods, other vegetable proteins including gluten and vegetable fats, nuts, avocado, olive and canola oil will result in dramatic rather than modest reductions in blood lipids with weight loss. In effect this will represent an exchange of saturated fat and animal protein for healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and vegetable proteins with significant effects on blood lipids while still encouraging weight loss.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Type 2 diabetes
* Overweight
* BMI of 25 kg/m2 or greater
* If on insulin, BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater
* Blood pressure less than 160/100 mmHg
* HbA1c less or equal to 11%
* Triglycerides less than 600 mg/dl
* Willingness to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

* Unable or unwilling to give informed consent or communicate with local study staff.
* Current diagnosis of schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, or bipolar disorder.
* Hospitalization for depression in past six months.
* Self-report of alcohol or substance abuse within the past twelve months.
* Current consumption of more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week.
* Current acute treatment or rehabilitation program for these problems.
* Plans to relocate to an area not served by Look AHEAD or travel plans that do not permit full participation in the study.
* Lack of support from primary care health provider or family members.
* Failure to complete the two-week run-in for dietary intake and exercise.
* Weight loss exceeding 10 lbs. in past three months.
* Current use of medications for weight loss.
* Self reported inability to walk two blocks.
* History of bariatric surgery, small bowel resection, or extensive bowel resection.
* Chronic treatment with systemic corticosteroids.
* Another member of the household is a participant or staff member in Look AHEAD.
* Currently pregnant or nursing.
* Cancer requiring treatment in the past five years, except for non-melanoma skin cancers or cancers that have clearly been cured.
* HIV positive (self-report), due to effects on weight and body composition of HIV and medications used to treat HIV.
* Active tuberculosis (self-report).
* Cardiovascular disease (heart attack or procedure within the past three months).
* Participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program within last three months.
* Stroke or history/treatment for transient ischemic attacks in the past three months.
* Pulmonary embolus in past six months.
* Unstable angina pectoris or angina pectoris at rest.
* A history of cardiac arrest.
* Complex ventricular arrhythmia at rest or with exercise (e.g., ventricular tachycardia).
* Uncontrolled atrial fibrillation (heart rate of 100 beats per minute or more).
* New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV congestive heart failure.
* Acute myocarditis, pericarditis or hypertrophic myocardiopathy.
* Clinically significant aortic stenosis.
* Left bundle branch block or cardiac pacemaker unless evaluated and cleared for participation by a cardiologist.
* Cardiac defibrillator.
* Heart transplant.
* History of aortic aneurysm of at least 7 cm in diameter or aortic aneurysm repair.
* Resting heart rate less than 45 beats per minute or greater than 100 beats per minute.
* Any abnormality during the maximum exercise stress test that indicates that it would be unsafe to participate in the Lifestyle Intervention.
* Angina pectoris.
* Significant ST segment depression at low levels of exercise. (ST segment is the flat, isoelectric section of the ECG between the end of the S wave (the J point) and the beginning of the T wave)
* Exercise induced ventricular arrhythmias.
* Abnormal hemodynamics, such as flat or decreasing systolic blood pressure with increasing workload.
* Those at moderate to high risk for cardiac complications during exercise.
* Those who are unable to self-regulate activity or understand the recommended activity level.
* Renal disease or dialysis.
* Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that would limit ability to follow the protocol.
* Self-reported chronic hepatitis B or C or cirrhosis.
* Inflammatory bowel disease requiring treatment in past year.
* Cushing's syndrome.
* Acromegaly.
* Amputation of lower limbs as result of non-traumatic causes.
* Any major organ transplant.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Men and postmenopausal women between the age of 21 and 70
* Body mass index \> 27 kg/m2 and whose body weight has remained constant over the last 6 months preceding the onset of the study.
* Fasting plasma LDL cholesterol concentration \> 3.4 mmol/L at diagnosis.
* Treated by diet.
* Alcohol intake \< 14 drinks per week.
* Fasting plasma triglyceride concentration \> 0.5 mmol/L and \< 5.0 mmol/L.
* Living within a 40 km radius of St. Michael's Hospital or the University of Toronto.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Premenopausal women due to the fluctuation of blood lipids during the menstrual cycle.
* Taking lipid lowering medications. (However, with their physician's approval those who wish to join but are already taking cholesterol-lowering medications may join the study providing the medications are stopped for at least two weeks before starting the study and throughout the study.)
* Evidence of major cardiovascular event (stroke or myocardial infarction) within the past 6 months.
* Positive molecular diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia.
* Secondary causes of hypercholesterolemia (hypothyroidism, renal or liver disease).
* Diabetes
* Uncontrolled high blood pressure (\> 140/90mmHg).
* Major disability or disorder such as liver disease, renal failure or cancer or with major surgery \< 6 months prior to randomization.
* LDL-C levels below 3.0 mmol/L on a Step 2 diet prior to randomization.
* Postmenopausal women on hormone replacement therapy
* Smokers
* Patients with food allergies.
* Patients with a history of any form of cancer or are considered at high risk for cancer. However, if such patients wish to join the study, we, the researchers, would like them to obtain the approval of their oncologist or responsible physician prior to enrollment in the study.
C: Inclusion Criteria:

1. a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, as defined by a fasting plasma glucose concentration ≥126 mg/dl on 2 occasions or a prior physician's diagnosis of type 2 diabetes with the use of hypoglycemic medications for at least 6 months
2. male or female
3. A1c between 6.5% and 10.5%
4. age at least 18 years
5. ability and willingness to participate in all components of the study
6. willingness to be assigned to either a low-fat, vegan diet or to standard nutrition care
7. diabetes medications unchanged for 1 month prior to volunteering for the study
8. patient of Dr. Mark Sklar

Exclusion Criteria:

1. body mass index \>45 kg/m2
2. alcohol consumption of more than 2 drinks per day or the equivalent, episodic increased drinking (e.g., more than 2 drinks per day on weekends), or a history of alcohol abuse or dependency followed by any current use
3. use of recreational drugs in the past 6 months (past drug use, if fully recovered, is not a criteria for exclusion)
4. pregnancy or plans to become pregnant
5. history of severe mental illness (with current unstable status)
6. likely to be disruptive in group sessions (as determined by research staff)
7. Signs/symptoms of acute uncontrolled diabetes (including but not limited to polyuria, polydipsia, blurred vision, uncontrolled weight loss)
8. unstable medical status
9. already following a low-fat, vegetarian diet
10. an inordinate fear of blood draws
11. inability to maintain current medication regimen
12. lack of English fluency
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Exclusion Criteria:

* hemoglobin A1c values \<6.5% or \>10.5%
* use of insulin for \> 5 years
* tobacco use within the preceding 6 months
* consumption of more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day
* current drug abuse
* pregnancy
* unstable medical status
* current use of a low-fat, vegetarian diet.

Answer: B