This is simply not true and there are several recent studies that refute this. There is a very different metabolic pathway between fats, protein and carbs. That is why one can eat 2200 calories a day on a low carb diet and lose but can't lose on a 1400 calorie low fat diet. The most recent study on this question was done at the University of Pennsylvania and can be found at Medscape: [I do have others!]
My guess is you don't have this one: Effect of weight loss plans on body composition and diet duration.
Are low carbohydrate high protein (LCHP) diets more effective in promoting loss of weight and body fat and can individuals stay on an Atkins-like diet more easily than on a conventional weight loss diet? A pre-test/post-test randomized group design composed of three cohorts was utilized to test 1) a LCHP ketogenic diet; 2) the Zone diet; and 3) a conventional hypocaloric diabetic exchange diet that supplied < 10%, 40%, and 50% of calories from carbohydrate, respectively. Body composition was measured before and after the intervention treatment period with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Mean weight loss was 5.1 kg for those who completed the 12-week program. There were no significant differences in total weight, fat, or lean body mass loss when compared by diet group. Attrition was substantial for all plans at 43%, 60%, and 36% for LCHP, Zone and conventional diets, respectively.
And my guess is that you don't have many of the others that directly refute the study you reference. Not to mention the fact that every study shows that the majority of the participants on low fat diets drop out, resulting in net GAINS in most studies.
Another recent one was the Schneider's Childrens Hospital study:
Recent research at Schneider Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park, N.Y., confirms the effectiveness of a controlled carbohydrate program for teens. Marc S. Jacobson, M.D., lead researcher and director of the Center for Atherosclerosis Prevention at New York Hospital, reported that 22 adolescents consuming a high-protein, high-fat carbohydrate-restricted diet were more successful at losing weight than those consuming a low-fat, high-carbohydrate one. Teens who restricted their carb intake also had improved cardiovascular risk factors and other clinical health markers.
Participants were 12 to 18 years old and 20 to 100 pounds overweight. Those following a controlled carb program lost 19 pounds in 12 weeks, while the low-fat group lost less than half that amount, 8.5 pounds.The research showed that the controlled carb group also showed a greater decrease in overall cholesterol levels, with triglycerides dropping 33 percent as compared to a 17 percent drop for the low-fat group.
Kidney and liver functions were unaffected by the high-protein, high-fat diet. The high-protein group ate 66 percent more calories than the low-fat group (1,830 calories vs. 1,100 calories per day). After three months on a weight-loss regimen, the participants followed a weight maintenance program that included additional carbohydrates. Nutritionist Nancy Copperman, M.S., R.D., who designed both regimens, says that six to 12 months later, most members of the controlled carbohydrate group had maintained their weight loss.
Yet another:
Moderate-Fat vs Low-Fat Diets
Pub Med.
Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001 Oct;25(10):1503-11 A randomized controlled trial of a moderate-fat, low-energy diet compared with a low fat, low-energy diet for weight loss in overweight adults.
McManus K, Antinoro L, Sacks F. Department of Nutrition, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
CONTEXT: Long-term success in weight loss with dietary treatment has been elusive.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a diet moderate in fat based on the Mediterranean diet compared to a standard low-fat diet for weight loss when both were controlled for energy. DESIGN: A randomized, prospective 18 month trial in a free-living population.
PATIENTS: A total of 101 overweight men and women (26.5-46 kg/m(2)).
INTERVENTION: (1) Moderate-fat diet (35% of energy); (2) low-fat diet (20% of energy). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Change in body weight.
RESULTS: After 18 months, 31/50 subjects in the moderate-fat group, and 30/51 in the low fat group were available for measurements. In the moderate-fat group, there were mean decreases in body weight of 4.1 kg, body mass index of 1.6 kg/m(2), and waist circumference of 6.9 cm, compared to increases in the low-fat group of 2.9 kg, 1.4 kg/m(2) and 2.6 cm, respectively; P</=0.001 between the groups. The difference in weight change between the groups was 7.0 kg. (95% CI 5.3, 8.7). Only 20% (10/51) of those in the low-fat group were actively participating in the weight loss program after 18 months compared to 54% (27/50) in the moderate-fat group, (P<0.002). The moderate-fat diet group was continued for an additional year. The mean weight loss after 30 months compared to baseline was 3.5 kg (n=19, P=0.03).
CONCLUSIONS: A moderate-fat, Mediterranean-style diet, controlled in energy, offers an alternative to a low-fat diet with superior long-term participation and adherence, with consequent improvements in weight loss.