Has it? No.

This episode in health news reporting is a textbook example of journalistic failure.

If you pay attention to nutrition news, you saw the stories about an Israeli diet study reported this month in the New England Journal of Medicine. The two-year study, financed largely by the Atkins Foundation, randomly assigned 322 obese people -- mostly men -- into one of three diet groups: low-fat, Mediterranean or a low-carbohydrate diet described as being based on the Atkins weight loss plan.

Reported weight loss was greatest among people following the low-carb diet. Low-carb eaters also were reported to have the greatest improvement in some blood fat levels.

The study's bottom line: Low-carb and Mediterranean diets may be good alternatives to low-fat diets for people who need to lose weight.

So, what's the problem?

Only a couple of journalists questioned key aspects of how the study was conducted and what the results really mean. Most news outlets simply repeated the study's assertions, ignoring or failing to see what should have been red flags within the study. Among the questions that stand out:

• Did the study really evaluate the Atkins diet?

The low-carb diet used in the study was described by researchers as being "based on the Atkins diet." And that's the way most news reports described it.

But the study also said participants who followed the low-carb diet were counseled to "choose vegetarian sources of fat and protein." That's quite a contrast to the Atkins plan described in best-selling books, which suggest followers may eat large amounts of meat and cheese.

• Why did participants lose so little weight?

People lost weight on all three diets, but despite intensive monitoring and coaching, participants lost an average of only six to 10 pounds over two years.

• Were the low-carb eaters the only ones told to avoid trans fats?

Issues concerning cholesterol consumption and blood cholesterol levels are complicated. One question about the study involves the fact that the low-carb group was counseled to avoid trans fats. It makes no mention of whether the low-fat or Mediterranean groups were given similar instructions. Trans fats raise levels of "bad" cholesterol and lower "good" cholesterol. Is it possible that different intakes of trans fats help explain the differences in cholesterol levels among study participants?

• Was the low-fat diet used in the study relevant?

The researchers described the study's low-fat diet as being based on American Heart Association guidelines. The AHA diet guidelines were revised in 2006, while the study was under way, a point that went unaddressed in the study.

AHA's diet guidelines now resemble a Mediterranean-style diet and put more emphasis on the type of fat, rather than the amount of fat, in the diet. This reflects growing scientific consensus that diets similar to a Mediterranean-style diet -- high in carbohydrate-rich plant foods and low in saturated fat, trans fat, added sugars and salt, and refined foods -- are best for long-term health, including prevention of cancer and heart disease.

This latest round of low-carb diet hype illustrates why the public needs greater diligence from the news media.

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