Reduce Energy Dense Foods and Lose Weight
Want
to lose weight? Focus on reducing the "energy density" of
your diet, says a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In simple terms, that means eating foods that contain a lot of water and relatively few calories per portion, such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.
What is more, that approach can help you lose more weight than if you do not eat those foods. And if you reduce the energy density of your diet, you actually get to eat more, at least in volume, the study authors say.
"The energy density of food refers to calories per gram," says
Dr. Barbara Rolls at Pennsylvania State University,
and a coauthor of the study.
"Energy density goes from zero to nine," says
Dr. Rolls, adding that water has zero density while
fat, which has 9 calories per gram, has a density of
nine.
Fruits, vegetables, low-fat foods, and water-rich foods such as soups all have low energy density, she says.
The
simplified weight loss tip that springs from the study: "Increase the water content of foods you eat and decrease the fat content," notes
Dr. Rolls.
This premise is the heart of her dietary approach called Volumetrics.
In the study, Dr. Rolls and her colleagues studied the effects of a six-month intervention for diet and weight loss in 658 healthy adults. They included men and women, average age 50. Their average body mass index or BMI, a ratio of height relative to weight, was 33.6 - defined as obese.
One group got a single dietary counseling session; the other two groups each got 18 sessions.
The
participants who were counseled were told to increase
physical activity and reduce energy intake or were
told that advice plus advice on a special diet called
the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). This diet emphasizes the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods.
All three groups lost weight. But then the researchers wanted to see the exact effect of reducing energy density on weight loss. So they combined all three groups and analyzed their weight loss in relation to how much they reduced their energy density.
Those who had the most reduction in energy density lost the most weight - nearly 13 pounds over six months - compared to those who reduced their energy density the least - about five pounds.
"Those who ate the lowest energy density diet got to eat 300 grams more of food a day," says
Dr. Rolls. That is 10.5 ounces more food a day.
The study results make perfect sense, says Cathy Nonas, R.D., at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Reducing energy density in your diet not only reduces overall calories but boosts the nutritional value of the diet, notes Nonas.
The
only downside? "That kind of food also tends to be the most expensive," presenting
a public health dilemma for health-care providers trying
to help people of all income levels achieve a healthy
weight.
Nonas'
suggestion for reducing energy density: "Halve the amount of pasta you eat and double or triple the vegetables. In a restaurant, order extra vegetables." Or
choose tomato soup as a first course.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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While losing weight is difficult for many people, it is even more challenging to keep weight off.
Eighty percent to 85 percent of those who lose a large amount of weight regain it.
One theory about regaining lost weight is that people who decrease their caloric intake to lose weight experience a drop in their metabolic rate, making it increasingly difficult to lose weight over a period of months.
A lower metabolic rate may also make it easier to regain weight after a more normal diet is resumed. For these reasons, extremely low calorie diets and rapid weight loss are discouraged.
Losing no more than one to two pounds per week is recommended. Incorporating long-term lifestyle changes will increase the chance of successful long-term weight loss.
Weight
loss to a healthy weight for a person’s height
can promote health benefits such as lower cholesterol
and blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, less
stress on bones and joints, and less work for the heart.
Thus, it is vital to maintain weight loss to obtain health benefits over a lifetime.
Keeping extra weight off requires effort and commitment, just as losing weight does.
Weight loss goals are reached by changes in diet, eating habits, exercise, and, in extreme circumstances, surgery.
The strategies that encourage weight loss also play an important role in maintenance.
Support systems used effectively during weight loss can contribute to weight maintenance.
A
study conducted by the National Weight Control Registry found people who lost weight and continued bi-monthly support group meetings for one year maintained their full weight loss. Study participants who did not attend support group meetings regained almost half of the weight.
Physical activity plays a vital role in maintaining weight loss. Studies show that even exercise that is not rigorous, such as walking and using stairs, has a positive effect.
Activity that uses 1,500 to 2,000 calories per week is recommended for maintaining weight loss.
Diet
and exercise are vital strategies for losing and maintaining
weight. A study by the National Weight Control Registry found that nearly all of 784 study participants who had lost at least 30 pounds, and had maintained that loss for one year or longer, used diet and exercise to not only lose the weight, but also to maintain the weight loss.
Once the desired weight has been reached, the gradual addition of about 200 calories of healthy, low-fat food to daily intake may be attempted for one week to see if weight loss continues.
If weight loss does continue, additional calories of healthy foods may be added to the daily diet until the right balance of calories to maintain the desired weight has been determined.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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