Study may change weight loss strategies

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - An extra cookie here, some party snacks there, and before you know it the holidays have you packing on extra pounds. But don't despair: there may be a way to help you lose weight and keep it off.

More than 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Excess fat is associated with several serious medical problems, while increased muscle mass has a beneficial effect on metabolism.

When people become overweight - and it doesn't just happen over the holidays - the type of foods they overeat may be just as important as the calories. That's the take-home lesson of a report in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.

25 healthy people age 18 to 35 were put on diets with varying amounts protein. The low protein diet had 6 percent of its calories from protein and 52 percent from fat. The "normal" diet had 15 percent protein and 44 percent from fat, and the high calorie diet had 26 percent from protein and 33 percent from fat.

They all received about 40 percent of their calories from carbohydrates. Then, they were overfed 40 percent more calories than usual, and after 8 weeks, all of them gained weight.

That's not surprising, but those on the low protein diet gained less total weight, while they lost lean body mass. Those on the normal or high protein diet actually gained more lean body mass than fat.

An editorial in the journal pointed out that this study illustrates the benefits of protein in weight management, and said that the goals for obesity treatment should involve fat reduction rather than simply weight loss. So switching to a higher protein-lower fat diet may help you lose weight and increase your proportion of lean body mass.

The easiest diet to stay on may be: "what you're eating now, but less." And since a pound is 3,500 calories, if you cut out 100 calories a day, you'll lose about a pound a month - but you may do better if you also selectively cut fat and increase protein.