Diets High in Protein and Fiber Help Curb Obesity, Say Health Experts

Sept. 17, 2009 — -- It seems so simple: If you want to lose weight, eat less, doctors and dieticians say.

But for millions of Americans, this is not a simple task. Some 67 percent of Americans aged 20 and older are overweight or obese, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control.

"The problem is hormones," said Dr. Louis Aronne, a national authority on weight loss and obesity. "The chemicals that signal the brain to stop eating -- in some people these get so severely out of whack that people are constantly hungry."

Aronne says these hormones -- leptin, ghrelin, insulin and cortisol -- can be controlled, and most people can lose weight by following a few basic rules, such as avoiding appetite stimulants or foods that actually increase hunger.

Those foods include candy, sweets, potatoes and juices, which usually are loaded with sugar. Bread, especially processed white bread, and alcohol consumed before meals also are bad ideas, say researchers.

"Bread and alcohol, when they're consumed on an empty stomach, can actually stoke your appetite," said Aronne. "If you can just wait until the middle of a meal, you can actually reduce the amount of food you're going to eat."

Doctors also suggest avoiding refined cereals.

"One of the most common mistakes we see is people eating instant oatmeal or other popular cereals for breakfast, thinking it will help them lose weight," said Aronne. "But it does just the opposite."

Many researchers insist protein is essential for breakfast. One study found that people who ate protein-rich egg-white omelets consumed 44 percent less during the rest of the day than those who ate instant oatmeal for breakfast.