Limiting Calories Doesn’t Help Overall Weight Loss

Limiting access to snack foods may help people reduce their calorie intake, but it may not help with overall weight loss, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville conducted study to examine the effect of limiting the variety of different non-nutrient-dense, energy-dense foods such as chips, ice cream and cookies on dietary intake and weight loss during an 18-month lifestyle intervention. For the study, 200 overweight and obese participants were asked to make adjustments in their diet and physical activity to help them lose weight. Participants attended regular group meetings to discuss their behavior, increased the amount of daily physical activity, and consumed a calorie-reduced diet. Half of the participants also were asked to limit snack foods in their diet to just two options, with the idea that monotony in the menu leads to a lack of interest in the food. Over the course of the study, participants in the limited snacks group ate fewer types of treats each day—two to three—than the other group, which ate about four. They also consumed fewer daily calories from snacks.

Despite the effects, no difference in percentage weight loss occurred at the end of the study; both groups lost approximately 10 pounds. The researchers concluded limiting variety in more areas may be needed to improve weight loss and weight-loss maintenance