Eating Right

These tips will help you learn the basic principles of maintaining a nutritious and healthy diet.

1.  Stay away from sweetened drinks. Sodas, fruit drinks and even juices aren’t doing you any favors. Cut back on the sugar-laden beverages if you want to cut out a major calorie source.
2.  Aim for a balance. Despite what some diets might say, eating all of one thing or another isn’t good for your overall nutrition. Try to maintain a balance of proteins and carbs and vitamins and minerals.
3.  Eat less meat. While lean meats are a great addition to the diet, try to eat less meat and have at least one veggie meal a week to cut back on fat and cholesterol.
4.  Go for whole grains. Eating whole grain breads and pastas can give your body the nutrition it needs and keep you fuller for longer.
5.  Limit the salt you eat. There is no doubt that salt is tasty, but it can have some pretty negative effects on the body if not eaten in moderation.
6.  Cook with care. Just because you’re not frying foods doesn’t mean you’re cooking them in a healthy way. Stick to steaming or sauteing in olive oil.
7.  Carry water with you. Often people eat when they are thirsty, not hungry, so carry a bottle of water with you everywhere to stay hydrated and on track.
8.  Try something new. You may have been a veggie hater your whole life, but the reality is that tastes change and evolve over time and some healthy foods you think you hate might taste different to you now. Try something new to expand your palate.
9.  Make eating right fun. Eating right doesn’t have to be a chore. Make it fun and get your family and friends involved as well.
10.  If you must, hide healthy foods. If you can’t bear to eat a piece of broccoli or a carrot, you can always chop it up super fine and hide it in a sauce so you’re getting your nutrition without the taste.
11. Eat the rainbow. When you want to eat healthy, it’s best to eat a wide variety of colors of foods, from leafy greens to bright red tomatoes.
12.  Go lean. If you do want to indulge in some beef, choose the most lean and healthy cuts available.

 Losing Weight

While having a little extra weight might not kill you, having a lot greatly increases your chances of developing chronic and potentially fatal diseases. These tips are designed to help you shed those pounds and live healthier.

Drink water before you eat. Having a full glass of water before you eat can help you feel more full when you sit down to eat your meal.
Consider smaller, more frequent meals. Because your body doesn’t have a chance to get super hungry, eating smaller meals may help you eat less over the course of a day.
Don’t eat out of boredom. At work or at home, eating because you don’t have anything else to do isn’t uncommon. Remind yourself that eating isn’t a pastime.
Limit snacks. While having snacks in between meals can be good, try to limit it to one or two a day or eating super healthy snacks so you’re not sneaking in loads of extra calories between meals.
Take a hard look at your beverages. Many beverages are packed with calories, sugar and other substances that can contribute to weight gain. Try to stick with water or, if you must, diet or low-cal options.
Keep track of what you’re eating. It can be a big help in weight loss to know just how much you’re taking in on a daily basis. Use an online tracker to monitor your daily intake and track it over time.
Avoid crash diets. There are few things less helpful to long term weight loss than crash diets. Make a real change in your lifestyle if you want to see sustainable change.
Enjoy your meals. When you sit down to eat, it shouldn’t be a race to see how fast you can polish off your food. Give yourself time to slow down and really enjoy what you’re eating. You’ll eat less and have more fun while doing it.
Eat appropriate portions. Many people eat far more than they really should when it comes to portion size. Check with nutritional guidelines to see how much you should be eating of each part of your meal.
Plan your meals. One thing that can be a big help in keeping you on track is planning out your meals for the week. It will help you balance your nutrition and ensure you have a set plan for eating right.
Bring healthy food with you. If you have to run errands or are just stuck at your desk all day, make sure you have at least one healthy snack with you so you won’t be tempted to consume the less healthy options from a vending machine.

 Eating out

It’s easy to know what goes into your food at home but it becomes much more complicated when you go out. Here are some tips to help you eat healthy no matter where you’re at.

1.  Choose healthy establishments. Usually you know going into a restaurant what kind of foods they offer. If you don’t want to eat fried chicken, don’t head into a place where you know that’s the main offering. Instead, choose a location you know has healthy options.
2.  Eat half. Restaurant portions are notorious for being too large for one person to consume. Solve this problem by halving your food and only eating that one part and having the rest boxed up to take home.
3.  Research ahead of time. The vast majority of restaurants have online menus and nutrition facts available, and if not, you can usually get a close approximation. Use this information to educate yourself on the healthiest choices at each establishment before you go. It can also help you choose a restaurant that will offer you the most choices for your healthy eating.
4.  Share. If you don’t want to bring restaurant food home with you, you can always share with a friend, and that way you can eat what you’d like without having to worry about overdoing it.
5.  Look at the nutrition facts. It’s not hard to find out the nutritional information for most restaurant offerings these days, letting you know if your choices are truly healthy or if they just appear to be that way.
6.  Get sauces and dressings on the side. Many times it can be better to control just how much of those calorie- and fat-laden dressings and sauces you get on your dish. Simply ask if you can get yours on the side instead.
7.  Ask for healthier sides. While french fries might come with your meal, many places are more than happy to accommodate a request for a side salad or grilled veggies instead. Don’t be afraid to ask.
8.  Limit fried foods and sweets. It might seem obvious, but it’s much easier to fall into the trap of eating unhealthy foods when they are readily available in a restaurant. Avoid them or share them if you must indulge.
9.  Ask about healthy options. Not everything a restaurant offers is always on the menu. You may be able to have your food prepared in a healthier manner or get it with different ingredients. It never hurts to ask.
10.  Investigate the menu. Many menus offer a wealth of health advice if you’re willing to look for it. Most chain restaurants label what dishes are on the lighter side helping you narrow down your choices.

 Avoiding the Bad Stuff

Those empty calories may taste good but they could be clogging your arteries and setting you up for health problems down the road. Try out these tips to keep the indulgences to a minimum.

Eat fruit rather than fruit drinks. While you might think you’re being healthy by consuming fruit drinks, these concoctions usually have more sugar and less nutrients than the real deal.
Don’t avoid things you crave. If you totally banish those sweet and fatty foods from your life you may be doing more harm than good and end up binging on them in the end. Having a little bit won’t kill you.
Try dark chocolate. Those who have a serious chocolate addiction can have a sweet treat and still be (semi) healthy by having dark chocolate full of antioxidants.
Don’t buy it. One way to keep those pesky unhealthy foods out of mind is to keep them out of sight. Don’t buy them when you’re at the store. If it’s a pain to get them, you’re much less likely to eat them.
Keep treats a luxury, not a routine. Having a piece of cake or some french fries now and again won’t doom you to an unhealthy life. Just make sure these treats are occasional instead of regular.
Eat good fats. Not all fats are bad fats, so choose yours carefully. Avocados are chock full of fats–the unsaturated variety–giving you the fats you need to be healthy without the unhealthy side effects.
Turn off the TV. Ads are designed to get you to buy products, which very often are unhealthy fast foods, sweets and processed, salty, pre-packaged concoctions. Turn off the TV and cut out the chance to get those foods in your mind.
Fill up on good food first. If you’re craving unhealthy foods, try eating something healthy like veggies or fruit first. If you’re still hungry after the healthy snack then consider those other foods.
Be honest. Many times we crave bad foods not because we need them but because we had a bad day, are lonely, bored or some other emotional issue. Learn to recognize when you’re using food to fill a void rather than satisfy a nutritional need.
Find healthy alternatives. Just because you’re eating healthier doesn’t mean you have to give up desserts. Fruit with yogurt can be a satisfying alternative to more calorie-laden and unhealthy options.

This is a great article found on Online Nursing Programs.Net.  Following are the first 10 Nutrition tips.

Scientific and technological advances have made it so that people are living longer than ever. Unfortunately, advancements have also made it much easier to eat unhealthy foods that can have a pretty negative impact on your overall health and well being. Here are some tips to help you embrace good nutrition and eating habits so you can live longer and look good well into old age.

General

Check out these basic tips to get started on improving your diet and your overall well-being.

Use common sense. You know what’s good to eat and what’s not, so use your common sense when it comes to nutrition. You might enjoy eating fast food every day, but you know when enough is enough.
Listen to your body. If you’re feeling run down and less than healthy, take a look at what you’re eating. It may be that you’re not getting the foods you need to feel your best.
Get enough water. Getting enough water can help ensure you stay hydrated and healthy as well as helping you feel fuller faster.
Eat fresh. While you don’t need to avoid all processed foods (we all have our lazy days) you’ll get a lot more out of fresh, unprocessed foods.
Think before you eat. Don’t just eat blindly. Take time to consider whether or not you’re really hungry or are just eating because you’re bored.
Fix meal times. One way to help yourself eat healthier is to have set meal times and stick to them so your body will have a schedule and you’ll know when you’ll be getting hungry.
Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals can cause your blood sugar to drop and cause you to get extremely hungry and willing to eat anything, however unhealthy, in sight.
Learn the food pyramid. If you want a guide for your food choices, check out the guidelines set out by the government.
Eat for your needs. Not everyone has the same nutritional needs. Those who are more active need more calories, those less active need fewer. Find out where you fall.
Work together. Eating well shouldn’t be an individual effort. Involve your whole household in your healthy food choices. It’ll be beneficial and help you all stay on track.

By Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D. - Posted Mon, Jul 27, 2009, 12:23 am PDT Say it isn't so!

A recent study out of the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill cites what animal studies have hinted at for years: MSG (aka monosodium glutamate) could be a factor in weight gain.

The study focused on 750 Chinese men and women, ages 40-59, living in 3 rural villages in north and south China. Most of the study subjects prepared their meals at home without commercially processed foods and roughly 82 percent used MSG. Those participants who used the highest amounts of MSG had nearly 3 times the incidence of overweight as those who did not use MSG, even when physical activity, total caloric intake, and other possible explanations for body mass differences were accounted for. The positive correlation between MSG and higher weight confirmed what animal studies have been suggesting for years.

Maybe you're wondering what monosodium glutamate is exactly, and what you can do to avoid it in your diet. MSG is a flavor enhancer in foods—some believe it may even provide a fifth basic taste sensation (in addition to sweet, sour, salt, and bitter), what the Japanese call "umami" (roughly translated as "tastiness"). MSG is considered an "excitotoxin," since its action in the body is to excite neurotransmitters (important brain chemicals), causing nerve cells to discharge and also exciting nerves related to taste. Perhaps this ability to excite these nerves is a factor in an association between increased MSG usage and weight gain.

How prevalent is MSG in the U.S. diet? Americans consumed about 1 million pounds of MSG in 1950, and today that number has increased by a factor of 300!

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describes MSG as "naturally occurring," and has it on the GRAS ("generally regarded as safe") list. However, not only could MSG be causing us to gain weight, but some studies also reveal that as many as 25 to 30 percent of Americans have adverse reactions to it (e.g., palpitations and migraine headaches), and as many as 30 percent are extra sensitive to it if they consume more than 5 grams at one sitting.

OK, if you're an MSG user who could stand to lose a little weight (or know someone who is), what should you do?

Unfortunately, eliminating MSG from the diet is much easier said than done, since—given the fact that food processors often change recipes—there's no list of "safe" foods that never contain MSG. A good start is to avoid anything with MSG anywhere in the ingredient list, but there will still be many foods that have MSG hidden inside other ingredients. Likewise, even products labeled "no MSG added" can still contain these hidden sources.

Best bets for avoiding MSG

Buy organic produce whenever possible.

Make things from scratch, avoiding processed ingredients as much as possible.

Limit making stews or soups in a crock pot, since slow-cooking tends to cause small amounts of glutamic acid to be released from the protein sources (e.g., meat, chicken) in the recipe.

By MANDY KATZ
Published: July 15, 2009
FIVE-FOOT-NINE and 184 pounds, Kathryn Griffith, a retired teacher in Oakland, Calif., counted calories for decades, trying everything from the grapefruit diet to a regimen based on cabbage soup. She also did Weight Watchers — 27 times. “I knew it wouldn’t be successful, but I went back anyway,” she said.

So earlier this year, just when Oprah, the nation’s über-dieter, renewed her resolve to snack on flaxseed, Ms. Griffith went the other way, joining a tenacious movement that is scorning the diet industry and what one pair of bloggers labels, “the obesity epidemic booga booga booga.”

This movement — a loose alliance of therapists, scientists and others — holds that all people, “even” fat people, can eat whatever they want and, in the process, improve their physical and mental health and stabilize their weight. The aim is to behave as if you have reached your “goal weight” and to act on ambitions postponed while trying to become thin, everything from buying new clothes to changing careers. Regular exercise should be for fun, not for slimming.

“Fat acceptance” ideas date back more than 30 years, but have lately edged into the mainstream, thanks in part to public hand-wringing by celebrities like Oprah, Kirstie Alley and the tennis player Monica Seles, who said she had to “throw out the word ‘diet’ ” to deal with her weight gain. (Oprah now cites her goal as being not “thin,” but “healthy and strong and fit.”)

Even television is bellying up to the bar, with Lifetime’s introduction of a hefty heroine in “Drop Dead Diva” and a show having its premiere this month on Fox that stresses the “reality” in reality TV. The show, “More to Love,” matches plus-size dates with a bachelor boasting “a big waist and an even bigger heart.” And elbowing the weight-loss guides on “health” bookshelves, is a spate of new, more diet-neutral books that track the sociology of obesity, including “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite” (Rodale Books) by David Kessler, the former surgeon general, and “The Evolution of Obesity” (The Johns Hopkins University Press) by Michael L. Power and Jay Schulkin.

Adding credence to the “fat acceptance” philosophy, are recent medical studies that suggest a little extra fat may not be such a bad thing. Among the latest is a 12-year Canadian analysis in last month’s Obesity journal that confirmed earlier findings that overweight “appears to be protective against mortality,” while being too thin, like extreme obesity, correlates with higher death risk. Other recent studies have linked weight cycling (or “yo-yo dieting”) to weight gain, and to medical conditions often attributed to obesity.

Many appetite warriors have coalesced under the banner of “Health at Every Size” (or HAES), which is also the title of a book by Linda Bacon, a nutrition professor at City College of San Francisco. Ms. Bacon ran a federally financed, randomized trial to compare outcomes for 78 obese women who either dieted or were schooled in Every Size precepts. The results, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2005, showed that HAES participants fared better on measures of health, physical activity and self-esteem. Neither cohort lost weight.

These pro-fat results are a trickle, admittedly, in a flood of contrary reports that condemn obesity as a health risk. But that doesn’t worry the online denizens of the “fatosphere,” dominated by irreverent sites like fatshionista.com Fat Rant and Big Fat Blog, as well as those of the “booga booga” bloggers, Kate Harding (Shapely Prose) and Marianne Kirby (therotund.com). “Fat doesn’t equal lazy or ugly or even, necessarily, unhealthy,” says another blogger, the Fat Nutritionist.

Find it all too much of a stretch? You’re not alone. Antidiet advice defies a $30-billion weight loss industry, a cultural obsession with thinness and the fundamental public health tenet that it is dangerous to be fat. In Obesity Guidelines first published in 1998, the government’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute blames obesity for everything from heart disease to cancer. Within a month of the Canadian mortality report, University of Wisconsin researchers announced in Science that calorie-restricted rhesus monkeys seemed to be outliving an amply fed control group.

“Virtually everyone who is overweight would be better off at a lower weight,” said Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health. “There’s been this misconception, fostered by the weight-is-beautiful groups, that weight doesn’t matter. But the data are clear.”

What remains undisputed is that no clinical trial has found a diet that keeps weight off long-term for a majority. “If they really worked, we’d be running out of dieters,” said Glenn Gaesser, professor of exercise physiology at Arizona State University and author of “Big Fat Lies: The Truth About Your Weight and Your Health.”

Both sides agree that regular exercise, at any size, improves health. “If you want to know who’s going to die, know their fitness level,” said Steven Blair, a self-described “fat and fit” professor of exercise science, epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of South Carolina. His research indicates that “obese individuals who are fit have a death rate one half that of normal-weight people who are not fit.”

Still, giving up dieting can be a tough sell in a society besotted with Kate Moss’s skeletal build. In “Lessons From the Fat-O-Sphere,” a new book by Ms. Harding and Ms. Kirby, the authors suggest surrounding yourself with nonjudgmental companions as an antidote, and seeking out fat-friendly media like the “Illustrated BMI Categories” photo set Ms. Harding assembled on Flickr.

So, if yo-yo dieting often leads to weight gain, does quitting ever lead to weight loss?

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many ex-dieters do slim down, especially if they are young. Even Ms. Griffith, the retired teacher who is 67, lost several pounds after quitting. Ms. Bacon, 46, ceased dieting in her 20s and wound up quite slim, as did Susie Orbach, a psychotherapist who, as author of “Fat Is a Feminist Issue” in 1978, was one of the earliest intuitive-eating proponents. (Her latest book, “Bodies,” published this year, addresses Western culture’s growing obsession with reshaping one’s body.)

But many who quit do not reduce. Ms. Harding, 34, gave up dieting five years ago. “I thought, ‘O.K., maybe I could be a size 10, and it won’t be so bad.’ As it turned out, I ended up as roughly an 18, which was exactly where I started.”

Yet, more than size-acceptance may be involved in quitting. For many dieters, “the pursuit of thinness as a dream is a place holder,” said Deb Burgard, a clinical psychologist in Los Altos, Calif., specializing in eating disorders. “It gets in the way of asking, ‘What is it I am dreaming of?’ “

A dieter may think, “ ‘If I could just lose weight, all that will take care of itself,’ so they don’t invest in getting what they want,” she said. Instead, she said, “they invest in weight loss.”

Article source: www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/health/nutrition/16skin.html

(CNN) -- Americans talk a good game about wanting to eat well. More than 75 percent claim they want to see more healthy options on restaurant menus. But when it comes time to order, only about half say they actually make nutritious choices, according to a recent survey.

Steakhouse portions often exceed the recommended five to seven ounces of animal protein per day.

On the other hand, 77 percent rank taste as the top priority for a restaurant dinner, and 44 percent say satisfying hunger matters most, according to the responses reported in June by Mintel, a market research firm. Of 2,000 adults polled in February, 20 percent said food health is an important factor when they order dinner.

Still, nutrition experts stress that it is possible to satisfy your taste buds and hunger while making nice to your heart.

"Eating out with friends and family is a pleasure you don't have to give up when you're on a special diet," said Anne Cain, a registered dietitian and senior editor at MyRecipes.com. "You just need to arm yourself with information about heart-healthy choices and not be afraid to ask questions about the menu and make special requests." (MyRecipes.com is owned by Time Warner, the parent company of CNN.)

Every person's needs are different when it comes to what he or she should eat, health experts say.

"There are some people that really have to worry about calories, there are some people that really have to worry about sugar, some people that really have to worry about salt. All of these bring in different kinds of mandates for you," said Riska Platt, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.

Still, some foods are more likely than others to derail a heart-healthy diet. Here are some tips to help you eat for your heart when dining out.

Chinese
Instead of oil- and fat-laden dishes such as lo mein, egg rolls, kung pao chicken or fried rice, try steamed chicken, seafood or tofu with vegetables, and ask for sauce on the side.

"Chinese food can be a hidden salt mine,"said Sari Greaves, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Ordering it "as unadorned as possible" and with sauces on the side will help you control your sodium intake.

Soups such as egg-drop and hot-and-sour are low-calorie and low-fat, but may also be "salt bombs," Greaves said. But despite the poor reputation eggs have for their high-cholesterol properties, low-fat dieters don't have to steer clear of egg-drop soup, she said: "It's saturated fat and trans fat in your diet that raise your blood cholesterol, more so than cholesterol in your diet."

Stir-fried dishes are also a safe bet because they're generally cooked quickly and with very little oil. On the other hand, watch out for foods designated "crispy" or "double-sauteed," which indicate deep-fried dishes, said Greaves.

Sandwich shop
Instead of a sandwich on white bread, a white roll or white wrap and topped with mayonnaise or cheese, try whole-grain bread options topped with vegetables, mustard or olive oil, and little to no cheese.

Watch out for deli meats, which often contain a lot of salt, Platt said.

Hummus can be a good alternative to mayonnaise or cheese, as it contains heart-healthy fat. Platt endorses hummus, which is made from chickpeas, because it helps Americans fit legumes into their diet. Just don't overload on it, because the calories can add up.

Platt also suggests skipping oversized muffins. Even if they're bran muffins and consequently high in fiber, they're full of fat, sugar and calories. Breakfast wraps can also be detrimental to a heart-healthy diet, especially when an entire salt- and fat-heavy meal of eggs, cheese and bacon is packed into a compact package.

Italian
Instead of pasta topped or filled with cream, cheese or meat, try grilled, broiled or poached seafood with a small order of pasta with garlic and oil or tomato sauce.

Greaves suggests ordering shellfish such as shrimp, mussels or clams at an Italian restaurant, as long as they aren't deep-fried or cooked in butter. Although these shellfish might be higher in cholesterol than salmon or tilapia, she said, they're still very low in saturated fat.

If you do want cheese in your meal, add a sprinkling of parmesan atop a dish instead of gobs of cheese as the centerpiece of your meal.

And for an appetizer, Greaves recommends skipping the meat- and cheese-heavy antipasto salad in favor of shrimp cocktail, which is low in saturated fat. Also, pair bread with heart-healthy olive oil, not butter. Oil is rich in calories, though, so don't overdo it.

Japanese
Instead of tempura-style rolls or rolls with mayonnaise (think spicy tuna), try fresher sushi with fish high in cardio-friendly omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel or halibut. The avocado in California rolls also carries heart-healthy benefits.

Edamame, which are green soybeans, may indirectly lower your blood cholesterol and are a good source of fiber and omega-3s, Greaves said. But if you're monitoring your sodium intake, request that the salt be omitted.

Be on the lookout for the word "kewpie," or Japanese mayonnaise, if you're trying to cut back on saturated fat.

Steakhouses
Instead of a full portion of steak, try limiting your meat intake by ordering a beef kebab, or a chicken or seafood selection cooked without butter or salt.

Choose lean cuts of beef such as round, sirloin, chuck, flank steak or tenderloin. Remove any visible fat that may be attached to the cooked meat, Cain said.

Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Health A-Z
The American Heart Association recommends eating five to seven ounces of animal protein per day, and a 12-ounce steak at a restaurant far exceeds that, Platt said. Split a steak with one of your dining partners, or eat half and take the rest home for another meal.

Steakhouses also offer deceptively fattening sides, such as creamed spinach or fully loaded baked potatoes. Swap out those fatty sides for steamed vegetables, and you'll be in better shape.

Mexican
Instead of a cheese-filled burrito or taco, try a seafood, chicken or vegetable fajita.

The seafood or chicken will provide lean, healthy protein, while a vegetable centerpiece will boost your fiber intake. If you get beans, make sure they're not refried; black beans provide protein and fiber without artery-clogging saturated fat, Greaves said.

You can also cut down on saturated fat by opting for pico de gallo or salsa instead of sour cream. Since it's made from heart-healthy avocados, guacamole contains good fat that can lower bad LDL cholesterol while raising good HDL cholesterol. Just limit your intake to about two tablespoons, Greaves said, because it can carry a lot of calories.

Greaves also warns that you should watch out for salted rice and rice with cheese -- no-no's for people on low-sodium or low-fat diets.

Article Source: www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/diet.fitness/07/06/heart.healthy.dining/index.html

Researchers offer an answer to the conundrum of why sticking slavishly to low-calorie meals often still fails to shift the pounds

By Rachel Shields
Sunday, 14 June 2009

It is every dieter's nightmare: hopping on to the scales after weeks of forgoing steak for salad, only to find they haven't lost an ounce. Now researchers at the University of Bristol claim to have found a simple explanation for this phenomenon: when people choose lower-calorie dishes, they just compensate by eating bigger portions.

These findings are sure to come as a blow to the diet industry, which makes millions selling low-calorie foods, but should make cheering reading for any dieters sworn off their favourite fatty foods. The study also showed that when faced with foods they liked, participants did not pick bigger portions of them than of any other food.

"A person's perception of how full a meal will make them feel will no doubt affect portion size," said Lisa Miles, a nutritionist at the British Nutrition Foundation. "It's so important to be aware of behavioural triggers for over-eating."

The researchers, who studied the responses of 76 people to 18 different foods, found that people quickly learnt if food offered fewer calories per serving and upped their portion size to compensate. "We know from experimental studies that eating large portions does not necessarily mean that you eat less at a subsequent meal, so this can lead to an increase in calorie intake overall," Ms Miles said.

Dr Brunstrom, senior lecturer at the University of Bristol who led the study, will present these findings at a British Nutrition Foundation conference, entitled "Satiation, satiety and their effects on eating behaviour", on Thursday.

"This is quite a controversial idea, which goes against the perceived wisdom that you just eat what is put in front of you," said Tam Fry, chairman for the Child Growth Foundation and a member of the National Obesity Forum.

In a study to be published later this month, Dr Brunstrom also found that children whose parents restricted their consumption of high-calorie snack foods such as crisps and chocolate were more likely to eat them in much larger portions when they were presented with them.

Researchers tested 70 children aged between 10 and 12 years old, presenting them with six snack foods. They found that a child who is unfamiliar with snack food was more likely to over-estimate how much they would need, regarding a 250kcal portion as only containing 120kcal, whereas a child who had eaten the foods previously would be able to assess accurately how calorific it was, guessing that a 250kcal portion contained 230kcal.

"These findings suggest that limiting access to certain snack foods limits learning about their properties. Thus, when snack foods are eventually encountered they might tend to be selected in larger portions," Dr Brunstrom said.

This could be bad news for parents who believe they are doing their children a favour by placing treats such as sweets and cakes off-limits.

"The object lesson here is that obesity is all to do with education, education, education," Mr Fry said. "Early in a child's life they need to be introduced to portion size as a positive measure, otherwise it becomes forbidden fruit. It isn't just the ignorant affected by obesity, it goes across all social classes."

Snacks banned: 'His problem is portions'

Jane Galley, 43, Sheffield, is mother to David, 10, and Jonathan, 12

"The younger boy has always been as thin as a rake, but Jonathan, the older, has been heavier. When they were little I never gave them sweets and rubbish, I always gave them homemade food, but other people would give them it when they were out of the house. I suppose that I was quite restrictive, but nothing was ever completely out of bounds. When I was swimming with my older son he saw a poster for an organisation called Mend, which helps overweight children. He learnt about portion control, and balancing energy intake and exercise. His problem was never excessive snacking, more just portion control."

Snacks allowed: 'He knows he should eat sensibly'

Tracy Rogers, 35, a civil servant from south Wales, is relaxed about letting her children, Lewis, nine, and Jack, 11, eat snacks

"The only rule, really, is that they have to have eaten their dinner before they can have snacks. They always ask first: they are not allowed to just help themselves. They are allowed to have fruit, crisps, biscuits and chocolate. Jack is at secondary school now and so has access to whatever he wants at school. The snacks I give him for lunchboxes are often portion-controlled, like cake bars. He knows that he should eat sensibly, which is good because it is difficult to monitor what he is eating. Both boys are slim, and I've never worried about their weight. They are very active. Jack plays rugby and cricket, while Lewis plays football three or four times a week."

Article Source: www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/diet-foods-encourage-overeating-study-finds-1704827.html

Who has found this to be true? Any experiences with this?

Most Americans are either trying to lose (53%) or maintain their weight (25%), by changing the amount of food they eat (71%); changing the types of foods they eat (65%); engaging in physical activity (62%); changing how often they eat (44%); and counting calories (19%).

This is according to the “2009 Food & Health Survey, Consumer Attitudes toward Food, Nutrition & Health." It was conducted online Feb. 19 to March 11 by the International Food Information Council Foundation here.

When asked about hurdles to staying on track, 44% said they didn’t see results quickly, 43% expressed lack of will power and 40% noted a lack of time.

Confusion about the relationship between calories and weight gain may also inhibit progress. Only 30% believe that calories in general are what cause weight gain, while just 11% correctly estimated the number of calories a person of their age, weight and height should consume per day. Close to half (47%) overestimated, 16% underestimated and 26% didn’t even venture to guess.

The findings indicate educational opportunities for supermarkets.

“Consumers crave consistency and they really want us to talk in positive terms about what they should be eating, instead of what they shouldn’t eat,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, director of health and nutrition for IFIC. “We need to provide alternatives, positive choices to consumers, so they can improve their health.”

Article Source: supermarketnews.com/news/americans_weight_0522/

 One good help to lose or maintain weight is with flaxseed. The high fiber and low carb makeup of Kathy's Krackers make them a great snack or meal replacement. 
What are some ideas that you have about losing weight? Anything that has worked well for you?