Calorie-counters stage comeback

By Megan K. Scott, Associated Press

Monday, May 12, 2008

Kevin Kopjak doesn't care much about carbs, fat, sodium or high-fructose corn syrup.

He generally reads only two things on a nutrition label: the portion size and the calories. He says the strategy has helped him to lose and keep off 100 pounds.

"Counting calories seems to work for me," says Kopjak, 29, of San Francisco, who initially did Atkins and several other diets before switching to counting calories. "But it's a lot of discipline. When I first started, I had an Excel log where I literally wrote everything I ate down."

Kopjak may be on to something. The past few decades have brought us diets like Atkins, Sugar Busters, The Zone, Slim Fast and Jenny Craig. But could it be that all we need is to go back to the basics? Calorie-counting - one of the oldest methods of weight loss - appears to be making a strong comeback. New books such as Lisa Lillien's Hungry Girl tout the benefits of calorie restriction.

New York City recently enacted a regulation requiring some chain restaurants to post calories on their menus, and lawmakers in California and King County, Wash., have considered similar measures.

It all makes low carb, high protein and no sugar seem out of fashion.

"We count in America everything but calories," says Madelyn Fernstrom, founder and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Weight Management Center. "(But) calories are the single most important thing to count when you are trying to lose weight or maintain weight. There's no way around this."

Research backs this up. A U.S. Department of Agriculture-Tufts University study published last year revealed that when it comes to losing weight, calories count more than food types.

And most people know: take in too many calories, gain weight. To lose weight, slash calories - 3,500 calories equal one pound - through a combination of diet and exercise.

"But how do you reduce calories without having people suffer?" says Dr. Melina Jampolis, author of The Busy Person's Guide to Permanent Weight Loss, a book that provides simple diet and exercise strategies. "It's easier said than done."

The USDA recommends that women ages 19 and up consume 1,600 to 2,400 calories depending on age, height and activity level to maintain weight. For men, the numbers are 2,000 to 3,000 calories. Dietitians suggest that dieters aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, which means burning or cutting 500 to 1,000 calories more a day.

Even with careful calorie-counting, many registered dietitians point out, losing weight in a healthy fashion can be complex. Different people respond to different approaches. And dramatically cutting any single thing can be counterproductive and even dangerous.

Counting calories can also have its own problems because, science aside, people are people, says registered dietitian Heather Bauer, co-author of The Wall Street Diet.

"If you start to count calories, it becomes monotonous and time-consuming," she says.

She says a food diary can help people to spot eating patterns, but her advice to her clients is to eat less and make healthier choices.