30 Oct Counting Bites Instead Of Calories Can Lead To Weight Loss

Dr. West

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Joshua H. West, Ph.D., MPH
Department of Health Science
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. West: Americans consume too much food. Yet most of our focus is on the qualitative aspects of food. Overconsumption of ‘good’ food can also negative outcomes. Most diets are confusing, costly to the individual, and difficult to adhere to. Even counting calories can be cumbersome and time-consuming. We found that participants lost weight by prioritizing worrying less about what they were eating and simply reducing how much they were eating, as estimated using a bite counting method.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. West: This is a simple, sustainable and personalized approach to eating that may help individuals lose weight. This is particularly important for clinicians working with patients in disadvantaged settings where it is not feasible to expect a patient to pay more for ‘better’ food.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. West: Whereas these findings are most applicable for individuals with a BMI greater than 25, future research should explore bite counting strategies targeting individuals with a healthy BMI, which may return the focus to prioritizing qualitative aspects of food while still maintaining efforts to consume healthy quantities.

Citation:

Ben Crookston and Cougar Hall et al. Pilot Test of A Bites-Focused Weight Loss Intervention. Advances in Obesity, Weight Management & Control, October 2015

Joshua H. West, Ph.D., MPH (2015). Counting Bites Instead Of Calories Can Lead To Weight Loss 

Last Updated on October 30, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD