Eating More Can Result In Better Weight

Control
As surprising as it might sound, researchers at Pennsylvania
State University have taken a six-year look at weight
management and diet and found that subjects eating a larger
physical amount of food actually did better with their weight
management. While their findings may at first seem strange,
they actually make very good sense once you focus on the
same issue that provided the focus for their study. That issue
was energy density (ED), a term that refers to the amount of
calories provided in a diet in comparison to the physical
amount of food that a person actually eats. The most ED foods
give you the greatest number of calories per spoonful. Foods
lowest in ED give you the least number of calories per
spoonful. For any given number of calories-let's say, 1,500
calories per day-you get to eat the largest physical amount of
food when that food is lowest in ED. If you base your diet on
high-ED foods, you don't get to eat nearly as much.
In their study of 186 women, these researchers determined that
the highest ED group was only able to consume an average of
751 grams of food per day while still averaging a fairly high
number of calories (1,737). In contrast, the lowest ED group
was able to consume an average of 879 grams per day (17%
more) while only averaging 1,639 calories (6% less). What
were the dietary secrets that allowed low-ED women to enjoy
more food for fewer calories? The authors of the study ran
detailed statistical analyses in this area and determined that the
lowest ED group ate significantly more vegetables (especially
dark green, yellow, and red vegetables), fruits, and whole
grains than the highest ED group. At the same time, the lowest
ED women ate significantly less fried foods (including French

fries and potato chips), meats, refined grains, breads, fats, and
sweets.
These study results make sense. Vegetables, as a group,
average less than 10 calories per ounce, and some vegetableslike spinach, celery, cucumber, asparagus, and romaine
lettuce-average 5 calories per ounce or less. On the other hand,
meats-even the leanest cuts of the leanest meats like venisonalways average 40 calories per ounce or higher. (The fattiest
cuts of meat, like some types of beef brisket or pork bacon,
can average 125-150 calories per ounce.) While it may be
apparent that there is a great calorie difference between
different types of food, what people often forget is that is they
eat low ED foods they will be able to enjoy a greater amount
of food, which will lead to a heightened sense of satiety and
fulfillment.
In this particular study, women in the highest ED group gained
an average of 14 pounds over the six-year period of time.
Women in the lowest ED group gained an average of 5.5
pounds over that same time period. That's a significant
difference and one that has traditionally been explained by
focusing on calories alone. In this study, however, improved
weight control in the low-ED group was not only associated
with lower calorie intake but also with an increased volume of
food consumption that participants achieved by focusing on
dark green, yellow and red vegetables, fruits, and whole
grains.
WHFoods Recommendations
Increasing your intake of health-supportive foods like fruits
and vegetables is not only a way to optimize your
nourishment. It's also a way to optimize your food volume.
With more foods like fresh vegetables, you'll not only be

receiving an abundance of nutrients for minimal calories but

also allowing yourself to eat a greater volume of food. Better
weight management is a likely result, along with the pleasure
of an ample diet based on whole, natural fresh foods.
References

Savage JS, Marini M, Birch LL et al. Dietary

energy density predicts women's weight change
over 6 y. The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition. Bethesda: Sep 1, 2008. Vol. 88, Iss.
3; pg. 677-684. 2008.