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Auburn, July 25, 2002---Americans are always looking for two things, says Dr. Barbara Struempler – a closer parking place and an easier way to lose weight.

Struempler, a nutritionist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, says Americans are constantly on the lookout for a quick fix to weight loss – and there are plenty of fad diets to choose from.

In a recent study conducted by Agricultural Research Services, scientists concluded that Americans who consume high-carbohydrate diets consume fewer calories and are actually thinner than those who follow high-protein, low-carb diets.

But Struempler says high-carb versus low-carb diets are not the answer to weight control. It all comes down to calorie consumption; the fewer calories you consume, the less you will weigh.

"Every month you can find an article on weight control that takes whichever side you want it to take," Struempler says. "You can find articles that say high-protein diets are best or articles supporting high-carbohydrate diets. These diets aren’t new. They are constantly being recycled. They may have a new name, or there may be a new cover on the book, but they are the same diets. These diets are not the answer to successful weight management. The bottom line is how many calories you take in and how many calories your body uses."

The study revealed that those who followed the higher-carbohydrate diets were consuming 200 to 300 fewer calories a day than those on high-protein diets. Struempler says those extra calories make the difference in unwanted pounds.

"If you take in more calories than your body can use, you’re going to gain weight," she says. "That rule cannot be disputed. If your body is burning more calories than what you are eating, you will lose weight."

For example, Struempler says, if someone follows an 800-calorie diet (which is a very low-calorie diet), she could actually eat an all-fat diet and lose weight.

"You could eat an all-protein diet or an all-carb diet – or even an all-fat diet – and lose weight because most people can burn that many calories even if they are just sitting around all day," she says.

Struempler doesn’t advocate such an approach, but she makes her point: No matter what one eats, fewer calories mean less weight.

"People really need to realize how little food it takes to pack in the calories, and how hard it is to work those calories off," she says. "Most people can eat 20 peanuts – a handful – in about 20 seconds. Those peanuts won’t fill you up and won’t satisfy you, but you’ve consumed 100 calories. It took only 20 seconds to consume those 100 calories, but you’ll have to walk a mile to burn them off – and that’s probably about 12 to 15 minutes for most people."

The Food Guide Pyramid’s recommended number of servings and serving sizes within the various food groups is a great place to start to cut back on calories, she says.

"If you stay within the recommended serving sizes and numbers, such as half-a-cup of this or 3 ounces of lean chicken, you will eventually eat in a day a diet that is about 30 percent fat, 10 to 15 percent protein and 55 to 60 percent carbohydrates," she says. "We encourage people to try to eat more of the complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, wheat, breads, cereals, and fruits and vegetables rather than simple carbohydrates like sugar, soft drinks and candy."

Though eating a well-balanced, properly portioned diet should be easy, it’s not in today’s society.

"Just look at all the supersizing today in restaurants," Struempler says. "It is very unusual to get a soft drink today that is less than 16 ounces. That’s twice what a regular-sized soft drink was just two decades ago. Everything is whopper, super, deluxe and mega. Those mega meals come at a high price."

Mega meals mean mega calories. And all those extra calories each day add up to extra weight.

"Every 100 calories counts," she says. "Weight management for a great majority of Americans is pretty simple – it’s all about calories in and calories out. We could do it. We can control our weight. We have that power. We just don’t do it. We’d rather look for an easier way."