Keep Slim By Cutting Down Fat Without Dieting!

In order to lose weight or keep slim, people would normally go on dieting by deliberately selecting specific food to consume. But a study conducted by WHO (World Health Organization) reported on December 6, 2012 in the ‘British Medical Journal’ that swapping fatty foods for low-fat alternatives can actually keep people slim.

33 trials involving 73,589 men, women and children in America, Europe and New Zealand were reviewed. It was found that choosing low fat foods without dieting helped people lose about 1.59 kilos, reduce waistlines and cut bad cholesterol.

According to researchers who conducted the study, the weight reduction was remarkably consistent in almost every trial. Those who reduce more on fat intake lost more weight. The study looked at people who did not aim to lose weight and continued consuming a normal amount of food. Yet these people did lose weight with reduced BMI (body mass index) and slimmer waists. The lower fat eaters also kept their weight down over at least 7 years.

There were varying ages and states of health among all participants. After comparing those eating less fat than usual and those eating their usual amount of fat, the researchers measured the effect on weight and waistline after at least 6 months.

Their analysis showed that eating less fat had their body weight reduced by 1.6 kilos, BMI cut by 0.56 kg/m and waist circumference slimmed by 0.5cm. Moreover, statistically significant reductions in cholesterol and blood pressure were also found, suggesting that a lower fat diet could be beneficial.

Cutting down on fat is not a difficult task. For instance, people can opt for low-fat yoghurts, skimmed milk and reduce intake of butter, cheese and fatty snacks like crisps and cakes.

As the study was commissioned by the WHO's Nutrition Guidance Expert Advisory Group, its findings are likely to become part of global recommendations on nutrition.

BMI is the ratio of weight (kilo) to the square of height (meter). A person is said to be overweight if the BMI is more than 25 kilo/m2 and obese if the ratio is more than 30 kilo/m2. In Europe, more than half of the population is obese or overweight, and in America more than 35 percent of adults and almost 17 percent of children are qualified as obese.

Being overweight or obese will raise the risk of many diseases including cancer, heart disease and stroke. As indicated by WHO, more than 17 million people died of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, which are the biggest killers worldwide.