Why a Calorie Isn't Just a Calorie

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A recent report on differing diet regimens discovered that there is no single magic bullet where weight loss is concerned. Nope. The factor that seems to matter most is the number of calories ingested. Many people came away from this heavily promoted study proclaiming it's all about calories... and a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. But is it? If you consider that a vegetable stir-fry with brown rice contains the same number of calories as a slice of lemon-meringue pie (around 350 apiece), does it matter if you skip the healthy meal and go straight to dessert? Or if you choose two apples over a Hostess Twinkie for a little 150-calorie pick-me-up, are you really better off? "I'm not convinced that we know that a calorie is just a calorie," says Barbara J. Rolls, professor and Guthrie Chair of Nutrition at Penn State University. She and others in the diet field believe the study was too narrow in focus, sending mixed signals to do-it-yourself dieters. For more on this story go to http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/05/13/why_a_calorie_isnt_just_a_calorie/


Author: John McGran

Archived posts 2009

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