NIH Research Matters March 2, 2009 Weight Loss Depends on Less
Calories, Not Nutrient Mix Heart-healthy diets that reduce
calorie intake—regardless of differing proportions of fat,
protein or carbohydrate—can help overweight and obese adults
achieve and maintain weight loss, according to a new study.
You’re considered overweight if your body mass index (BMI)—a
ratio of weight to height—is greater than 25 and less than 30.
Those with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered to be obese.
Sixty-six percent of American adults are overweight and of
those, 32% are obese, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Researchers funded by NIH’s National
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recruited 811 overweight
and obese adults, aged 30 to 70, and assigned them to 1 of 4
diets. The participants didn’t have diabetes or severe heart
disease but could have had other risk factors, such as high
blood pressure or high cholesterol. The research was done at the
Harvard University School of Public Health in