After more than a half century of counting calories, experts are advising dieters to ditch the numbers game and take a more holistic approach to losing weight.
Tom Vilsack, the U.S. secretary of agriculture, signaled a major change in mind-set last month while unveiling the country’s new dietary guidelines. “Not all calories are created equally,” he said.
A 1,200-calorie Twinkie diet isn’t going to do the body as much good as a 1,200-calorie diet of whole grains, even though both may achieve weight loss.
It sounds obvious.
But the country’s multibillion-dollar diet industry has mostly operated on a calories-in, calories-out philosophy. Now, nutritionists and dietitians, many of whom have always thought calorie counting was a flawed way of losing weight, are preaching a new course of action.
Increase quality of food
Even the grandaddy of diet institutions, Weight Watchers, has changed – restructuring its plan to encourage eating more good-for-you foods such as fruits and vegetables. It’s no longer about reducing quantity as much as it is about increasing quality.
“At the end of the day, we’re seeing that the calorie-in, calorie-out approach was the wrong message,” said Heather Schwartz, a dietitian with Stanford Hospital and Clinics. “Of course, if you significantly reduce calories, you will lose weight. But how long can you sustain that?”
The answer is not for very long, Schwartz said. Studies show that most people gain back weight within six to nine months of losing it, she said.
Since the 1950s, dieters have focused on counting calories, and when the obesity rate started climbing in the 1970s and ’80s, the emphasis became even stronger. In the past 20 years, a rash of fad diets have promoted everything from eliminating carbohydrates and fats to adopting packaged-food plans. But when you get right down to it, Schwartz said, those diets have focused on calories.
“They were quick fixes, not lifestyle changes,” she said. She added that despite the conventional wisdom that reducing calorie intake is the way to a trimmer waistline, a whole school of nutritionists and dietitians opposed that notion.
“We knew that a calorie is not a calorie is not a calorie,” Schwartz said. “But how do you fight a mega industry saying otherwise?”
For years, some experts tried – attempting to convince people that if they substituted nutrient-rich calories (such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts) for empty calories (like soda, processed foods and refined sugar), they would become healthier and ultimately slimmer.
Program restructured
The idea that eating nutrient-dense foods is more important than counting calories is catching on. Late last year, Weight Watchers changed its program after 14 years.
Once based primarily on calories, the organization has changed its “points” formula to better “factor in the nutrients that make up a calorie,” said Stephanie Rost, director of corporate development.
“We’re looking at how much energy your body uses to process the food,”
she said.
For example: Under the old plan, a croissant with butter would have contained the same amount of points as a poached egg with a 3-ounce slice of ham and a piece of whole wheat toast. Now the latter counts for fewer points because it’s a more balanced and filling option that’s packed with protein and fiber.
Unlike before, Weight Watchers gives fruits a free pass – they used to cost points – in hopes of encouraging participants to get more of them into their diets. “Losing weight isn’t the only ingredient to healthy living,” said Suzanne Rauzon, director of strategy for the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley. “You can lose weight from just eating one bag of Cheetos a day. But that’s not a very balanced way of eating. If you’re just focusing on the energy value of food, you’re missing out on eating a variety of things that are good for you.”
It’s not just the experts who agree. “We are much more informed about food today than we were 10 to 20 years ago,” said Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant industry analyst for market research firm NPD.
Less focus on restrictions
The company recently polled health- and weight-conscious consumers about their eating patterns at restaurants. Those surveyed ranked concerns over high-caloric foods only 8 on a scale of 14. The top preferences were for foods made with high-quality, fresh, nutritious and organic ingredients.
“For those looking for healthy options on the menu, it was not about calories,” Riggs said.
For the first time in a long time, diets are less about restrictions and more about nourishment, Schwartz said. “It’s a really empowering way to eat.”
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