Healthy living
Diet and weight loss
A sweeter way to weight loss
Want to lose some pounds? Try a spoonful of sugar
It sounds too good to be true, but a sprinkling of sugar may actually help you lose excess weight, according to a study carried out by researchers at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
The study, published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, found that overweight women who ate sugar as part of their diet and exercise plan, had the best health outcomes, compared to those whose plans consisted of diet or exercise alone. After three months, the sugar group had lost significant amounts of weight, and boasted slimmer waistlines. They also had a lower percentage of body fat and improved cholesterol levels.
This is the first study to challenge the conventional view that sugar should be avoided at all costs when trying to lose weight.
The researchers asked 69 overweight women to follow four different diet and exercise programmes over a 12-week period. The first group were asked to follow a low-fat high-carbohydrate diet including sugar-containing cereal bars. Around one tenth of their diet was sugar (sucrose), which is about the same as an average adult in the UK. They also took daily exercise.
The second group were encouraged to increase their levels of exercise, including an hour's brisk walk every day. The third group were asked to combine the diet and exercise programmes without eating sugar while the fourth group received no advice. At the beginning and end of the study, the women were weighed and measured and had blood tests.
"This research contributes to the growing body of evidence that an effective way to lose weight is by adhering to a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet and by being physically active," said researcher Dr Sandra Drummond. "It also provides evidence that the exclusion of sucrose, as is normally advocated in a weight loss diet, is not necessary to achieve weight reduction."
She added that sugar made food tastier, so it was easier for women to stick to their diet plan. 'Compliance with this palatable low fat diet was excellent and when combined with increased physical activity resulted in significant improvements in body composition for this group of overweight women.'
Weighty facts
- Obesity causes more than 30,000 deaths a year in England
- Around 22 percent of Britons are obese, and the rates in adults have almost quadrupled in the last 25 years
- Anyone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 to 30 is considered overweight. Over 30, and you are considered obese. You can calculate your BMI by visiting the NHS web site
Useful articles
Useful website
Reader comments
Refined sugar is considered by Dr Walter Yellowlees, a retired GP in Aberfeldy, Scotland, to be one of the refined foods which are a major cause of many diseases of the digestive system prevalent in so called "civilised" Western societies. These conditions include diabetes, appendicitis, diverticular disease, and colon cancer. These diseases are virtually unknown in societies where these refined foods are not eaten. Overconsumption of sugar can cause unnatural bacterial growth (including E. coli)in the colon. Researchers and readers are referred to Dr Yellowlees book "A doctor in the Wilderness" 1993 (ISBN 1 85756 013 2) which implies that refined foods including white sugar should be avoided in a healthy diet. Dr Yellowlees is apparently still living healthily in his 90's in Scotland.
Posted by: C Macdonald | 03/08/2007 13:27:32
It is all very well telling people to have sugar, but, it could cause them to become diabetic. Many people do not know they are diabetic and do not know the implications of eating too much sugar which could cause blindness and other illnesses.
Posted by: Mrs Rosemary A. Rees | 29/07/2007 12:09:25
OK, so you have intrigued me by this report. Now where can I find more info re recommended amount of sugar?
Posted by: Audrey Griffiths | 29/07/2007 10:22:29
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.