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08 Jul 2008
Overweight patients who keep a food diary are twice as likely to lose weight, significantly reducing their risk of developing diabetes and heart disease, a new study has shown.
Research published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that recording food intake in a diary can double a person's weight loss.
Lead author of the report Dr Jack Hollis, researcher at the Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research in the US, said: "The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost.
"Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories."
The study of approximately 1,700 participants involved following a healthy-heart diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low-fat and non-fat dairy as well as taking part in moderate exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes each day for six months.
According to the results, more than two thirds of participants lost at least nine pounds in weight - enough to reduce the health risks associated with being overweight, including diabetes and hypertension.
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