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Dieticians spell out 10 surefire steps to weight loss

Forget the food fads and 'Take 10' small steps to weight loss success - that's the message from dietitians to the thousands who will make weight loss their goal this year.

"Fad and quick-fix weight loss programs often promise easy, no-effort weight loss.

The reality is these programs can set people up to fail and damage their self-esteem in the process," said Claire Hewat, CEO of Dieticians Association of Australia (DAA).

Clare Collins, associate professor of dietics, said:

"A range of approaches can help you lose weight in the short term, but making small, permanent changes that fit with your lifestyle will give you the best chance of keeping weight off in the long term."

Collins' 'Take 10' tips for achieving or maintaining a healthy weight are:

• Eat breakfast
• Include vegetables or salad with lunch and dinner
• Choose fruit as a snack
• Replace full-fat food and drinks with reduced-fat alternatives
• Choose wholegrain foods instead of more refined foods
• Eat smaller serving sizes by using smaller plates and cups
• Eat slowly and stop when you are satisfied, not stuffed full
• Eat when you genuinely feel hungry, rather than for emotional or other reasons
• Swap sweetened drinks such as cordial, soft drink and juice with water
• Eat your evening meals at a dinner table with the TV turned off.

The DAA commissioned research was conducted by Newspoll market research nationally among 1,201 respondents aged 18 years and over. Interviews were conducted by telephone Nov 14-16, 2008, says a DAA release.

It found that 45.5 percent people had actively tried to lose weight during the 12 months prior to the survey, with 21.8 per cent of these people following a diet from a book or magazine and 16.4 per cent seeking advice from a dietitian.