Diet supplements don't work, so what does? Oregon State University ...

Last week in Pulse (in The Oregonian's Wednesday Living section), we wrote about a new review looking for any evidence that diet supplements -- a $2.4 billion industry in this country -- actually help people lose weight. The bottom line: They don't.

Melinda Manore, an Oregon State University professor of nutrition and exercise sciences, reviewed a couple hundred studies investigating hundreds of weight-loss supplements and found no evidence that using any product results in significant weight loss.

A few products, including green tea, fiber and low-fat dairy supplements were associated with a modest weight loss of 3 to 4 pounds, though most of those supplements were tested as part of a reduced-calorie diet.

Manore warns, too, that many supplements are loaded with stimulants that can be harmful to the central nervous system and other body functions.

"Everybody wants the 'in' product," she says. "Everybody wants the 'after' body. Nobody wants to put in the work it takes to get there."

Trouble is, says Manore, who is on the science board for the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, "the work" is the only thing that does.

What's it entail?

In a nutshell: Eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Eat fewer high-fat foods. Keep moving.

So instead of reaching for that fat-blaster pill, she says, try these guidelines for a healthy lifestyle:

-- Don't leave the house in the morning without having a dinner plan. Spontaneous eating often results in poorer food choices.

-- If you eat out, start with a large salad with low-calorie dressing, or a broth-based soup. You'll feel fuller and are less likely to eat your entire entree. Better yet, Split your entree with a dining partner, or order only an appetizer as your entree.

-- Keep moving, especially if you have a sedentary job. Some ideas: put calls on speaker phone so you can walk while talking; stand or pace during long meetings to avoid all the sitting.

-- Put vegetables into every meal possible. Shred them into pasta sauce. Add them to meat. Buy bags of fruit or vegetables for on-the-go eating.

-- Eat more fiber and try wet sources instead of dry ones. Cooked oatmeal or brown rice leaves you feeling fuller than a fiber cracker.

-- Eat whole fruits and vegetables instead of the liquid variety -- an apple, for instance, instead of apple juice. You'll feel fuller, she says, on 100 calories of grapes than you will on 100 calories of raisins.

-- Eliminate processed foods.

- Katy Muldoon; twitter.com/katymuldoon

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2012/03/diet_supplements_dont_work_so.html

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