Study: Counting bites, not calories, leads to weight loss

People who count bites can lose weight in just a month, a pilot study conducted in the U.S. revealed.

Health science researchers from the Brigham Young University (BYU) found that those who counted the number of bites they took each day within four weeks lost approximately four pounds, which is approximately what the CDC recommends for “healthy” weight loss.

In the study, the team asked 61 participants to record the "number of times they lifted food to their mouth and the number of gulps of liquids, other than water." At the end of each day, the subjects texted or emailed their totals to researchers. Over the month-long test, the participants also committed to taking 20 to 30 percent fewer bites.

The 41 test subjects who finished the experiment had encouraging results, despite changing nothing else about their eating and exercise routine. However, the researchers pointed out that there is more research needed to validate this strategy for long-term success.

“This study confirms what we already knew: consuming less food makes a difference. We're not advocating people starve themselves, what we're talking about is people eating less than they're currently eating,” said lead study author Josh West.

He noted that the team felt positive about the experiment’s results, considering the relatively short span of time. West said there is a need for follow-up to see if the participants can keep the pounds off or if they lose more weight.

Those who failed to finish the study had a hard time keeping up with counting bites, the team said. To address this issue, researchers from BYU’s Computer Science department have developed an algorithm that can do the counting for the participants. The technology, created with the help of Professor Christophe Giraud-Carrier, has now been licenced to local startup company SmartBites. The company is refining it as an application for wearable devices such as Android Wear and WatchOS.

West and his team believe that counting bites is a doable, cost-effective option for those who are overweight. People who are overweight need to be more focused on the quantitative aspects of food and less on the qualitative aspects, according to West and his co-authors.

“We're consuming considerably more calories than we did a generation ago or two generations ago; at the same time we're much less active. The good news is that you don't have to be extreme calorie cutting. Even a 20 percent reduction in bites makes a difference,” said Ben Crookston, a co-author of the study.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, almost two in three adults in the country are overweight or obese. This is 10 percent higher than the figures in 1995.

The findings from the pilot study are detailed in the journal Advances in Obesity, Weight Management & Control.

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