Lack of Dietary Protein May Cause Overeating, Obesity

SYDNEYThe overriding drive for dietary protein could be a key factor in the global obesity epidemic, with individuals' total calorie intake increasing as the percentage of protein in their diets decreases, according to a new study published online in Obesity Reviews.

Researchers at the University of Sydney found that regardless of weight, age or the time frame of a diet, reducing the percentage of dietary protein will result in increased total energy intake, contributing to overweight and obesity.

The research collated the results of 38 published experimental trials measuring the unrestricted energy intake of people on different diets, also taking into account a broad spectrum of age ranges, Body Mass Indexes (BMIs) and diet durations.

"We found that regardless of your age or BMI, your appetite for protein is so strong that you will keep eating until you get enough protein, which could mean you're eating much more than you should," said Dr. Alison Gosby, lead author of the research and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre.

As diets shift toward an increased proportion of foods that are higher in carbohydrate or fat, available protein is reduced and calorie intake necessarily increases.

"For example, when you consume things like soft drinks, which are fairly low in proportion of protein but high in calories, your energy intake will increase because you'll need to keep eating to get the protein you need. If you add a soft drink to your lunch then you've added a lot of calories, but you'll still have to eat the same amount of food," Gosby said.

The increased understanding of appetite provided by the research could have profound impacts on the design of effective and healthy weight-loss diets, food-labeling policies, food production systems and regulatory frameworks.

"We have shown that when people are trying to lose weight they need to look at macronutrient composition, not just calories. If you cut out calories but don't consider protein intake, you're going to be hungry and your diet won't be successful," she said.

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