Low-Fat Letdown

Seems counterintuitive, but foods labeled "low-fat" may help you pack on the pounds.

That's because people aren't good at estimating serving sizes of low-fat foods, so they eat up to 50 percent more calories than they would with the "full-fat" version. But there are ways to protect your waistline.

Fat-Free, Not Home Free
To boost the flavor factor, food makers often replace the fat in snack foods with extra sugar, flour, and other waist-busting ingredients. The result: low-fat foods with the same number of calories as the regular versions.

Follow these rules to help make low-fat foods work for your diet, not against it:

1. Check calories. Stick with the low-fat version if it's lower in calories. But if it's not, the full-fat version may do a better job of satisfying you -- as long as it's got mostly healthful unsaturated fats.

2. Check ingredients. Is white flour or sugar a main ingredient in the low-fat version? Opt for a low-fat product made with whole grains instead. And pass up anything that has more than 4 grams of sugar per serving. Learn how to read nutrition labels.

3. Check portions. Eating twice as much of the low-fat version doesn't do your waist any favors. If you feel satisfied after eating the full-fat version -- and you end up eating less of it -- revisit rule #1.

Want more tips to help you eat your way slim? Visit the YOU: On a Diet center for advice from Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz.

Can "low-fat" nutrition labels lead to obesity? Wansink, B., Chandon, P., Journal of Marketing Research 2006 Nov;43(4):605-617.