Scientists have long known a reliable way to lose weight in lab animals; Cut the amount of calories(卡路里) by 10 percent to 40 percent. A new study suggests that in young and middle-aged adults, taking in 300 caloric less every day can also have a big influence on their body weight and health.
In the new study published this month in the Lancet, researchers looked at a group of 143 healthy men and women aging from 21 to 50. They could eat the foods they wanted as long as they cut about 12 percent of their total calories, or roughly 300 calories a day.
The group saw their health improve. For example, their blood pressure fell, and they had better blood sugar control.
“The benefits came from the fact that they lost about 16 pounds over the two years of the study,” said William Kraus, the lead author of the study and a professor of medicine at Duke University.
“We were surprised by these changes,” he added. “In a disease population, there aren't five drugs in combination(组合) that would get such a big improvement.”
Calories cut may be useful for better health and weight loss, said Frank Hu, the chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health. But he questioned whether caloric cut would be possible for most people since we are living in an environment with so many energy-rich, nutrient-poor foods that are cheap, and heavily advertised.
He suggested, however, that some people might find calorie cut possible if they combined it with other popular diets like the Mediterranean diet.
Dr. Kraus said, “It’s not that hard to cut as little as 300 calories a day from their diets. It just takes an after-dinner snack.”
1.How much calories does a middle-aged adult usually take in each day?
A.About 300. B.About 750. C.About 2,500. D.About3,000.
2.What led to the health benefits in the new study according to William Kraus?
A.The combination of five drugs. B.The weight loss.
C.The energy-rich snacks. D.The delicious foods.
3.What is Frank Hu’s attitude toward the advice in the new study?
A.Doubtful. B.Favorable. C.Uncaring. D.Curious.
4.What can be the suitable title for the text?
A.Hot Debate on Different Weight-losing Diets
B.New Health Guidelines Published for the Adults
C.The Easiest Way to Stay Fit and Healthy Ever Found
D.Cutting 300 Calories a Day to Stay Healthy Every Day