Confusion hinders diets

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- On a mission to whip herself into shape, Kate Kowalczyk tossed out the junk food and stocked up on her idea of good-for-you staples such as yogurt and low-fat cookies.
Despite her persistence, the 35 pounds she was trying to shake wouldn't budge.
It turns out those "healthy" foods were just as fattening as the chips and soda they replaced: The yogurt was filled with Reese's Pieces and the low-fat cookies were brimming with sugar that kept her hunger on razor's edge.
As concerns grow over rising obesity rates, so does confusion about the difference between what is healthful and what aids weight loss.
"That's why so many people just give in and so many diets fail," said Christine Gerbstadt, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
Foods with wholesome images -- nuts, yogurt and granola -- are often consumed with abandon by dieters and end up sabotaging them, she said. Many brands of granola, for example, can be packed with up to 600 calories per cup and are loaded with more sugar than a cup of Cap'n Crunch.
While foods such as granola and yogurt are certainly more nutritious than a bag of Cheetos, it's important to pick the lower-calorie brands that are not loaded with sugar or fat.
"When you have different choices and brands, just look for the ones with lower calories," Gerbstadt said.
Still, some weight watchers manage to convince themselves that blueberry pie has its place in a diet -- simply because it features a fruit, said Marlene Clark, a registered dietitian at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles.
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