A Soup-er Way To Loose Weight

Have you broken your New Year's resolution to eat right and lose weight? If so, you're not alone.

While six in 10 (60 percent) Americans would like to lose weight this year, most weight loss resolutions barely make it to Valentine's Day, according to a recent survey commissioned by Campbell Soup Company. Americans who have made it a goal to watch their waistlines have taken an average of seven weeks to break their resolution. More than half (51 percent) of those who made this resolution in the past have only been able to stick to this goal for a month or less.

"It's no surprise that people fall off the bandwagon so quickly when trying to lose weight, considering the many cultural obstacles we all face," said Dr. Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., Guthrie Chair in Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University. Dr. Rolls is also the author of The Volumetrics Weight- Control Plan and The Volumetrics Eating Plan, the first books to promote the scientific principles of satiety -- the body's signal that it is full. A key finding in Dr. Rolls' 25-year career in research: "Soup is a secret weapon for weight control."

In fact, 66 percent of people recently surveyed said they believe eating broth-based soup is a helpful way to feel full and satisfied when watching their weight. According to Rolls, research supports this behavior because consuming soup as the first course of a meal can help individuals to control calories. One study found that people who ate soup with a meal consumed about 100 fewer calories on average during their entire meal.

January is National Soup Month, which makes it the perfect time to begin incorporating lower-calorie soups into a daily diet regime. "It's important to add variety to a healthy weight loss plan," said Elizabeth Fassberg, M.P.H., R.D., owner of EAT FOOD, a food and nutrition consultancy in New York City. "Many times people get bored with the same foods and quickly go back to their own unhealthy way of eating. With lots of different flavors, it's easier to stay on track and stay interested."

Campbell offers more than 80 varieties of soup with 100 calories or less per serving. This category-leading array means there is sure to be a soup to suit all tastes and cravings -- each and every day. So if you want to spice up your diet, look in the soup aisle of your local grocery store for a variety of great-tasting options, including "Campbell's" condensed, "Campbell's Select," "Campbell's Chunky" and "Campbell's Soup at Hand" soups.

According to the survey, Americans who would like to lose weight this year will be making a number of changes to their diet, especially eating smaller portions (60 percent), limiting their fat intake (56 percent), controlling their sugar consumption (52 percent), and cutting back on carbohydrates (32 percent).