Relying on food supplements to replace healthy foods may be causing your body fat problems, according to Ron Brown, author of The Body Fat Guide.

"Supplements are intended to supplement food, not replace eating healthier food," says Brown. "Yet, I believe most people do not use supplements this way. They think that conveniently swallowing a few tablets gives them license to eat foods high in empty calories. As a result, they end up taking in a higher than normal amount of calories with fewer nutrients, and that leads to even more eating and body fat gain."

Brown backs up his view with reports showing that most people recognize the importance of healthy eating, but few are actually eating healthy.

"In my view," he says, "the reliance on supplements to replace healthy eating may account for much of this gap."

And even if you don't pop many vitamin and mineral supplements directly into your mouth, Brown says you are probably consuming many foods that have been "fortified" with these supplements for you by food processors.

"Whenever you process nutrients out of food and try to put some of them back again, you destroy much of the value of the original food," says Brown. "Just removing fiber and water alone concentrates the calories in our food and causes us to swallow calories too quickly. The best plan is to try to balance your diet with foods that have not been altered or processed by the food industry. Clearly, people are a long way from that!"

So what can you do to get your daily supply of nutrients without relying on supplements and without increasing your calorie intake?

"You don't have to eat like a rabbit," says Brown. "Just try to cut down your intake of processed foods and increase your intake of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables in as close to the natural state that nature intended you to eat them. Then, make sure you stay within your daily calorie allowance, which you can determine with my book, The Body Fat Guide."
 

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