Christmas is fast approaching and that means parties, food and drink galore! So, with seven out of 10 adults having attempted to lose weight over the last two years, and three out of four of those failing to get to or near their goal weight, what chance do we have of stopping the festive season waistline expansion?

Australians like to eat healthily, with 44 per cent rating 'healthy eating' as the primary motivation for their attitude to food according to the latest survey from the Australian Chicken Meat Federation (ACMF).

With 8 out of 10 adults wanting to lose weight and almost half (43 per cent) of all Australian women ideally looking to lose 8kg or more, Baker IDI's obesity and health expert and CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet co-author, Dr Peter Clifton, advises that a high-protein, moderate carbohydrate diet, rich in lean chicken, is a good place to start.

Dr Clifton explained: "While most Australians recognise skinless chicken breast as a good dietary choice, the majority are not aware of the role lean chicken can play in a healthy diet and for long-term weight loss.

"Skinless chicken is low in fat, provides a wealth of essential vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin B6, niacin and selenium and should be encouraged as an important component of a healthy eating plan whether for weight loss or weight maintenance."

Australians' love of food is the biggest barrier to kicking those weight loss goals, with half of them (50 per cent) claiming it to be the main reason they cannot lose weight. They also confess that, when it comes to dieting, they lack willpower (43 per cent), and with one-third of dieters (30 per cent) always feeling hungry, many drop off the diet bandwagon.

A majority of Australians (65 per cent) prefer to cut out sugar, sweets and junk food to lose weight, with over half (55 per cent) just eating less of the food they normally eat. However, no one approach to weight loss was more successful than any other and most respondents tried more than one approach.

Dr Andreas Dubs, Executive Director of the ACMF commented: "Lean chicken is an Australian favourite, our most affordable meat, and eaten three times a week by over a third of us. But few people are aware that it can also contribute to healthy eating plans and may assist in long-term weight loss, without the need to embark on extreme dieting.

"Over half (53 per cent) of those surveyed, when asked, were aware that skinless chicken breast is lower in fat than any other lean meat, but cited versatility (72 per cent), ease of cooking (69 per cent) and it being a family favourite (54 per cent) as their main reasons for choosing chicken.

"Skinless chicken is an important source of protein, is low in fat, and with women dieters in particular telling us that they find it hard to stick to a diet when they're doing it alone, is easily incorporated into a family's weekly meal plans," concluded Dr Dubs.

For more information, chicken facts and recipes visit the ACMF web site [click here].

Further Reading

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You can view the ACMF Fact Sheet on Weight Control by clicking here.