Kansas State University nutrition professor Marc Haub’s infamous “Twinkie” diet challenges the notion of “junk” food — he lost twenty-seven pounds and lowered his BMI by four points in two months by eating Hostess, Little Debbie, and other convenience store snacks for meals. Professor Haub initially took up the diet — which consisted of two-thirds snack food plus a multivitamin, protein shake, and canned vegetables — to teach his students that calorie intake, not nutritional value, is what matters most for weight loss. He told CNN, “These foods are consumed by lots of people. It may be an issue of portion size and moderation rather than total removal. I just think it’s unrealistic to expect people to totally drop these foods for vegetables and fruits. It may be healthy, but not realistic.”
What astounded ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross the most was the improvement in professor Haub’s lipid parameters — his “bad” cholesterol (LDL) dropped 20 percent, while his “good” cholesterol (HDL) rose 20 percent and his triglyceride levels decreased 39 percent.
“Apparently, weight loss, as opposed to diet and exercise, was what improved his lipid levels,” says ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan. “The take-home message: calories count!”