* Text Courtesy IANS

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(IANS) Cutting down butter and cheese, biscuits, cakes and crisps and going in for low-fat diet could help shed pounds, according to a new research.

In this way, people can get slimmer in six months without dieting. The more fat you stop eating, the more weight is lost, says a new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

The results prove for the first time that weight loss is possible simply by choosing foods lower in fat despite a plethora of recent publicity extolling the benefits of low-carbohydrate and no-carb diets, the British Medical Journal reported.

Lee Hooper from UEA's Norwich Medical School, who led the study, said the regime led to consistent lower weight for at least seven years. 

"The weight reduction that we found when people ate less fat was remarkably consistent - we saw it in almost every trial. Those who cut down more on fat, lost more weight," she said, according to the Daily Mail.

"The effect isn't dramatic, like going on a diet. The research specifically looked at people who were cutting down on fat, but didn't aim to lose weight - so they were continuing to consume a normal amount of food," added Hooper.

The systematic review included results from 33 randomised controlled trials, lasting six months to eight years, involving 73,589 men, women and children with varying states of health.

The effect on Body Mass Index (BMI) - a score showing whether people are overweight or obese - and waistline was measured after at least six months. The results show that eating less fat reduces body weight by 1.6 kg.