Losing weight ‘is simple when maths is used’

People can lose weight and keep it off if they use a mathematical approach to what they eat and how much they exercise, an expert has suggested.

Jessica Villa, independent nutritional consultant for Big Matters, said that people need to use a bit of common sense and realise that what they consume has to be burnt off or it will build up as excess fat.

"Mathematically, nutrition is simple; a normal healthy woman should eat 1,900 calories a day and a man 2,100 calories a day. If you ingest that and you burn it, it would be impossible to gain weight," she explained.

Ms Villa went on to say that people should avoid eating too many high-GI foods, such as potatoes, as they increase insulin response, disrupt the metabolism and can lead to diabetes.

Her comments follow the recent publication of research by the University of California and the US National Center for Food Safety and Technology, which claimed that people can include potatoes in their diet and still lose weight.

Do you count the calories included in the food that you eat?