Professor loses 27 lbs. on Twinkie and BBQ-chip diet

The findings of a new study by Mark Haub, professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, might delight those who struggle to take off pounds with diets that restrict carbs, particularly sugary, gooey treats. Haub experimented on himself to see what would happen if he went on a sub-1,800-calorie-a-day diet of foods that are generally considered junk foods, such as Twinkies, sugary cereals and potato chips. The result? He lost 27 pounds in two months, while elevating his good cholesterol and dropping his bad cholesterol.

Stop right there! I know you're already putting on your shoes, intending to head to the store to stock up on Ho Ho's and BBQ chips, but Haub's "convenience store diet" experiment, carried out on one person in relatively good health, while provocative, is not proof enough that this strategy is sound. What it does show is that calories are calories, and eating fewer calories than one burns up will result in weight loss, regardless of the source of those calories.