Lack of dietary protein leads to overeating, weight gain

Lack of dietary protein is a key factor in the global obesity epidemic, with individuals' total calorie intake increasing as the percentage of protein in their diets decreases, according to a new study in Obesity Reviews.

Researchers found that regardless of weight, age or the time frame of a diet, reducing the percentage of dietary protein will result in increased total energy intake, contributing to overweight and obesity.

When you consume things like soft drinks, which are fairly low in proportion of protein but high in calories, your energy intake will increase because you'll need to keep eating to get the protein you need. If you add a soft drink to your lunch then you've added a lot of calories, but you'll still have to eat the same amount of food.

When people are trying to lose weight, they need to look at macronutrient composition, not just calories. If you cut out calories but don't consider protein intake, you're going to be hungry and your diet won't be successful.