" WASHINGTON -- Worried about fitting into your bathing suit, shorts and other summer clothing without feeling chronically hungry and deprived?"

"Chalk it up to energy density -- a theory that has been simmering in nutrition circles for years. It's an idea that also fits well with our supersized eating habits, since it's based on volume. In fact, one of the leading researchers in the field has dubbed the idea "volumetrics.""

"Here's how it works: Swap high-calorie (also known as energy-dense) foods with lower-calorie (low-energy-dense) fare. If that sounds like just the latest spin on the traditional low-fat approach, think again. Gram for gram, low-energy-dense foods contain fewer calories than their energy-dense cousins because they're higher in water, fiber or air. Not only does that additional volume fool the eye, it also satisfies the appetite. As a result, you can serve larger portions of low-energy-dense foods than of standard fare."

"Yes, according to a new, yearlong Penn State University study of 71 obese women, aged 22 to 60. The study found that those who ate low-energy-dense food lost 17 pounds vs. 14 pounds for the women who just cut back on fat. Both approaches rated equally well on health benefits, cost effectiveness, prep time, convenience and ability to work well in a family environment."

"But study participants who used energy density as their guide ate 25 percent more food by weight -- not more calories -- than their counterparts. They also reported feeling significantly less hungry than did those who cut back only on fat, the Penn State team wrote in June in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

"The findings show that "choosing foods that are low in calorie density helps in losing weight, without the restrictive messages of other weight-loss diets," notes Julia A. Ello-Martin, who conducted the research as part of her doctoral dissertation."

"Plus, the results suggest that eating more fruit and vegetables while limiting fat "is effective in controlling hunger," notes the study's co-author, Barbara Rolls, professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State and author of "The Volumetrics Eating Plan."The good thing about fruits and vegetables is that they allow you to focus on what you can eat rather than what you have to give up.""

"Yet while food low in energy density may satisfy your appetite and whittle your waistline, it can also take a bite out of your wallet."

"A recent report from the University of Washington compared the weekly costs of eating high- and low-energy-dense food in 1,500 French teens and adults. It found that fruit, vegetables
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